Hagata

Montreal-based TEKE::TEKE began life as a tribute act to instrumental guitar legend Takeshi Terauchi before expanding their sound to take in a host of influences on the giddy global psych rock of their debut Shirushi.

Their second album offers more of the same in largely entertaining style. Sung in her native Japanese, lead singer Maya Kuroki's punk rock-inflected vocals provide suitable bombast to the thunderous flute and guitar-led rock stomp of opener ‘Garakuta’. Elsewhere, moving through an energetic mix of interweaving styles, you’ll find brass-led indie rock (‘Hoppe’), Blaxploitation-style big band funk workouts topped with Asiatic melodies (‘Setagaya Koya’), and diversions into Japanese folk (‘Kaikijyu’). With the charismatic Kuroki adding a sense of performance-led drama throughout, the band have the air of a potent live act that will be well worth catching on tour.