Cyberpunk and the paradox of modern living
It’s been a whole two and a bit years since Tzusan last dropped a solo project so I was curious to see what’s changed, from the horse's mouth of course. This is not to say there hasn’t been output, there has and a lot of it, but these collaborative releases are a separate entity entirely from Tzusan’s newest offering.
The development of his sound and the artists he’s picked up along the way to explore it is refreshing. This time though we’re rewinding the clock a bit to a time and character that maybe some have forgotten. “I wanted to go back to like the older projects ‘Babau’ and ‘Fizzy Milk’, bring out the old weird Tzusan energy and do it justice as I couldn’t really before” says Tzusan as describes his latest album ‘Ponzu’ and battles the perils of being able to rerecord his answer- time zones and shift patterns meant this had to be discussed through voice notes.
“I wanted to make something that was really authentically Tzusan. It’s the most Tzusan album that I could make if that makes sense. I’ve recorded these voice notes like 20 times so I should just send this.” We’re still unsure if this is reality, a parallel universe or a labyrinth of complete make-believe but the ability to construct these episodes has been heightened. “It’s a lot more crisp, polished and I’m a lot more capable of bringing to life the image I have in my head than ever before.” The soundscapes which venture as far as Japanese City-Pop, before touching back to more typical Hip-Hop have grown in their stature and hold plenty in between. “Coming back to a big solo project means I can really showcase that production, flex it and push my own boundaries with it” which is exactly what we have. It’s a bag full of flavours but one that’s woven together just that little bit tighter.
Touching on flavour is easy when you have ten years of cheffing under your belt and this album just absolutely exudes it. “I don’t feel all that consciously influenced by food and cuisine, just in terms of writing, flavour is an interesting device “she was sweet, the air was sour” or “it leaves a bad taste in your mouth” flavour can have a lot of emotive descriptiveness so it’s a good tool.” And one wielded by many a wordsmith, “Whether it’s Action Bronson flexing or Shakespeare describing a feast, it’s all the same, plus there’s a lot of cultural references from food so yeah it’s a deep well to tap… There’s a book called “The Land of Milk and Honey” by C Pam Zhang which I read whilst I was making the album, a lot of the ways they use metaphor with food is pretty sick. It’s another reference to draw upon, to build the world, like put all the little details in the universe.” When it comes to the real feel of the album it’s a different varnish completely and one that feels almost surreal in its futuristic depravity. “A lot of the Japanese influence the city-pop samples, that comes more from a Cyber Punk, William Gibson, Blade Runner kind of aesthetic”. Playing a bit like one of the Fallout games but with all the mods downloaded, Tzusan really takes you on a quest-line both sonically and emotionally.
Futuristic societal decay and the lines that can be drawn to present-day societal… regression, let's say, are rather striking when you consider technologically how far we’ve come in such little time. “Maybe I’m not the person to ask, but the modern current state of affairs is paradoxical and absurd; people feeling isolated in densely populated mega-cities, we’re so advanced but people are even more clueless and lost and there’s a real disconnection from maybe what life should be. Rat race bullshit”. Something you feel unwillingly obliged to partake in and ostracised from if not fully committed to, maybe outlooks are changing though. “Accelerationism is interesting but what are you accelerating towards… cunts need to slow down.” Perhaps the wastelands depicted in cyber-punk worlds, or perhaps pastures greener than we can comprehend. Either way, the constant need for improvement is tiring; the fruits of your labours should be enjoyed and the present respected. I rounded off with what I thought would be a light question about favourite food experiences as it seemed we both shared a love there, but this was apparently a tin of worms probably best left unopened. “It’s funny you say like light and trivial but then I interpret that as a really deeply personal question, which maybe speaks a lot more about my relationship with food than I realise, but shit man I feel like to answer that I’d have to get into a whole load of shit.”
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