by Ljubinko Zivkovic (@zivljub)
How about some mutant Japanese surf from Toronto? Well, if you didn't have a chance to previously encounter this seven-piece band through their singles, Shirushi, the debut album by Teke::Teke, is a perfect start. Actually, it is a perfect start for all of us, as it is an excellent surprise, out of almost nowhere. The moment "Kala Kala" opens the album with its almost frenetic pace, brilliant instrumentation and crashing feedback ending, it sinks in that you are in for a wild ride through this Japanese folk-inspired version of surf in all its shapes and forms.
The Shirushi title almost fits perfectly. The term means a sign of big changes to come and is inspired by the Japanese practice of kintsugi - the art of mending broken pottery by fusing the pieces back together with seams of gold, silver, or platinum lacquer. Serge Nakauchi Pelletier (guitar), Maya Kuroki (vocals), Etienne Lebel (trombone), Ian C. Lettre (drums), Hidetaka Yoneyama (guitar), Yuki Isami (flute, synths), and Mishka Stein (bass), break down the sixties sound of surf rock as seen through the eyes of Brazilian Tropicalia legends Os Mutantes and Japanese guitar legend Takeshi Terauchi, picking up the pieces and then mending that broken musical pottery, adding to it everything from psych, ska and Japanese folk (the latter in heavy doses), to give it that gold, silver or platinum lacquer through some excellent instrumental acrobatics.
Yet, with all the acrobatics, the music on Shirushi never sounds forced or contrived, but natural and easy flowing, making the seams between those 'broken pieces' completely invisible. Highlights from the nine track here are quite hard to pick, but the more extended, exploratory pieces like "Kizashi" and "Tekagami" stand out by tooth and nail if you will. One of the key factors that makes Shirushi one of the better releases of the summer is its eclectic, surprise factors that make the album sound as a unified whole and Teke::Teke as a musical force to be reckoned with.