It's a late night on Hannana Dori in Tokyo's Meguro Ward. From a window above the P-Koen atelier and shop comes the sound of a couple arguing. But listen carefully and you'll realize that it's not a domestic row; rather, the pair are in heated debate over what their "sound" might be. It dawns on you that it's a band in distress; that what you've happened upon are those dreaded "musical differences."
For most long-term bands, the phrase is nothing less than a death knell. However, for Tenniscoats — Takashi Ueno and the mono-monickered Saya (who won't reveal her last name, but confirms that it isn't Ueno) — a duo that have been working the capital's underground circuit for more than a decade, musical differences are there to be thrived upon.
Fans of the band are used to buying albums that leap with impressive dexterity between avant-garde experimentation and acoustic pop whimsy, often on several albums released within the space of a few months. Never comfortable sitting in one place, they appear to be in a constant state of transition — musically as well as physically. Months are spent abroad each year, partly because they have a larger fan base in Europe and Australia than they do at home, and partly because there are other musicians to meet; other styles to be learned.