Dreaming in Color — Los Angeles Darkwave Project Spiralteeth Debuts New Single “Monochrome”

Colors blend together now.
Blurry hands erase the signs.
Pulling out the veins in my eyes, it would ruin the design.

Within the sprawl of many artistic visions flickering like starlight in the City of Angels, a unique new project, Spiralteeth, has emerged. It is the endeavor of the Los Angeles scene’s multifaceted talent, Lark Detweiler, a deaf artist who engages with music in a deeply intimate manner, letting it permeate over them as they dance professionally by day whilst moonlighting as a musician.

Reflecting Detweiler’s avid fandom, Spiralteeth blends a myriad of sounds, from the shadowy tones of darkwave, coldwave, industrial, and gothic rock and the vibrant beats of new wave synth-pop, echoing Detweiler’s compelling individual experience. Channeling a sound reminiscent of popular artists such as Lebanon Hanover, Forever Grey, Dancing Plague, and Selofan, Spiralteeth is built on a minimalist foundation of drums, basslines that echo with a haunting resonance, and the stark coldness of synth melodies.

Spiralteeth extends beyond the realm of performance, evolving into a medium for Detweiler’s evocative poetry. Here they explore the profound sense of isolation and the intense struggle to find one’s place in a seemingly indifferent world. These themes resonate deeply in “Monochrome,” where society is portrayed as trapped by the forces of conformity and urgency. Here, individuals are seen sacrificing their true selves and sanity for momentary pleasures. Against this backdrop of conformity, the voice in “Monochrome’ rises defiantly, questioning the necessity of such a bleak existence and aspiring for a life rich with authenticity and vibrancy.

“‘Monochrome’ paints the world as black-and-grey, how artists live in Technicolor when society and capitalism wants to grind people down into machines, human beings without emotions or passions or any energy to pursue creativity or make a change in the world,” says Detweiler. “It’s also, conversely, talking about how I don’t feel like I can fit in and sometimes that’s a struggle in trying to relate to others, because I don’t have that innate sameness people seem to have, so there’s a double meaning that can be derived from it as well.”

Listen to “Monochrome” below:

Stream and order Monochrome via Spotify and/or Bandcamp below:

Follow Spiralteeth:

• Instagram
• Bandcamp
• Spotify