Ten$ion

DIE ANTWOORD | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 7, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Downtown
• ASIN: B006OAB1SA
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,127 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #12 in Music > Dance & DJ > Techno
  • #39 in Music > Rock > Rap Rock
  • #64 in Music > Dance & DJ > Electronica

Track Listings

1. Never le Nkemise 1

2. I Fink U Freeky

3. Pielie (Skit)

4. Hey Sexy

5. Fatty Boom Boom

6. Zefside Zol (Interlude)

7. So What?

8. Uncle Jimmy (Skit)

9. Baby's on Fire

10. U Make a Ninja Wanna F**k

11. Fok Julle Naaiers

12. DJ Hi-Tek Rulez

13. Never le Nkemise 2

Editorial Reviews

Die Antwoord, the eclectic South African rap posse who taught you what zef was, are back with news of a new record, Ten$ion, weirder facial hair, more stick and poke tattoos, and another kind of gross and thus infinitely rewatchable video. Ten$ion is coming February 7 via Die Antwoord's own label, but in the meantime you can watch the video for its first single "Fok Julle Naaires," if you're not (spoiler alert) creeped out by large insects. It's a typical Die Antwoord song, all impressive and incomprehensible raps (with the exception of DJ Hi-Tek's turn at the mic towards the end, which is, um, neither of the above) from Ninja and Yo-Landi. We don't know what "Fok Julle Naaires" means, but it sounds serious.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Odd stuff February 9, 2012

By Eric J. Tornoe

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This band is quite arresting, likely shocking to most on first exposure. I found the music interesting but they really come to life in the videos. The video for I Fink U Freeky is very well executed, with expressionist, surrealist and silent film iconography throughout, lots of comical "Zef" imagery and amusing takes on overused references such as Grant Wood's "American Gothic". There's an enjoyable R. Crumb vibe to this outfit as well. I don't know if Ninja is calculatedly campy or if he's really like that- I suspect the former- but he constitutes the most relatable aspect of the act from an American perspective. He seems like a bit of a joke but is a solid rapper. DJ Hi-Tek is a good beat chopper but I'm not as fond of his sonic choices. The real gem is Yo-landi, who elevates the group out of the ordinary. Her otherworldly looks and voice are striking and she's a spectacular rapper. She has a great face for film with a tremendous range of looks from strikingly beautiful to gross, scary and beyond. She looks quite ordinary in street clothes which is a testament to both her acting skills and her natural assets. In my opinion Hip-Hop is mostly bankrupt and beyond self-parody at this moment in history, but Die Antwoord (and I'll throw Janelle Monae in here as a more mainstream example) is wringing something meaningful and entertaining out of that dead horse.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! I Love Thi$! February 10, 2012

By William S. Joyner III

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

When Die Antwoord came on the scene, they had to be taken as a complete package for the most part -- music, videos, interviews, etc.-- in order to fully appreciate their bizarre and comical yet infectiously ironic style. Their previous effort, $O$, is amazing, but somewhat esoteric on it's own without the aforementioned extras to put things in proper context (I urge anyone to view this group's various videos across the "interweb", as they put the 'art' in performance art). I'm not sure where the act ends and reality begins, but I don't think they know either.

With this latest release, however, they have officially become a great force to be reckoned with. Easily picking up where $O$ left off and soaring to higher realms, this is the freshest, most original release I've heard in a long time (well, since $O$, actually). DJ Hi-Tek's beats are noticeably improved and hooky, and Ninja's rhymes, with his quirky accented style, flow effortlessly and with renewed confidence. But the most notable, stand-out performance is from Yo-Landi Vi$$er. She is a star in her own right, beautifully weird with irresistible vocals, a sort of hybrid between GaGa and MIA but pulling it off better than either. Add these qualities together and you have one heck of an album and a fantastically original group. These guys are truly a breath of fresh air.

A final note, one of the reasons Die Antwoord succeeds is not just talent, but a stubborn refusal to abandon their eclectic, albeit non-commercial, style. When Interscope records (who signed them on for $O$) pressured them to adopt a more radio-friendly sound, they told them where to shove it, dropping a major label and recording Ten$ion with Downtown records instead. Gotta respect that. And guess what? They were right.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My New Favorite Band April 8, 2012

By madonn a

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

OK, so my brother gets out of prison a couple of yrs. ago and tells me about this ZEF music he was turned on to in the joint. The more I listened to $O$, the more I liked it. I Amazonned myself the CD. When I saw Die Antwoord on David Letterman and saw the new CD....HAD TO HAVE IT! The music ( and the band ) are addictive. It must bring out my inner wild child as I am a 54 yr. old mom, government employee living a middle class- suburban life. This gets my blood moving on the drive to work...
highly suggested purchase.