Q+A: TEKE::TEKE

Hailing from Montreal, TEKE::TEKE is a seven-piece psych-punk outfit with an ear for eclectic nostalgia and plenty of cinematic charm. Since their formation in 2017, TEKE::TEKE has charmed audiences with their cinematic aesthetics, nods to 1960s surf rock, folksy instrumentation, and signature punk energy. With a recent appearance at the SXSW virtual showcase under their belt, and a new record on the way via Kill Rock Stars, TEKE::TEKE is looking forward to a bright 2021.

We had the fantastic opportunity to ask the band’s guitarist, Serge Nakauchi Pelletier, about TEKE::TEKE’s artistic influences, their upcoming album Shirushi (out May 7) and the fascinating visuals behind “Yoru Ni” and “Meikyu.”

Photo: Andy Jon

TEKE::TEKE originally formed as a tribute to the music of Takeshi Terauchi. Aside from “Chidori,” which you have released as a cover, what are some of your favorite Takeshi Terauchi songs?   

When we played our very first show, as a tribute band to Takeshi Terauchi in 2017, we opened the set with his song “Rashomon.” We really love that one, it’s dark, fast, and has a nice long intro… We played it a bit faster and made it a bit darker too! We still like to include that one in our setlists from time to time. We also love “Fukkagawa,” the melodies are great and the form is a little tricky, it’s a challenging one. “Ake Garasu” is another tricky one we love, you can’t rely on much as far as structure in that one, you just really have to memorize and follow the melodies. “Ame Furu Machikado” is also badass. 

Much of the band formed following a Montreal Psych rock festival where you performed the Takeshi Terauchi tribute, however Maya Kuroki, your lead singer, joined later. How did Maya join the group?

As soon as we decided to book a second show and expand our repertoire with other Japanese songs from the ’60s and ’70s, we knew we wanted a vocalist. Lucky for us, our friend Maya who had been living in the countryside taking a break from music and everything for several years was moving back in the city and reconnecting with art, music, and theatre. The timing was perfect and she jumped right in!

Although your sound is clearly influenced by 1960s psychedelic rock bands, you previously mentioned your “musical nostalgia being more rooted in the 80’s and 90’s.” What are some groups from those eras that continue to inspire you today?

There are seven of us in the band, here’s a quick overview :

Fugazi, Unwound, Voïvod, Geinoh Yamashirogumi, GO!GO!7188, Slant 6, PJ Harvey, David Bowie, Prince, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Vangelis, Jesus and the Mary chain, J Dilla, Bad Brains, Mike Patton, A Tribe called Quest, Sleater-Kinney, Pino Paladino, Philip Glass,…. 

Teke Teke refers to the onryō of a young woman, who was cut in half by a train. Do you feel your sound evokes the paranormal, or are they more inspired by the theatrics present in Shôwa-era Enka songs?

Actually, the name TEKE TEKE was rather inspired by the sound of the surf guitar (teke-teke-teke-teke…) and not the urban legend. TEKE TEKE was also a slang used by Japanese teenage surfers to call on other teenagers who dressed like surfers but were really just posers and didn’t really surf. We thought the coincidence was funny and the combination of the two meanings kind of cool in the context of a surf-rock band. However, we do think our sound somehow evokes the paranormal, we really like to think that it does and we love a little darkness.

The music video for “Yoru Ni” definitely evokes some spooky psychedelic imagery, was there any particular film that influenced its style?

The style of the video was mostly inspired by the lyrics and the mood of the music. (The song is a ‘romantic spiritual tale about letting go of a delusional quest’. The idea for the song literally came to me in the middle of the night as I was sleeping). We did however take some visual ideas from Jean-Luc Godard’s 1965 film Pierrot le fou, for example, the all-red scenes or the close-ups of the hand that’s writing a letter in French. 

Photo : Louis Fernandez

I love the striking graphics and cut-out animation in “Meikyu.” What inspired the band to go this route for its music video?

We were initially going to work with a video artist but when that fell through, we had to turn around and take matters into our own hands. Maya being a visual artist specializing in painting and drawing, and myself having a passion for video and photography, we just put our efforts together and went full-on DIY, learning a few new software on the way. 

For “Meikyu,” (which means ‘Labyrinth’ and tells the story of a young entity trying to escape the grasp of a villain spirit that has taken the form of a labyrinth-mansion) we wanted to play around with these images of a butterfly trapped in a labyrinth, while Maya for the first half of the song actually sings from the perspective of that villain spirit. We were also talking a lot about the Japanese cult horror films Hausu and Kuroneko while making the video. Those movies are definitely influences and references to us when it comes to the aesthetic of TEKE::TEKE.

Your debut release from Kill Rock Stars, Shirushi, is due out this May. What can fans expect from this upcoming record?

We believe Shirushi is a very accurate introduction and invitation into the world of TEKE::TEKE. It is an honest artistic statement that comes from an eclectic group of people with different backgrounds and musical upbringings. In the music you’ll find a ying-yang of nostalgia and modernity, an overall cinematic vibe mixed with some punk energy. In the lyrics you’ll find some beautiful and dark poetry about (positive) destruction, rebirth, identity, and one’s quest to find his/her ground. It was recorded and mixed at a studio (Machines with Magnets) in Rhode Island by engineer Seth Manchester (Battles, Metz, Daughters) who we really bonded with and became good friends. We’re really proud of this record and are very eager to share it with the world. 

Let’s discuss Shirushi’s stunning artwork for a bit, what inspired it and how does it evoke the title’s meaning of “signs of great changes to come?”

Because the lyrics are entirely in Japanese, it was important for Maya (who did the artwork) to capture the essence and nuances of Shirushi as a whole but also bits from every song. 

Every element on that illustration has a direct connection to the lyrics while as a whole, the artwork is a great representation of the music; Diverse, colorful and perhaps a bit creepy at times.

How does/did it feel to represent Montreal during the SXSW virtual showcase?

We are totally honored to have been part of that showcase in the company of great artists and great technicians, staff, crew, etc. We had a blast.

Which film director would you like to eventually collaborate with? 

Alexandro Jodorowsky, Michel Gondry, Sion Sono, and closer to us, Canadian director Matthew Rankin.