| TZU | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genre: | Australian hip hop |
| Years Active: | – |
| Label: | Liberation |
| Past Members: |
|
TZU (pronounced "Tee Zed Yoo") were an Australian hip hop group, formed in 1999 by Joelistics, Yeroc, Seed MC and Paso Bionic. They used instruments in live performances, giving their shows a rock-infused feeling.[1] Duzy What joined in 2005. TZU released four studio albums, Position Correction (2004), Smiling at Strangers (2005), Computer Love (2008, which peaked in the ARIA Charts top 30) and Millions of Moments (2012), before disbanding in 2013.
TZU formed in 1999 in Melbourne, initially as a side project. The group's lineup stayed the same until their disbandment; MCs Joel Ma (Joelistics) and Phillip "Pip" Norman (Seed MC and later known as Count Bounce) [ex-Pan], who also played guitar and bass; Corey McGregor (Yeroc) on drums and samplers, and Shehab Tariq (Pasobionic) on turntables.[2] According to Seed MC, the group started out as an almagation of two groups; Pan and Curse ov Dialect. Pan, the group he was a part of, were a "drum-and-bass/funk/reggae mash-up" band, while Curse ov Dialect (who Pasobionic was a part of) were an "oddball experimental hip hop group with a penchant for throwing meat at the audience."[2]
According to Joelistics, the group's name is taken from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, which was suggested by Lee Hartney of the Smith Street Band. Styled as TZU and originally pronounced "Tzu", the pronunciation of the band's name was changed to "Tee Zed You" early on in their career to add an "element of mystery."[3] Their debut six-track extended play (EP), Um... Just A Liddlbidova Mic Check (2001), was recorded in a portable studio in the back of a truck parked near Hobart.[2] [4] [5] Local Noises Tony Mitchell described it as "tentative."[5] After the EP's release, they were signed to Liberation Music,[2] who they would release all their future material under.
TZU released their debut album, Position Correction, on 19 February 2004. The album was co-produced by Seed and Yeroc and peaked just outside the ARIA Charts Top 100 in March.[6] Greg Lawrence of WHAMMO described how the quartet, "[are] a bunch of true technicians who successfully transmit their love for beats and lyrics. The double-pronged vocal attack is more exact than the scalpel of a master surgeon, the subterranean bass growls and snappy beats are premium."[7] Tony Mitchell felt "[it] covers a wide range of moods, styles and tempos, and represents another new direction in Australian hip-hop coming from an idiosyncratic Melbourne push which is making an important impact on local indigenisations of the genre."
In 2005 keyboard player, Dustin McLean (Duzy What) was added to the group's line-up. TZU issued their second studio album, Smiling at Strangers, which was produced by Magoo (Regurgitator, Butterfingers). It reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 100 in late September.[6] Mitchell noticed, "[they] can successfully combine rock and hip hop... through a desire to experiment with and stretch the often restrictive parameters of MCing and Djing."[8] Simon Jones of Soulshine compared it to their debut album, "[they] have taken a more instrument-based approach in the studio, leaving behind the beats and samples of their debut Position Correction and replacing them with guitars, piano, drums and the occasional horn line."[9] In February 2006 the album was short-listed for the inaugural Australian Music Prize for releases in 2005.[10] [11]
In February-March 2006, they won Yahoo! Music's "Who's Next" monthly music public-voted poll.[12] [13] In November of that year they re-released Smiling at Strangers as a limited edition 2×CD, Snarling at Strangers, which, along with the original album's fourteen tracks, included a second five-track disc, Snarl, and three music videos.[14] [15] The additional, previously unreleased tracks were described by Tristan of There Is no Roseability as, "a harsh critique of current politics/society. It's not as militaristic or angry as The Herd's material, but it's harsh nonetheless. It still has the genius wit and timelessness of Australian hip-hop."[16]
In 2008, the band released their third studio album, Computer Love. Rolling Stone Australia said "Melbourne group TZU just can't stop upping the ante ... They meld classic eighties electro with the more traditional funk keeping the emphasis on authenticity and class throughout." Inpress said "Computer Love is full of old school synth's, masterful sampling and live instrumentation - a maverick in its field and release that will set a new standard for the Australian music landscape."
Richard Kingsmill, Musical Director of Australian radio station Triple J, stated in regard to the band's 2008 J Award nomination for Computer Love, "They open their album saying "TZU still feelin' awesome". I couldn't agree more. They keep growing as an act and expanding on their influences. This album has so much life and they're doing all this themselves. No mentors, producers or anyone getting in the way. Pure talent."[17]
A remix album, titled Cover Up Motel, was released the following year in 2009, which featured remixes of songs from Computer Love. The title of the album is an anagram of Computer Love.
In 2012, after a period of inactivity, TZU released their fourth and final album Millions of Moments.[18] The album is a concept album about a woman named Persephone who test-trials a mind-altering drug called Chronos which takes her through the minds of various people in different points in time.[19] The concept stemmed from Joelistics' travels in Asia, as he explains in an interview with Beat Magazine:
Sonically, the album takes a detour from hip-hop to opt for a darker, more experimential electronic pop sound. In the same interview with Beat Magazine, Joelistics also delves into the reasoning behind this:
To promote the album, they went on tour. [20] The following year, the band had quietly called it quits on making music together. Joelistics and Count Bounce went on to pursue solo careers, while Paso Bionic pursued a career in design.
Credits:[21]
| Details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [22] | |||
| Position Correction |
| — | |
| Smiling at Strangers |
| 71 | |
| Computer Love |
| 23 | |
| Millions of Moments |
| 57 |
| Details | ||
| Cover Up Motel |
|
|---|
| Details | ||
| Um... Just A Liddlbidova Mic Check |
| |
|---|---|---|
| The Position Selection |
|
| Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "The Horse You Rode in On" | 2003 | — | Position Correction |
| "Dam Busters" | — | ||
| "Wildstylee" | 2004 | — | |
| "She Gets Up" | 2005 | — | Smiling at Strangers |
| "In Front of Me"[24] | 2006 | 51 | Smiling at Strangers |
| "Computer Love" | 2008 | — | Computer Love |
| "Beginning of the End"[25] | 2012 | — | Millions of Moments |
| "Beautiful"[26] | — |
The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.|-|2007[27] | "In Front of Me"| Most Performed Urban Work| |-
The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. They commenced in 2005.|-| 2005[28] | Smiling at Strangers| Australian Music Prize| |-|-
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.|-| 2008[17] |Computer Love| Australian Album of the Year|