Is this how it feels?
Gone
It’s not too often that a duo like Sleek Teeth emerges, especially one that so effortlessly brings a dark vitality to the Los Angeles underground dance scene with their subtly inventive approach to electronic music. Sleek Teeth blends elements of darkwave, electro-pop, and EBM, creating a sound that feels both familiar and groundbreaking. Their music navigates the intricate emotions of isolation and a relentless quest for meaning in a world brimming with chaos. Yet, it does so with beats and rhythms that are refreshingly original and captivating, serving as the perfect antidote to the bro-industrial that has plagued the underground music scene for decades.
Their soundscape is a masterful balance of contrasts: ethereal, almost early 90s dance music vocals float effortlessly over a foundation of fresh, innovative rhythms, offering a dynamic and emotionally charged experience. The subtle melancholy in their music isn’t just for show; it paves the way for a deeper exploration, a quest for clarity amidst the noise, charting a bold path to understanding through beats and rhythms, inviting listeners to join them on this transformative journey.
Gone encapsulates a visceral voyage through disorientation and alienation, masterfully conveyed through its poignant lyrics. The song delves deep into the human psyche, painting a vivid picture of the desperate clawing for the unattainable and the sensation of an unending fall without hope of rescue. It’s a haunting exploration of self-alienation—seeing oneself as an outsider, a stranger. This profound internal estrangement is palpable, as the soul wrestles with the dual demons of introspective turmoil and the pain of external loss. It’s a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the heart of existential despair.
“Gone is an awakening of sorts, a shift in consciousness that hits like a fever dream,” says the band. “There’s no promise of some enlightening revelation to come, and it’s that terrifying feeling of losing your grip on reality where real transformation can take place.”
Drawing from the legacy of luminaries like Bronski Beat, Cabaret Voltaire, She Past Away, DAF, and even the unexpected touches reminiscent of Fine Young Cannibals, Sleek Teeth echoes and moulds those familiar echoes, creating a distinctive and foreboding signature.
For Gone, Sleek Teeth worked with director Jane Slater and director of photography Adrian Stucker to create a cinematic dystopian sci-fi music video. The central character, played by Mimi Chakravorty, navigates a mysterious and unsettling environment.
“Isolation, disorientation, and the feeling of being trapped- possibly in a feedback loop of your own design- were themes we set out to explore in the video,” says the band. “The lyrical repetition in the song inspired the idea of a mystery to be solved, repeating the same steps over and over, slowly realizing that you’re not where you’re supposed to be. Sometimes you have to venture into uncharted territory within yourself to find the way out.”
Watch the video for “Gone” below:
An EP is in the works, to be released in 2024.
Sleek Teeth makes their live debut at Das Bunker at Catch One in Los Angeles on 1/19/24. Don’t miss it.
Follow Sleek Teeth:
