TZU Biography
In the last days of 2006 Joelistics , Count Bounce , Paso Bionics and Yerock hitch hiked a ride in the back seat of Michael J Fox's time traveling Delorian on a mission to record their new album. Here is a transcript of the conversation that took place...
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Michael J Fox - Hi TZU.
TZU - Hi Michael J Fox.
Michael J Fox - Where can I take you guys ?
TZU - Take us to the 80's Michael J Fox.
Michael J Fox - Why ?
TZU - Because the 80's was a space time continuum intersection and we need to travel back there to re shape the future. In our present day the fashionably hip illuminatti are obsessed with this particular decade and yet they focus on the wrong elements. We must go back there to set things right. The future is in our hands.
Michael J Fox - Okay TZU.
TZU - Hey Michael J Fox ?
Michael J Fox - Yes TZU.
TZU - Bummer about the Parkinson's man. We'll try and fix that too.
*
TZU returned from the 80's with their new album ' COMPUTER LOVE ' but first...Let's recap on the story so far.
In 2004 TZU released their debut album Position Correction on to an unsuspecting Australian public. It announced the arrival of an eccentric hiphop crew with classic songs like 'Summer Days' and 'Wild Stylee' and immediately identified them as leaders on the forefront of the burgeoning local hiphop scene.
In 2006 TZU released their follow up album Smiling at Strangers to critical acclaim. The album was nominated for the inaugural Australian Music Prize and featured the songs 'She gets up' , 'Coming Round' and 'In Front of me'. With it's broadened palette of live instruments and a passing nod to 60's psychadelic pop music ,Smiling at Strangers proved to their growing audience that here was a group willing to take chances and experiment with their sound.
In 2008 TZU once again smash the pre-conceptions of what hiphop can sound like with their third album 'Computer Love' . Within the 14 songs on Computer Love TZU tackle serious subject matter such as domestic violence , work place psychosis , First time love and the relationship between linguistics and reality as well as serving up a solid dose of their trademark good time party raps referencing such things as man boobs , Ned kelly and space travel. As rappers Joelistics and Count Bounce manage to pack the freshest of flows with social conscience and a sense of humor.
The production is tighter than ever and draws influences from such diverse sources as old stax and motown feels to the future rhythms of the late great J Dilla. They have also explored the dirtier sound of 80's electro infusing their beats with crunchy old analog synth's and giant 808 bass drums.
They enlisted the help of Tony Espie ( The Avalanches 'Since I left you' and Cut Copy's latest.... ) to help mix the album so it was right in the bass bottom end for dance floors and they have collaborated with a number of female singers most notably the great Renee Geyer , who adds a touch of class and soul to the new record.
TZU are well respected for their high energy shows that fuse live instruments with the classic turntables and sampler set up. The have played most of Australia's biggest music festivals including Splendor in the Grass , Falls , BDO , Pyramid Rock , Woodford , Apollo Bay and they have shared stages with De La Soul , Mos Def ,The Pharcyde , Michael Franti's Spearhead , Blackalicious and a who's who of local Australian music greats from many genres and now in the year 2008 with the help of the good bits of the 80's and a time traveling Delorian TZU have created an album that truly travels Back to the future with an updated live show to match.
Be warned Australian hiphop never sounded so Bulk Ace.
