LTK
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan | Established. Jan 01, 1990 | SELF
Music
Press
At last year's Taike Rock concert, rocker Wu Bai proclaimed himself the "Taike Kingpin." However, in the minds of many true Taiwanese music fans, the real origins of Taike rock lie elsewhere--with the legendary underground band LTK Commune.
Formed in 1989, the band has gone through many line-up changes in its 17 years. With their four studio albums, Underground Music File 5, Revenge of the Taike, Too Smelly, and LTK Commune IV, they're Taiwan's most venerated and influential underground rock band.
The "LTK" comes from an abbreviation of the Choshui River's Taiwanese-language name. The band wanted a name with a rootsy feel that would also show their left-wing sentiments of social concern. Their sound is a mix of local, Taiwanese elements and Western punk stylings. Their album Revenge of the Taike came out back in 1999, long before the "Taike" media frenzy. On it, driving punk rock is mixed with such populist Taiwanese elements as puppet shows, Taiwanese Opera, AM radio medicine ads, funeral bands, supper clubs, and brightly lit mobile stages. They all come together to make what the band themselves term "Taike" rock.
LTK Commune's lyrics are brash and direct, employing all sorts of crude slang to depict youthful sexual frustrations and nonsensical ravings--and subversively satirize a society they find lacking.
Lead singer Ko Jen-chien is from Kaohsiung. He says they first started using the term "Taike" as a way to reject the Western label "punk" that was applied to their music and celebrate the comparatively carefree lifestyle of central and southern Taiwan. They purposely used this originally negative word in the title of their album of raw sounds and biting lyrics Revenge of the Taike. Critics consider the album a Taiwanese classic, and the band's style has influenced countless younger bands.
LTK Commune is also renowned for their unique live performances. They don't worry about playing in tune with each other, but rather spend most of their time onstage messing around or acting out skits. Ko suddenly appears as a Taoist general god, setting off firecrackers onstage and divining winning lottery numbers. Then he's passing out vegetables in the name of Taiwan's farmers. Next he's got on a catcher's mask, rooting for a Taiwanese baseball team. An LTK Commune show is an amalgamation of traditional Taiwanese temple festival, whistle-stop political stump speech, supper club, and action art.
Ko says that the artists who've influenced LTK Commune the most actually aren't Western rock heroes, but homegrown variety show hosts like Ho Yi-hang, Kao Ling-feng, and Chu Ko Liang, and programs like Diamond Stage or Happy Every Day. "They're tacky to the point that they've got an attitude about it," Ko says.
For the last few years, LTK Commune have played late on the last night of the annual Formoz Festival. When they take the stage, the buzz in the crowd is even greater than it is for more mainstream stars like Bobby Chen. Though their playing is sloppy, their skits are always amusing. Every year during their set, excited fans throw water bottles and other garbage at the stage in a unique sort of tribute to the band.
The recent "Taike phenomenon" is testament to the vision of LTK Commune. Refusing to merely ape Western rock styles, they've been bravely drawing inspiration from Taiwanese working-class culture for more than ten years now. That's made them stand apart from the crowd for all these years and assured them their legendary status on the Taiwanese rock scene. - Taiwan Panorama
Taiwan bands, including Mayday, rocked the audience at this year’s Summer Sonic music festival, which took place over the weekend in the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka .
Mayday first performed at the Summer Sonic festival in 2012 (pictured above), becoming the first Taiwan band to hit the stage at both the Tokyo and Osaka venues of the annual rock festival, that features Japanese and international musicians.
In Tokyo, Taiwan black metal band ChthoniC and pop-rock band Magic Power also excited fans with their music.
Three other Taiwan bands – Cosmos People, LTK Commune and APHASIA – also took to the stage in Tokyo on Sunday. - ICRT Taiwan
Discography
1992 The compilation album Asian Independent Compilation Vol. 1
1995 Joyous Anal-Retentive Album
1996 for Hou Hsiao-hsien's film Goodbye South, Goodbye OST
1997 Spring Scream music festival Live Album
1999 Revenge of the Taike Album
2000 Anti China Invasion Live Compilation Album
2001 Stinking to High Heaven Album
2005 Restless Good-For-Nothing Album
2008 Blue Sapphire Album
2010 Special Project: HITS Electro Dance Album
Photos
Bio
Widely regarded as Taiwan's most influential underground band, Loh Tsui Kwei Commune is a unique, highly controversial, ever-evolving conglomeration of musicians and hell-raisers. They were the archetype of "taike" long before the term became popular in Taiwan. They are true punks, not just in terms of music, but in terms of attitude and philosophy. Their unforgettable live performances are in keeping with their anarchistic leanings, attacking the establishment and challenging societal norms through not only music but also an unbelievable variety of other things. At LTK Commune shows, audiences get to see short theatrical performances in addition to singing, and the group makes use of beer bottles, rocks, motorcycle helmets, strap-on genitalia, fire extinguishers and more in addition to standard musical instruments.
With all their emphasis on attitude, one might think that for LTK Commune music is an afterthought; mediocre at best and unlistenable at worst. But one listen to their latest album, Restless Good-For-Nothing [LTK Commune IV], proves otherwise. Incorporating a wide variety of styles including punk, synth-pop, balladic rock, nakashi, folk, progressive rock and death metal, their latest effort is a mature-sounding collection of songs which appeals to non-fans while still containing the unique brand of satirical humor that their fans have come to expect. For those fans who might fear that the lack of profanity and the inclusion of love songs and string ensembles mean that LTK Commune have gone mainstream, one look at their music video for the song "Joyful Ferry to the Other World" should reassure them. For those who, on the other hand, know nothing of LTK Commune or have been frightened off by their controversial reputation their latest album is a great introduction.
1990
LTK Commune is formed; the group participates in various protest marches and activities.
1992
The compilation album Asian
Independent Compilation Vol. 1, which includes one LTK Commune song, is
released.
1995
LTK Commune released first studio album, Joyous Anal-Retentive. The group begins to perform regularly, and their shows quickly acquire a reputation for wild inventiveness.
1996
Two songs appear on the soundtrack album for Hou Hsiao-hsien's film Goodbye South, Goodbye.
1997
LTK Commune release a live album containing performances from the Spring Scream music festival, and two of their songs appear on the compilation album SCUM.
1998
By this time, LTK Commune is performing regularly in various live venues and incorporating more and more theatrical elements into their shows. Their shows attract a great deal of attention and critical praise; the extreme nature of their performances also result in permanent bans from some venues.
1999
LTK Commune's second studio album, Revenge of the Taike is released.
2000
Two LTK Commune songs are included on the compilation album Anti China Invasion Live.
2001
LTK Commune's third studio album, Stinking to High Heaven, is released, as is the compilation album Bandage Force, which includes one LTK Commune song taken from Stinking to High Heaven.
They are also featured in a documentary entitled Rotten Heads, the very first band in Taiwan music scene that had ever been filmed as documentary.
2002
Partial members served military services in the army, the band stayed in hiatus.
2003
LTK Commune started doing gigs and live performances with new members.
2004
LTK Commune performs at the Leaf International Music Festival.
2005
LTK Commune releases its fourth studio album, Restless Good-For-Nothing [LTK Commune IV].
2006
LTK Commune is nominated for The Best Band and The Best Music Video in the 17th Golden Melody Award.Gamma Records releases Say Stink to LTK Commune tribute album. LTK Commune is the first band in Taiwan that had an album dedicated to.
2008
LTK Commune releases its fifth studio album, Blue Sapphire. Joins the Sweet Burden tribute album, dedicated to legendary Taiwanese poet Wu Shen.
2009
Joins FREE BURMA activity, recorded one song in the FREE BURMA album.
2010
To celebrate the band's 20th anniversary, LTK Commune releases an electronica and dance oriented studio album Special Project: HITS, and holds an outdoor live near a historical pier and temple with 1,000 eager fans. The show ended with a total mess on stage.Blue Sapphire album is nominated for the best rock album in the 1st Golden Indie Music Awards.
2011
20th Anniversary Live is nominated for the best live event in the 2nd Golden Indie Music Awards.
2014
Invited to Summer Sonic in Japan
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