The Tenses

Feb.20, 2015

2015

The Dream World of Dion McGregor

The Tenses -is a Title of a story in the book “The Dream World of Dion McGregor” from 1964. It is a unique book in that the stories are not “Written”, but Transcribed from stories told while asleep!

In 2008 we began a new Live Act using Musical Concepts developed with Smegma. The Tenses are a more intimate ” Live ” experiment ,that is GREATLY INFLUENCED by the room/audience “feel”. Moving Images that reflect our influences and creative patterns are projected on or behind us. Our creative intent is only one aspect. We Attempt to collaborate in” The Moment .”

The Tenses have performed successfully in Portland, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Cork, London, Brighton, Helsinki, Brussels, Paris , Geneva and others , so far.

Ju Suk Reet Meate- Founding Smegma and core LAFMS member since 1973 . Lap Steel Guitar, Pocket Trumpet , Electronics, Toys, ect.

Oblivia (Rock and Roll Jackie) Smegma Member Since 1981. Record Player, Electronics, Toys, ect.

The Tenses, using concepts developed over 40 years of organized and spontaneous sound making , attempt a new focus on “live performance” in which the Room or space has a major effect on the unfolding sounds. Usually a movie is also shown that may suggest themes. If it all works there is Magic.

In the spirit of attempting the impossible, we hope some of the Magic fills the grooves in the vinyl LP, or the electronic rust patterns of cassettes. The Tenses-Part I

The Tenses in Turku, Finland 2012

Cork 2009 Oblivia & Ju Suk Reet Meate (The Tenses) Thanks so much to Vicky Langan !!!

MSHR/THE TENSES 2014

Dec.30, 2014

http://mshr.info/TheTensesMSHR.html

The Tenses / MSHR from MSHR on Vimeo.

Apr.20, 2012

http://audiomer.org/projects/view/1020

audioMER.

BUY

artist: The Tenses
title: Howard
released: 2014
artwork: Wouter Van De Voorde, Wouter Vanhaelemeesch, Jeroen Wille

tracklist:

A1. Howard (3:42)
A2. Burn (6:57)
A3. Dream (6:08)
B. Relax (18:22)

Release Date: April 7, 2014
Limited edition of 300 copies

The Tenses is a duo comprised of Ju Suk Reet Meate and Jackie Oblivia, two veterans of the weirdo art collective that is known as theLos Angeles Free Music Society. They also form the core of legendary experimental juggernaut Smegma.

The LAFMS have been a singular force in DIY culture ever since the early seventies and encapsuled an endless string of projects and bands that married a sort of proto-punk with trashy guitars, avant-garde music, tape manipulations, free jazz, improv and absurd vocalizations into a hyper original and singular form of music. They’re seen by many as the originators of noise music, and have been an immense influence on bands like Sun City Girls, Merzbow, Wolf Eyes, No Neck Blues Band, etc…

The Tenses is one of the latest vessels for Ju Suk and Jackie to explore the outer realms of sound and space. Compared to the mothership that is Smegma, it is a more compact and intimate project where turntables, tape collages, distorted surf guitar and coronet are used to create elaborate, haunted atmospheres.
After releases on Harbinger Sound and their own Pigface Records, The Tenses now add another chapter to their history with ‘Howard’, their new LP on Belgian imprint audioMER. ‘Howard’ is a mind expanding tour de force that scrambles spoken word deconstructions and spontaneous freak outs into a musical non-sequitur; a strange and disorienting trip.

Loops of voices from long lost instruction movies, shortwave radio dramas that get overrun with sirens, various non-instrumental sounds, and an bewildering stretch of Link Wray-like guitar riffs; ‘Howard’ is a record that oozes paranoia, the perfect soundtrack for making explosives in your basement.