LTK Commune
Encyclopedia
LTK Commune is a well-known Taiwanese
"underground" band founded in 1990. Their music has been variously described as having elements of punk
, rock
, nakasi
, Taiwanese folk songs. In recent years band members have self-consciously applied the label "Taik" (from Taiwanese + -k ending, as in punk, rock) to their music – a reference to the Taiwan
ese Taike (Trad.: 台客) subculture
.
The LTK stands for "Loh Tsui Kweh", an idiosyncratic spelling (in Taiwanese) of the name of the Choshui River in Taiwan, one that evokes nativist sentiments.
The two guitar players – Tsai Hai-en (蔡海恩) and Ke Jen-chien (柯仁堅) – share lead vocals. Both attended National Taiwan University
but left school early. Between the two of them they have driven the band's evolution. The critic Malaite attributes the group's early grunge
influence to Tsai. http://vm.rdb.nthu.edu.tw/mallok/avzone/content.asp?post_serial=427 In addition to Western influences, both of them are, in their own ways, steeped in local, traditionally working class genres. There is also a bass player and a drummer.
LTK Commune's earlier music echoes the island's protest movements of the early 1990s. Earlier themes have consciously reflected environmentalist
concerns and anti-authoritarian
sentiments. With the decline of street protests and the onset of political liberalization, socially-conscious themes have become less foregrounded. The band unabashedly supports Taiwan independence
.
Their songs often express the frustration of the Taiwanese working class
male
. Unapologetically sexual or scatological
references and vulgar language are found in some songs, a characteristic embraced by the fans but found outrageous by some critics. Some critics detect a streak of male chauvinism, most notably in the song "Rape, Murder"; others consider the song as a study of the perverse psyche of a rapist-murderer.
Much of the lyrics are in the native Taiwanese language, a choice consistent with the language's working class base, as well as the anti-Kuomintang
Opposition culture. Spoken monologues reminiscent of traditional melodrama (such as Budaixi, Taiwanese opera
) are a favored device in their narratives.
LTK Commune's live performances are noted for their spontaneity and engagement with the crowd.
Music of Taiwan
Taiwan is densely-populated and culturally diverse, including a majority of Bensheng ren , a powerful faction waishengren who arrived with Chiang Kai-shek in the middle of the 20th century and the minority of aboriginal peoples.With the arrival of the KMT led Republic of China government in 1949,...
"underground" band founded in 1990. Their music has been variously described as having elements of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, nakasi
Nakasi
Nakasi is an essential traditional popular music form in Taiwan, most stereotypically associated with elements of working-class culture such as the old tea parlors and drinking bars. The term is borrowed from the Japanese word nagashi , which means "flow", but also means accompaniment...
, Taiwanese folk songs. In recent years band members have self-consciously applied the label "Taik" (from Taiwanese + -k ending, as in punk, rock) to their music – a reference to the Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese Taike (Trad.: 台客) subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
.
The LTK stands for "Loh Tsui Kweh", an idiosyncratic spelling (in Taiwanese) of the name of the Choshui River in Taiwan, one that evokes nativist sentiments.
The two guitar players – Tsai Hai-en (蔡海恩) and Ke Jen-chien (柯仁堅) – share lead vocals. Both attended National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
but left school early. Between the two of them they have driven the band's evolution. The critic Malaite attributes the group's early grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
influence to Tsai. http://vm.rdb.nthu.edu.tw/mallok/avzone/content.asp?post_serial=427 In addition to Western influences, both of them are, in their own ways, steeped in local, traditionally working class genres. There is also a bass player and a drummer.
LTK Commune's earlier music echoes the island's protest movements of the early 1990s. Earlier themes have consciously reflected environmentalist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
concerns and anti-authoritarian
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
sentiments. With the decline of street protests and the onset of political liberalization, socially-conscious themes have become less foregrounded. The band unabashedly supports Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
.
Their songs often express the frustration of the Taiwanese working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
. Unapologetically sexual or scatological
Scatology
In medicine and biology, scatology or coprology is the study of feces.Scatological studies allow one to determine a wide range of biological information about a creature, including its diet , healthiness, and diseases such as tapeworms. The word derives from the Greek σκώρ In medicine and biology,...
references and vulgar language are found in some songs, a characteristic embraced by the fans but found outrageous by some critics. Some critics detect a streak of male chauvinism, most notably in the song "Rape, Murder"; others consider the song as a study of the perverse psyche of a rapist-murderer.
Much of the lyrics are in the native Taiwanese language, a choice consistent with the language's working class base, as well as the anti-Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Opposition culture. Spoken monologues reminiscent of traditional melodrama (such as Budaixi, Taiwanese opera
Taiwanese opera
Taiwanese opera is the only form of Han traditional drama known to have originated in Taiwan. The language used is a stylized combination of both literary and colloquial registers of Taiwanese. Its earliest form adopted elements of folk songs from Zhangzhou, Fujian, China...
) are a favored device in their narratives.
LTK Commune's live performances are noted for their spontaneity and engagement with the crowd.