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Tzusing - 東方不敗

    • Label /
      L.I.E.S.
      LIES-092
    • Released /
      February 2017
    • Style /
      Techno, Industrial
    • Comments /
      30 / View
    • Rating /
      4.0/5
    • Previous
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    Tzusing - 東方不敗 Tzusing - 東方不敗
    Tzusing - 東方不敗 Since he emerged in 2014, Tzusing's style of techno, tough and tactile, has differed from the grungy lo-fi with which L.I.E.S. is associated. Though the Malaysian-Chinese producer's music is loud and authoritative, he eschews the noise that defines some of his labelmates' music. On his first album, 東方不敗—named after a character, Dongfang Bubai, in a Jin Yong novel—industrial and EBM is the name of the game. Incorporating ideas from a vast array of artists across those genres, Tzusing's debut album feels both hulking and nimble.

    Nine Inch Nails comes to mind on the incredible opener "日出東方 唯我不敗," whose vibrating steel strings and drum onslaught call back to 1999's The Fragile. "日出東方 唯我不敗"'s tottering percussion and otherworldly instrumentation would be a breath of fresh air in any techno set. Sprightly rhythms are offset by unsteady melodies—some sound like woodwinds, others like synth patches—that bend and decay, a combination that underlines the record's engaging mix of futurism and exoticism.

    While the album is heavy on melody, 東方不敗's real hooks are in its percussion. The metallic drums on "King Of Hosts" sound like chain links rattling in the wind. "Esther" is like a Downwards record beefed up by a marching band. Powerful hand drums that could have come from a Chinese orchestra are the focal point on "Post-Soviet Models." The record's other major highlight is "Nature Is Not Created In The Image Of Man's Compassion," a lurching number that highlights the topsy-turvy dimension of Tzusing's music. The eerie vocals resemble industrial, while the detuned bassline points and resonant screeches in the backdrop point to some old horror film.

    In a recent interview with RBMA, Tzusing recounted the story of Dongfang Bubai, who hunts after the secrets of being a swordsman contained in a scroll, which instructs the practitioner to castrate himself to learn the art. Giving up power and masculinity to gain other powers appealed to Tzusing, who seems to have taken it to heart for his debut album: this is techno that is pummelling and fierce, but never burly or macho. It's as agile as the aspiring swordsman who inspired it.
    • Published /
      Thu / 30 Mar 2017
    • Words /
      Andrew Ryce
    • Share
    • Tracklist /
      01. 日出東方 唯我不敗
      02. Digital Properties
      03. Esther
      04. King Of Hosts
      05. Nature Is Not Created In The Image Of Man's Compassion
      06. Post-Soviet Models
      07. Torque Pulsations
    0/
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  • More on Tzusing

    • Tzusing
      Add to favourites

      Name: Tzusing Birthday: ??? Height: 183cm Blood type: O Astrology sign: Cancer Looks: 5 stars Sense of humor: 5 stars Drinking ability: 5 stars
      View the full artist profile

    Upcoming dates

    • Fri27/Apr 2018

      Kansai

      Afp01

    • Mon30/Apr 2018

      Shanghai

      Stockholm Syndrome: Tzusing

    • Sat26/May 2018

      Amsterdam

      Lente Kabinet 2018

    • Fri01/Jun 2018

      London

      Field Day 2018

    • Fri08/Jun 2018

      Brussels

      HE4RTBROKEN with Tzusing, False Witness, Flora Yin-Wong

    • Sat09/Jun 2018

      Barcelona

      Razz Clubs: EBM Night: Fixmer & Mccarthy Live ...

    News

    • Tue, 06 Mar 2018

      20 comments

      Physical Therapy and Discwoman release 44-track charity compilation, Physically Sick 2

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    • Thu, 22 Feb 2018

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      Dekmantel announces lineup for Lente Kabinet 2018

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    • Thu, 08 Feb 2018

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      Squarepusher, Floating Points, Tzusing added to Sónar Hong Kong 2018

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    • Mon, 05 Feb 2018

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      Field Day unveils 2018 lineup, Erykah Badu to headline

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    • Thu, 30 Nov 2017

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    • Tue, 10 Oct 2017

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    0/
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