Tefu is a progressive rock and math rock guitarist from Western Visayas, Philippines, and a member of the jazz fusion band Fifth Mode.
Transcript:
JRok: Hello, everyone! I’m Angel from JRok Music, and today we’re chatting with guitarist Tefu from the Philippines. Hi, Tefu! How are you doing?
Tefu: I’m fine. I’m doing good.
JRok: I can see that you’re with your guitar. What kind of guitar is that?
Tefu: This is a Squier Jazzmaster, a Classic Vibe, I think. I’m not sure if I’m getting that right, but it’s a Squier Jazzmaster. It’s kind of a vintage-style guitar with P-90 pickups. I bought it because I love grunge. But right now, I tend to use it for jazz and jazz fusion.
JRok: So, right now, you’re in your room or home studio?
Tefu: This is my room. I mean, it looks like a studio.
JRok: Is this where you do your guitar covers?
Tefu: Yeah, this is where I do my guitar covers. This is where I stream on TikTok. This is where I make music. I do everything here.
JRok: I’m curious. How did you first get into playing guitar, and what inspired you the most?
Tefu: I think it really started in the middle of high school. I started with a standard acoustic guitar. My dad showed me a few chords, like G minor, C, A, and D.
Then I learned barre chords and things like that.
I kind of quit for a while. Then I think it really started again when the lockdown came during the pandemic. I was just in my room, and I started exploring everything I wanted to hear. I love a lot of genres, especially progressive rock and math rock.
We started practicing and improvising, and just having fun during the pandemic. I was still in this room. I had everything set up here, and it became a place where I could make music on my PC.
After the pandemic, when I was in college, I went to a university where people were playing jazz. I think it was Chick Corea’s music.
From there, I started following jazz a little more, including the older jazz scene, and everything became a domino effect.
Then I think I was recruited into a jazz band. I’m still with that band today, called Fifth Mode. We play jazz and jazz fusion, and we also create our own sounds as a band. So that’s generally how my journey with playing music developed.
JRok: You have a style that combines math rock and progressive rock. How would you describe these styles, and what do you think makes them stand out from other forms of rock?
Tefu: It’s a mix of alternative and indie rock, with some jazz colors added to it. It has a certain complexity while still maintaining melody. It’s also rhythmic, with interesting structures and odd time signatures.
They’re fun to listen to, and they’re fun for me as a musician. They’re also fun for people who enjoy doing crazy things musically while still maintaining catchy riffs and melodies. That’s why I fell in love with those kinds of music.
I still apply those influences to the things I do with jazz fusion and jazz in general.
JRok: Over time, you’ve also moved into jazz and jazz fusion. What was that transition like for you, and what drew you toward those genres?
Tefu: I think that was a struggle for me back then: finding my own musical identity. When I was in high school, I played metal, blues, and different elements of grunge rock and other genres.
I tried a lot of different things. I think it really clicked when I discovered “Spain” by Chick Corea. After that, everything started to fall into place.
I began to find myself expressing more through that genre than through the other genres I had played before.
JRok: As you continue growing as a guitarist and performing at different venues, how do you think about developing your own musical identity and creating a sound that feels uniquely yours?
Tefu: I think one of the factors is influence. I’ve been influenced by a lot of guitarists, and I still want to keep learning.
For example, on YouTube, there are guitarists like Ichika Nito and others who have had an impact on me. There are many more, too.
I don’t necessarily try to learn exactly how they play. It’s more about understanding how they tell a story through their instruments, I guess. I take everything that could be useful in my own playing and try to make it fun and expressive as well.
JRok: In terms of your career, do you have any plans or goals you want to achieve?
Tefu: One thing I really want is to become a session musician someday. I want to keep developing and exploring different kinds of music.
I’d also like to explore more beyond the local music scene and see what else is out there. Hopefully, that will lead to more opportunities to play gigs.
JRok: Let’s hope that happens! For everyone who wants to follow your music and keep up with Fifth Mode, where can they find you and the band on social media?
Tefu: You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. You can also find Fifth Mode on Facebook and Spotify.
JRok: Okay, I think that’s everything. Thank you so much, Tefu, for joining us today. And thank you, everyone, for watching JRok Music. See you in the next interview!