Part 1

Band: TEKE::TEKE
Interview with: Sei Nakauchi Pelletier
Nationality: Canadian
Current Release: Hagata on Kill Rock Stars.
Recommendations: Pastoral:To die in the Country by director Terayama Shuji (1974) / To Live by Yu Hua

If you enjoyed this interview with Teke::Teke visit their website to listen, watch and learn about tour dates.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

It all depends on the type of listening I’m doing. Sometimes I’ll really let go and dive into a deep-focused listening session if I’m particularly interested in a specific recording. There are certain records I know I can only listen to in a certain setting and time. Indeed, I tend to close my eyes in these situations, especially if I’m listening with headphones (go figure).

Sometimes I’ll have music playing in the background while I’m doing something else but it doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention, sometimes I’ll even notice certain things in the music more that way. It’s always nice to listen to music when walking and I’ve had some really beautiful and intense emotions when listening to music while running, but recently I’ve also been thinking of my hearing in the long term and giving my ears some breaks.

What were your very first steps in music like - and how do you rate gains made through experience versus the naiveté of those first steps?

I first started playing music at the age of 13 because I wanted to be part of a band with my friends. It really didn’t matter to me what instrument I was going to play, I just wanted to make loud music with other people. However, unlike my friends, I was quickly drawn to writing original music as opposed to playing other people’s songs, even with my technical limitations. I was always more interested in ideas and how things sound as a whole than in being a virtuoso at my instrument or anything of the sort.

I did some music studies but very little and am glad I kept it that way. I always wanted to keep a certain naivety/innocence in my relationship with creating music and art, I don’t want to overthink it, I want to feel it (you know, like Bruce Lee once said). I’ve always viewed limitations as a force in art. For me, the purpose of practising or improving my playing is always so that I can better serve a specific idea. I never approached music or the learning process of an instrument with an ‘athletic’ mindset, it’s always about the heart for me.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music mean to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

Those were the years I picked up an instrument and started playing. It was like learning a new language, joining a new community, entering an amazing universe, sharing the feeling with others, etc… Music was everything to me at the time because I had just lost my dad who had passed away from cancer. Music was not my escape, it was what kept me grounded and gave me the strength to go on with my life. That has never changed.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools and how have they shaped your perspective on music?

I can’t really think of one instrument that has been more ‘important’ over another… Like I’ve mentioned earlier, being more focused on ideas, to me it’s always been about finding the right instrument to bring a specific idea to fruition. In that sense I’d say that learning how to play different instruments was the important part for me. Personally, I’m glad I learned to play a bit of everything rather than mastering one single instrument. I will say however that when I finally got my hands on an MPC (sampler/production machine) some 15-20 years ago, it was a bit of a revelation. I had been fascinated by all the chopping and sampling in hip-hop music but couldn’t figure out how they were doing it, what tools they were using. The MPC was kind of a game changer for me creatively, it was like I had finally found the tool I had been looking for forever and it impacted my writing a lot.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and what motivates you to create?

Those things are always very difficult to put into words. I think with TEKE::TEKE, since we’re a 7-piece band, I look at it as a huge playground with limitless possibilities in terms of experimenting with ideas, arrangement, etc. I’m pretty sure that’s the motivation for everyone in the group, and because we love to make music together. There’s also a lot of trust for one another. Basically, the key idea is to push ourselves to really explore all those possibilities and get to a place where we all feel like we’ve created something honest and profound.

Paul Simon said “the way that I listen to my own records is not for the chords or the lyrics - my first impression is of the overall sound.” What's your own take on that and how would you define your personal sound?

I can relate to that 100%. Obviously, while we’re working on an album, we’ll listen to it a lot, focusing as much on the overall sound/vibe as on specific parts.  When the songs are final and the album is ready, I won’t listen to it for a while. Then with some hindsight, I can listen to it again with a different set of ears. As far as defining our own sound, I don’t do it, I don’t feel I need to because it’s all there on our albums, our sound is all there and I’d rather let the music do the talking.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

I was just in the Adirondacks recently and stood still by a river for a while, I actually lost track of time just listening to the sound of the water flowing, it was the most beautiful and soothing sound I had heard in a long time. It sure was musical to me. I mean, anything can be, right? I guess you choose whether it’s music to your ears or not.