Hagata

by Teke::Teke

Overview

Part of what made Teke::Teke's outstanding 2021 debut album Shirushi so pleasurable was the sheer novelty of the band's approach. The Montreal-based group's blend of Japanese traditional music, indie rock, film music, psychedelia, art rock, and eleki (a Japanese subgenre of guitar rock heavily influenced by the Ventures) was so thoroughly unique that the excellence of the execution was almost beside the point as the different ingredients joyously bounced off one another. Two years later, Teke::Teke's second full-length, 2023's Hagata, is every bit as much a left-field delight and finds the band even more confident and adventurous in their sonic shape-shifting. Hagata rocks harder than the debut on tracks like "Garakuta'' and "Hoppe," and the rhythms show off tougher and more potent grooves, while the mingled mystery and sense of discovery in their melodies is still grand, challenging fun. Maya Kuroki is the rare vocalist who is so expressive and dramatic that she can make herself understood even if you don't know a word of Japanese, and the dynamics between the guitar attack of Serge Nakauchi Pelletier and Hidetaka Yoneyama and the sweetly inquisitive voice of Yuki Isami's flute demonstrate how well opposites can attract. The detour into '70s cop show themes on "Setagaya Koya" is as welcome as it's unexpected, and Etienne Lebel's trombone work on "Kaikijyu" invokes a jazzy spirit guided into unknown worlds by the intelligent force of bassist Mishka Stein and drummer Ian Lettre. "Yurei Zanmai" is the Asian-Canadian avant-prog workout you never knew you needed until you heard it. Shirushi made Teke::Teke sound like a band who could conceivably strike out in any number of directions in the future, and Hagata is the work of happy musical wanderers making glorious discoveries in their self-created universe. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	06/09/2023
Label:	Kill Rock Stars
UPC:	0759656074612
Rank:	76687

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Teke::Teke   Primary Artist
Serge Nakauchi Pelletier   Guitar,Vocals,Percussion,Synthesizer
Daniel Schlett   Synthesizer
Mishka Stein   Bass,Guitar,Percussion,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Jeremie Cloutier   Strings
Yuki Isami   Koto,Flute,Shinobue,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Ian C. Lettre   Drums,Piano,Percussion,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Etienne Lebel   Bagpipes,Trombone,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Maya Kuroki   Guitar,Vocals
Hidetaka Yoneyama   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Robert Margaryan   Strings
Ryan Truby   Strings
Xavier Lepage-Brault   Strings

Technical Credits

Serge Nakauchi Pelletier   Composer,Group Member
Daniel Schlett   Mixing,Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Mishka Stein   Composer,Group Member
Guido Del Fabbro   String Arrangements
Yuki Isami   Composer
Ian C. Lettre   Group Member
Daniel Fox   Assistant Engineer
Sam Woywitka   String Engineer
Etienne Lebel   Group Member
Teke::Teke   Arranger,Producer
Maya Kuroki   Artwork,Composer,Lyricist,Group Member
Hidetaka Yoneyama   Group Member