Teeth Agency is a transatlantic audio-visual art collaboration between producer Jesse Hackett and Mariano Chavez.
It’s kind of a band, but kind of not. A look at their website reveals a number of items for sale, from books to clothing to traditional records. In general, their aesthetic feels like it comes directly out of my nightmares, and while I respect their enthusiasm for all things macabre, I can safely say it’s not really for me.
However, the music on their 2020 release Piano Man Breeds Love has a quirky charm that, while still spooky, is more like one of those harmless ghosts that haunts an old music store.
“Monique’s Mood” might be the quirkiest of the bunch.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The percussion. If a harmless ghost somehow got inside that keyboard you had as a kid, this is the beat it would play.
2. The way the piano and the bass play off each other is great. They seem just slightly out of control, like a clumsy poltergeist who’s trying to scare you but ends up giving an unintentional juggling demonstration.
3. The first 30 seconds tricks you into thinking the song will have a straightforward verse-chorus structure, but then the second minute it wanders a bit, before floating away completely, like an embarrassed ghost when the lights come on.
Recommended listening activity:
Tip-toeing around the house with the lights off.