Biography
Composer Anthony Pateras and Mike Patton, the alternative rock veteran, unite in tētēma, a daring partnership that fuses the restless experimentalism of avant-garde traditions with the raw force of metal-tinged hard rock. Their sound delivers a turbulent mix of organic and electronic textures marked by abrupt directional shifts, calculated dissonance, and intermittent stretches of inquisitive, atmospheric restraint. The project left a notable mark through its first release, the 2014 album Geocidal, and expanded its range on the 2020 follow-up Necroscape by sharpening contrasts in dynamics while incorporating stronger world music elements.
An Australian musician and composer, Pateras moves fluidly between acoustic and electronic mediums, presenting his pieces with leading modern classical ensembles and avant-garde performers worldwide. Patton, known for his roles in Faith No More, Fantômas, Mr. Bungle, and Tomahawk, has also worked with figures spanning John Zorn, Dan the Automator, and Björk. In tētēma the two channel their independent impulses into a shared vision. Their initial encounter occurred in 2009, after which they spent ensuing years trading concepts for an album centered on what Patton termed “the murder of place.” Sessions unfolded across Australia, Europe, and the United States, employing orchestral and amplified instruments without recourse to sampling. The resulting debut, Geocidal, surfaced on Patton’s Ipecac Records in December 2014. Separate commitments kept the pair occupied until 2017, when tētēma made its first public appearance at Australia’s Museum Of Old & New Art’s Festival of Music & Art, also known as MOFO FOMA. Necroscape arrived in 2020, widening the divide between serene and explosive passages while foregrounding global influences yet sustaining the project’s inherent intensity.
An Australian musician and composer, Pateras moves fluidly between acoustic and electronic mediums, presenting his pieces with leading modern classical ensembles and avant-garde performers worldwide. Patton, known for his roles in Faith No More, Fantômas, Mr. Bungle, and Tomahawk, has also worked with figures spanning John Zorn, Dan the Automator, and Björk. In tētēma the two channel their independent impulses into a shared vision. Their initial encounter occurred in 2009, after which they spent ensuing years trading concepts for an album centered on what Patton termed “the murder of place.” Sessions unfolded across Australia, Europe, and the United States, employing orchestral and amplified instruments without recourse to sampling. The resulting debut, Geocidal, surfaced on Patton’s Ipecac Records in December 2014. Separate commitments kept the pair occupied until 2017, when tētēma made its first public appearance at Australia’s Museum Of Old & New Art’s Festival of Music & Art, also known as MOFO FOMA. Necroscape arrived in 2020, widening the divide between serene and explosive passages while foregrounding global influences yet sustaining the project’s inherent intensity.