I noted in including 3TEETH’s NIHIL in my 2013 tracks of the year that I knew little about the band behind some of the most interesting industrial to be released in quite some time. So, with the new year up-and-running, I thought it time to to find out a little more, and I’m grateful to the band for conducting an intriguing e-mail interview that mixes fact and some not-so-fact in their responses.

All images and video are courtesy of 3TEETH.

amodelofcontrol.com: So, 3TEETH: introduce yourselves. What are the origins of the band?
3TEETH: We all currently reside in Los Angeles where the band was formed about 7 months. As far as introducing ourselves goes, there are in fact 4 of us and collectively we have 128 Teeth.

Thus far you’ve cultivated an intriguing, shadowy image with distorted imagery, short videos and of course the distinctive sound. Did either the imagery or music manifest itself first, or did they evolve together?
3TEETH: Being that were more of a multidisciplinary group, it has definitely come together all at once and continues to be ever evolving. We love to package our sound and ideas to make them as pervasive as possible. We’ve even been developing a new proprietary technology to listen to our music rectally. We call them rear buds.

There is a distinct “old school industrial” feel to the synths and rhythms in the 3TEETH tracks released so far – is this simply a product of your influences, or an intentional move to use sounds maybe not so common in recent times?
3TEETH: We don’t like painting ourselves in a corner with our sound but we definitely love some old Wax Trax! vibes for sure. That being said, the album is going to be a good balance blend of some heavy straight at you old school industrial metal and some slow grinding 2089 technoir synthetic sex dungeon music.

Indeed, what are your influences (either musical or otherwise)?
3TEETH: We listen to a lot of old WWF intro theme songs.

In addition to the tracks released so far, there have been a number of relatively high-profile remixes released also (Aesthetic Perfection, M‡яc∆ll∆) – are you surprised by the reaction you’ve had?
3TEETH: We’re less surprised and more just really appreciative of the reception and the general community support. Thnx guys.

Much of the supporting imagery and material suggests a distrust of authority and/or apocalyptic vision of the future. Are you choosing to comment (obliquely) on the current political state of affairs, or just holding a mirror up to it?
3TEETH: For us it’s less about politics and more about humanity and we feel that absurd current affairs deserve absurd reactions. Our reaction being a sort of counter-propaganda against stupidity, greed, and shortsightedness.

Would you say that 3TEETH are a product of the internet age?
3TEETH: We’d like to think of it as more more a product of the post-human age with a distinct reverence of the beauty that was our pre-internet brains back in the early 90s.

Are there plans to take the band into the live environment (Or has this already happened?) – and if so, are you intending on a using visual media in a big way there too?
3TEETH: After we finish the album we will begin to fine tune our live show that will most certainly be a total sensorial onslaught intended to unravel and re-code the mind.

You’ve already confirmed an album is in the works: are you planning on self-releasing or going through a label? Indeed do new bands need to rely on labels any more?
3TEETH: We’re currently in talks with a few labels right now and weighing out which one is the best fit for us. We personally like the idea of an label providing early support especially in terms of physical distribution. Manifesting thoughtforms is a team sport and we’re excited to build with a passionate group of likeminded people to get this album out there.

3 TEETH \\\\\\ N I H I L from OVERTHROW on Vimeo.

There has been lots of debate recently over whether there is a “scene” any more within industrial. Is such tribalism relevant any more with the internet so dominant?

3TEETH: In any scene there is a shelf life to it and the ticker starts the minute it becomes self aware as a “scene”. It’s as if scenes eventually become greater than the initial culture that laid the frame work for it and eventually implode on themselves.

That being said, everything must evolve or die and we’d like to think industrial music is finally outgrowing its awkward sophmoric phase and people seem to be ready for the sound more than ever now. We hate to use this as example but Kayne’s Yeezus album was labeled to be “as much industrial rock as rap” by the New York Times. So If thats not some indication of where industrial’s new internet based “tribalism” stands, than i’m not sure what does.

Saying that, though, Los Angeles seems to have been a fertile breeding ground for new bands of late, every one of them with a very distinctive sound. Do things seem more positive within the microcosm of the LA “scene”?
3TEETH: Yeah right now is a really exciting time in LA for Industrial, Post-punk, Darkwave and Goth music as there is a lot of comradery and support between the bands, venues, parties and fans, whether it be old or new.

What other new music are you digging at the moment?
3TEETH: Author & Punisher
TRUST
Gesaffelstein

3TEETH’s tracks and remixes so far can be heard on their Soundcloud page. Their debut album is due later in 2014.