TEKE::TEKE

A Canadian ensemble with a striking internationalist take on pop, Teke::Teke have fashioned a dynamic fusion of East and West in their music. They initially came together through a shared fascination with Japanese eleki music, guitar-based rock fashioned after the Ventures. But in time, Teke::Teke began incorporating a rich variety of different elements into their songs, with Japanese traditional music, movie music, psychedelic pop, and indie rock all audible in their dynamic and dramatic performances. Teke::Teke made an accomplished debut with their 2018 EP Jikaku, which captured a sense of vivid storytelling, regardless of your understanding of the Japanese language, and they expanded on their vision with 2021′s Shirushi, which was more song-oriented but no less ambitious in its melodies and arrangements.
The Teke::Teke story began when guitarist Serge Nakauchi Pelletier was touring with Montreal rapper Boogat. One afternoon, he decided to pass the time by browsing at a record store, and he ran across an album by Takeshi "Terry" Terauchi, a Japanese guitarist inspired by the Ventures whose proto-surf style made him a star with the groups the Blue Jeans and the Bunnys. Pelletier was fascinated with Terauchi’s music, spending hours trying to master his technique, and he shared hi0s discovery with two other members of Boogat’s band, trombonist Etienne Lebel and drummer Ian Lettre. The musicians wanted to tackle Terauchi’s music live, and persuaded the curators of Montreal’s 2017 Distorsion Psych Fest to let them play a tribute set. To fill out their sound, the trio recruited guitarist Hidetaka Yoneyama, flautist and keyboardist Yuki Isami, and bassist Mishka Stein, and adopted the name Teke::Teke, inspired by the legend of a brutally murdered schoolgirl who seeks bloody vengeance. The Distorsion performance was a success, and the group decided to continue the project and started writing original material that encompassed Terauchi’s influence as well as surf music, film scores, instrumental pop sounds, and Japanese traditional music. They added a seventh member for their second show, Maya Kuroki, a vocalist and performance artist, and by 2018 the band was confident enough to record an EP. Jikaku was issued by the independent Ray-On label and earned enthusiastic press, and word about the new group began to spread. In 2020, they were invited to record a single for Sub Pop, “Chidori” b/w “Kala Kala,” and they struck a deal with another noted indie label from the Pacific Northwest, Kill Rock Stars, to release their debut album. Shirushi was issued in May 2021. ~ Mark Deming