TEKE::TEKE have announced a new run of West Coast tour dates, after their first ever New York date on November 11th at Brooklyn’s Public Records. They then head out to the West Coast in December, hitting LA, Portland, Seattle and finishing in Vancouver, BC. The tour’s Vancouver date will also feature Mi’ens, a Kill Rock Stars pick, and Fhang, a project that features TEKE::TEKE bassist Mishka Stein and the band’s longtime collaborator and friend, Sam Woywitka.

Today, the Montreal band have shared a new video for the song “Dobugawa” from Shirushi, illustrated and animated by vocalist Maya Kuroki and edited by guitarist Serge Nakauchi Pelletier. ‘Dobugawa’ translates into ‘dirty river,’ which sets the scene for the off-kilter, romantic tale about the ambiguity of identity. Bandmember Maya says, “Set in a poor industrialized town in 1930’s Showa-era Japan, an ambiguous couple take a stroll along a dirty river (Dobugawa) said to be filled with all the city’s hidden words. This is a very cinematic song, with elements of fantasy and surrealism. I wanted to keep the animation simple so as to give off a dark, sparse feeling of what lies beneath in contrast to what otherwise seems like a peaceful, spring afternoon.” The video also features English-translated subtitles, allowing audiences to further engage with the song’s meaning.

As demonstrated on singles like the fierce “Meikyu,” otherworldly “Yoru Ni,” and mischievous “Barbara,” each track on Shirushi plays out like a lost classic soundtrack with its own genre and storyline, even for those who may not have the benefit of the literal translation of Kuroki’s lyrics. The band incorporates traditional instruments, influences from ‘60’s/70s Japanese soundtracks, and the sentimental balladry of Japanese enka — yet Shirushi manages to sound as if it comes from some distant, cinematic future. The band are working on their next album, which will come out summer 2023, produced by the band and Daniel Schlett (DIIV, Nick Hakim, War on Drugs).

Most recently the band were handpicked by The Decembertists’ Chris Funk to contribute an original song on the new Dungeons & Dragons compilation album, released by Kill Rock Stars.

Tour Dates
Nov 11 New York, NY @ Public Records
Dec 8 Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge
Dec 13 Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall*
Dec 15 Seattle, WA @ Barboza*
Dec 16 Vancouver, Canada @ Wise Hall w/ Fhang & Mi’ens

* = Kill Rock Stars night