Tzusing

Tzusing, born in Malaysia, divides his time between Shanghai and Taipei while shaping a distinctive strain of shadowy, intense techno. The music blends EBM and industrial influences with multiple traditions from Asia and the Middle East. Percussion stays prominent throughout, linking ritualistic drumming to menacing industrial pulses and folding in acoustic instruments alongside vocals.

He launched his DJ career in 2002 after settling in Chicago, the city he reached upon finishing high school in San Diego. There he discovered house music and club culture, soon earning a residency at the well-known Smartbar. At his parents’ urging he relocated to China to establish a bike-parts company. Isolation prompted a move to Shanghai, where he resumed DJing and secured a residency at Shelter.

The track “Teeth” appeared on Clan Destine Records’ Dark Acid III EP; a copy reached Doug Lee (An-I), who forwarded it to Ron Morelli. Morelli then signed Tzusing to the respected L.I.E.S. label, which issued the three-part A Name Out of Place EP series one installment per year from 2014 to 2016. Additional material surfaced on Cititrax’s Tracks EPs, and he joined Samo DJ and Baba Stiltz for releases on Public Possession and Born Free Records.

L.I.E.S. brought out his debut album, Dongfang Bubai, in 2017. The title draws from the central figure in Jin Yong’s wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. This daring, fearless record received strong critical praise. Later that year Bedouin Records released the EP In a Moment a Thousand Hits.