The Tea Syndicate

Music by Mediums

2012-01-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

As many of you know.... I've been working on instigating new ventures into an concept I call the "Urban Teahouse."

The urban teahouse is intended to cultivate a movement through which we meld together relevant aspects of different cultures & ways of thinking--drawing upon the insights of traditional wisdom and interweaving it with progressive modern ideals in order to create new paradigms and models for social change and interaction. This effort has drawn largely upon the concept of a "teahouse" as an ideal environment for social interaction, ideological exchange, and entertainment.

In working toward this concept, I've spent years cultivating connections with other artists, healers, educators, researchers, business owners, etc..... And we're finally on the verge of making our next small step in this monumental journey of bridging cultures and communities, which is why I'm reaching out to you all now!

Almost everyone of you that is mentioned in this not has helped contribute to the movement of bringing together arts or community involvmenet in one way or another--whether directly or indirectly--and I'm sharing this track with you now as a way to express that appreciation and simply to share a few subtle works of art with those of you who I think would appreciate it and would like to help this new "urban teahouse" movement to grow.

The movement... is as many of you know.... coming together through our efforts as "The Tea Syndicate"

and our next step is to continue cultivating community through events, education, and interaction

I'm sharing this track with you now as an expression of appreciation for all of you & your respective efforts through art, community interaction, global travels, and cross-cultural interaction.

This track is a very subtle work by Travis Austin {aka Mediums} sourced from a 20yr old Chinese er'hu sample by our good friend Alex Peng from Taiwan. The accompanying artwork is by Raul Pizarro of Chile from a collaboration in Andong Korea 2010.

I hope you all enjoy the track & I look forward to any feedback or potential collaboration through art, music, tea, education, events, etc. in the future

****{{{{CLICK LINK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD}}}}****

http://soundcloud.com/syndicatedtea/mediums-abridged-music-for

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Synergy Presents: Transfermotion

2012-01-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

We're very excited to be doing one more Synergy event!! This is one of the collaborations that helped get things going with the Tea Syndicate back in the day and we're doing one of their last events--at least for a long while! The lowdown is as follows:

"Now is the time to Dream Awake friends and what better way to do so than to "Synergize" with Y(Our) community.

Join us once more (or for your first time) for Austin's original "Synergy: Intentional Dance Experience...where we come together in peace and creative expression to dance and unite all night long.

Our next installment shall be on February 18th, 2012 and the theme is- "Transfermotion: Dream Awake! We invite you to reflect on what conscious gathering means to you, and how the gift of dance allows us the space, time, and opportunity to transfermotion. If all we are is vibration (movement), from what place does our conscious dance originate, and what are we dancing for? What are we taking from the dream state that we may transfer into lucidity? Your body is strong, your heart beat powerful, and your spirit courageous. The dance floor can take it, so lets dish it out! Transfer the motion of y(our) being into our waking dream.

For those of you who know us...you can know what to expect: great electronic dance music, creative and open minded people, healthy and yummy treats to nourish (y)our bodies, a space to relax, connect and enjoy tea service, a space for healing sessions, and YES! Yes! YeSsss- heaps of fun!

Lot's of good artists & musicians, and tea by The Tea Syndicate

This gathering shall be at our usual space "Thrive Fitness" (formerly known as Nia Space) located @ 3212 South Congress in Austin Texas. Our doors open at 9 and close around 6am.

Monetary Exchange for the entire evening is $15- $20 sliding scale...

For more exciting information check out the Dancing Freedom website:www.dancingfreedom.com

Chinese Gong Fu Tea & Ecstatic Movement Session

2012-01-10T23:34:00.000-08:00

@ Guari Movement Studio

We're very excited to be back in Austin with this awesome opportunity to kick-off a new series of tea events in our community at Guari Movement Studio!!

This workshop represents the first step in setting an intention to foster a community of tea enthusiasts in our community and will involve...

An introduction to concepts and basic methodology of various Asian tea ceremonies, tea processing, and tea culture in general. This will be accompanied by a Chinese/Taiwanese "gong fu" tea session.

Following our tea session, and anticipated subtle "tea high," we'll move into some sounds & basic QiGong exercises, and then into an "urban teahouse" soundscape and some ecstatic movement & DANCING to some floor thumpin global grooves finish things off!!

The cost of this workshop is $15

{{but will most definitely consider sliding scale if you really want to participate & just can't contribute this much}}

All proceeds will go to benefit an effort to foster a community of experiential teaism and the creation of a tea collective here in Austin!!

Please spread the word to any tea//ecstatic movement enthusiasts out there who you think would be interested.....

and we'll see ya soon for tea & ecstatic movement at Guari!!

~~The Tea Syndicate

2010-04-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

The PeshaWar Sessions miXtape vOl.A/xyz

This mix is part 1 of a several hour session held at Peshawar Cafe in Taipei. The mix in it's entirety was chosen to compliment the unique ambiance that is 'Peshawar Cafe.' Ambient sounds, subtle beats, uniquely obscure, and slightly jazzy at times.

Permaliinkk:

http://syndicatedtea.podomatic.com/entry/2010-04-06T09_15_14-07_00

"Creatures of Habit"

2010-04-05T05:19:00.000-07:00

The latest installation of Urban Teahouse is going down on Wednesday April 7th at Jay Gallery in Insadong Seoul as part of the "Creatures of Habit" Exhibition opening. We will be running a traditional Korean Tea Service from our good friend Ms. Kim~in full traditional Hanbok~and creating a live soundscape of Eastern and ambient sounds.
http://mstewartprintmaker.com/iac.htm
Seoul International Artists Community (on Facebook)

While in Korea Vol.1

2010-01-10T05:27:00.000-08:00

As the latest installment of urban teahouse mixtapes, While in Korea Vol.1 is the first in a series of soundscapes created with the intention of blending traditional Korean music with subtle beats and ambient sounds.

What follows is a downbeat mix of traditional Korean & Buddhist music, glitchy beats, and ambient sounds~

as always, you can download it here: http://syndicatedtea.podomatic.com/

Urban Teahouse & The Peshawar Sessions Revisited:

2009-12-29T03:35:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, Peshawar Cafe in Shida will host a special one-off session of "Urban Teahouse" in Taipei. With it's intimately eccentric ambiance, Peshawar cafe sets the stage for a unique mix of traditional asian melodies and progressive independent music. The libations available range from tea to select imported Belgian ales.

Roots for the event began years ago as a chill night of obscure music at the cafe under the guise of "The Peshawar Sessions," and has since traveled to other parts of the globe as it evolved into a movement inspiring sound-scapes for what has become known as the "Urban Teahouse." The event is now returning for a one night engagement to Shida in the heart of Taipei where much of these events gained their initial inspiration.

Saturday Jan 2
9pm-late

Peshawar
台北市師大路80巷3號

3, Lane 80, Shi-Da Rd., Taipei

(02)23622218

http://blog.roodo.com/peshawar/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24752868@N00/page2/

The Friday Tea Sessions Vol.1

2009-10-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

I've finally finished creating a podcast for the first Friday Tea Session mix.

Created originally as a compilation for our Friday tea sessions at Thai Fresh this past summer.

This is Vol.1 in its entirety. I'm going to put Vol.2 on pause for a bit longer, as I'm working on another mix and getting a few internet spaces up and going.

(check here for download: http://syndicatedtea.podomatic.com/ )

Most of the artists and tracks on the compilation are things that I've acquired through my travels and personal endeavours in independent music--from friends and local Texas musicians to artists that I've encountered abroad.

Artists: Sainkho Namtchylak, Portico Quartet, Aether 216, Nautilis, Bonobo, Kid Loco, The Blue Hit, Green Mountain Grass, Metropolis Shanghai Sample, Stellamara, Zeb, Quantic, Bonobo, We All Inherit the Moon, Xiao Ge 膮戈, Dntel, Radio Citizen, Cheb I Sabbah, Yuan Jung Ping, Yan Jun, Four Tet

If you like this mix and would like to keep posted on new ones as they come out, check out the "Interface & The Tea Syndicate" group.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=app_2361831622#/group.php?gid=187328448905&ref=ts

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Now imagine, if you will, walking through London by the Thames river. As you cross the Millenium Bridge and head toward Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, you hear the enchanting melodies and soft rhythms of the Portico Quartet drifting through the air... Then walking down the streets of Taipei's YongKang market where you ride your bike past a man dressed in traditional Confucian garb with a guqin strapped to his back, then you stop to inquire about his music and he humbly passes you a CD and refuses to let you pay. Then you're transported to through two different spaces in Asia where you feel like you're in another world as you drift off to the musical musings and soundscapes of Sainkho Namtchylak and Yan Jun. This a window into my first experience with a few of these artists....

Past Events [in Texas]

2009-06-01T21:25:00.001-07:00

2009:

June 5
-First Friday @ Bubblehead Tea
San Antonio, Texas

June 6th
-Urban Tea House @ Synergy
-All night dance event 8pm-6am
-NiaSpace S. Congress Austin

June 13
-Urban Tea House @ Thai Fresh
-A multicultural gathering brought together through the medium of tea
-Come adorned in any form of international & traditional garb
-Thai Fresh- Mary St. Austin
-7-10pm (thai fresh tea party blog entry)

Friday Tea Sessions @ Thai Fresh

2009-05-20T14:12:00.001-07:00

Summer 2009 Friday Tea Sessions
@ Thai Fresh

A weekly tea gathering created with the intent of spreading the appreciation of gong fu asian tea in a local stylee....

Fridays 2pm @ Thai Fresh (South Austin)
909 West Mary Street

check out Jam's blog & tea post for more info, pics, and a writeup