Country : Québec Label : Kill Rock Stars Genres and styles : Art Rock / J-Rock / psychédélique Year : 2023

TEKE::TEKE – Hagata

· by Varun Swarup

If you’re feeling like there is little new under the sun, you would do well to look east and listen to TEKE::TEKE. First formed by guitarist Serge Nakauchi-Pelletier as a tribute to Takeshi Terauchi, a pioneer of eleki, a sort of Japanese surf-rock that started to catch on in the 1960’s, TEKE::TEKE soon found their stride with the addition of singer Maya Kuroki and arrived at a sound that was boldly their own.

With the release of their first LP, Shirushiso, two years ago, this seven-piece outfit from Montreal didn’t just make waves, but effectively cannonballed onto the scene with their explosive blend of eleki, art-rock, and Japanese folk music. Hagata, the group’s much awaited sophomore release, sees the group diving from yet greater heights and they stick the landing gracefully. 

Hagata begins with ‘Garakuta’, an explosive number that places the listener in a swirling soundscape of traditional Japanese instrumentation that traverses genres like garage-rock, art-rock, big band, film music, and psychedelia. TEKE::TEKE don’t necessarily tread new ground, but manage to create novelty by combining traditional and contemporary forms in otherwise unexpected and satisfying ways. Take the sixth track ‘Doppelganger’ for instance, which boldly takes on the ‘Western’ theme and imbues it with a strong umami flavour,  making it a solid contender for the Kill Bill soundtrack. 

As a seven-piece, the band have a broad sonic palette to work with, making for plenty of dramatic moments and cinematic textures throughout the album. Really each song seems to be a self-contained soundtrack unto itself, but the album is delightfully consistent in terms of quality and in terms of creating a satisfying narrative arc from start to finish. “Setagaya Koya” is another highlight which is a clever take on the 70’s cop thriller.

Through their outlandishness and Noh-inspired theatrics, TEKE::TEKE raise some very real questions here, of environmental catastrophe, and of identity. While the album carries a sense of familiarity, fans of their previous work will be very pleased by the band’s evolution and willingness to push the envelope just a bit further here. Hagata is above all an exercise in joy and creativity.

Latest 360 Content

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Sparks – MAD!

Sparks – MAD!

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Cazzu – Latinaje

Cazzu – Latinaje

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Cyrille Dubois; Tristan Raës – Dupont : The Complete Songs

Cyrille Dubois; Tristan Raës – Dupont : The Complete Songs

Subscribe to our newsletter