TEKE::TEKE
Assassin’s Creed Shadows - Kage No Iro
UBISOFT
As DragonForce blazed the trail for power-metal geeks who like video games, so have TEKE::TEKE embarked upon coaching fans of psych-rock to embrace game-inspired music. The Montreal band previously joined forces with the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise when their song “Meikyu” from their 2021 debut, Shirushi, appeared in the trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows last year. Now, the septet are formally wedding their distinct take on Japanese eleki music—an experimental genre that fuses surf rock with trombone, flute, shinobue, keyboard, and gaïda—with the roleplaying mega-series via this musical accompaniment, subtitled Kage No Iro (“Color of Shadow”).
Heavy use of pentatonic scales create a whimsical ambiance from start to finish—apt for a video game—and TEKE::TEKE lend a narrative quality that plays out in a similar way to that of a cinematic role-playing adventure. In other words, non-gamers shouldn’t fear being alienated by this unusual project: It’s more captivatingly innovative than perplexingly peculiar. And those familiar with the game will take interest, too, as selections from this record are featured during gameplay. Those seeking the quirky amusement of throwback musical accompaniments to classic video games will find no quarter here.
It’s yet unclear whether TEKE::TEKE will trot out any of the selections from this indisputably idiosyncratic release in their live performances (or the aforementioned “Meikyu,” which curiously doesn’t appear on the track list—however, the band is offering a free EP consisting of the track and four alternate takes, including a live version, on their website for a limited time)—it appears they didn’t do so at their most recent engagement, a gig they played in Quebec City in early February. Whatever the case, this soundtrack and TEKE::TEKE’s approach to tackling it underscore that the band, while still in their puppy years, are blazing their own trail.
