Sleek Teeth Sink In: The L.A. Darkwave Duo Leaving Their Mark
Sleek Teeth at Terminus Music Festival. Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder).
When Sleek Teeth stepped onstage at Calgary’s Terminus Festival this summer, they didn’t just play a set, they created fans. The L.A.-based duo of Josh D’Elia and Vox Porter brought a tight, dark, and dancy performance that left the room wanting more. For me, it was one of those festival moments where you stumble across a band that instantly feels like they will become a part of your daily rotation and late-night playlists. I had to know more, so REVERIE followed up with the pair a few weeks later to talk about their origins, their debut EP, and what’s next as they prepare for their upcoming performances at Substance Festival, Los Angeles’ independent dark-music festival, now expanding to San Francisco.
Much like Calgary’s Terminus, Substance Festival platforms the best in post-punk, darkwave, industrial, and synth-pop, with this year’s lineup featuring Sleek Teeth alongside acts like Geneva Jacuzzi, TR/ST, and others. I first heard about the festival at Terminus, from Sacred Skin. In the same easy, welcoming way that defines Calgary’s darkwave community, they immediately said, “come down to L.A., you’ve got to see Substance.” It was such a simple exchange, but it spoke volumes about how open and inviting this scene can be, stretching well beyond Calgary into Los Angeles, where bands and fans alike treat each other like family.
Sleek Teeth’s formation story is a modern-day meet-cute. Josh had been working on music alone, but after years of searching for the right collaborator, he put up a Craigslist ad as something of a last-ditch attempt and Vox answered. “We both compared what we’d been working on, and we were off to the races pretty quickly. Sparks flew,” says D’Elia. Within a matter of weeks, their shared vision started to take shape—dark, pulsing tracks with just enough pop melody to feel immediate and hook-driven.
The name itself came from Josh’s running list of ideas. Sleek Teeth simply felt right. It was evocative, sharp, and, importantly, available.
The duo’s self-titled EP, released in October 2024, established the Sleek Teeth universe: a moody but dance-floor-ready blend of EBM drive, shadowy melodies, and flashes of pop accessibility. “Gone” was the guiding light of the release, a track that set the tone for the band’s aesthetic and became their first single. “We knew we wanted it dark and dancy,” says Porter. “That’s always been the guiding principle, but with pop music integrated with it.”
Tracks like “Sanctuary” stretched that definition further, showing their range and hinting at just how wide the project could go.
Sleek Teeth at Terminus Music Festival. Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder).
This August, Sleek Teeth revisited their breakout single “Gone” with a trio of remixes from XTR Human, SIIE, and Kris Baha. It was their first time collaborating with outside artists, and the process added new dimensions to their work. “We ideally would love remixes for every track,” D’Elia laughs, “but logistically this was what we could do right now.” Already, DJs have picked up the releases, giving the project new legs nearly a year after the EP’s debut.
Though new as a project, both members are deeply embedded in L.A.’s fertile darkwave and post-punk ecosystem. Porter, who relocated from Seattle, describes the city’s scene as welcoming and intertwined: “Everyone here understands that post-punk, darkwave, EBM—they’re all connected. It was easy to dive in and feel like part of the community.” D’Elia, who has been based in L.A. since the early 2000s, echoes the sentiment, pointing out how attending shows, meeting peers, and showing up has opened doors.
It’s that mix of strong material and genuine scene involvement that led to their first international booking: Calgary’s Terminus Festival. For Sleek Teeth, the experience was formative. “It set the bar pretty high for other international festivals,” D’Elia says. “Everything was organized, welcoming, and the lineup was incredible.” Sharing a bill with legends like Front Line Assembly only made the experience more surreal.
Now, Sleek Teeth are preparing for their showcases at Substance Festival, performing in both Los Angeles and San Francisco this October and November, including a Halloween night slot in San Francisco. “We’ll be playing on the 31st,” they grinned, before joking about costumes. “Are you going to dress up?” I asked. “You’re looking at it,” they replied, laughing, dressed in all black. For the band, Substance has always been a marker of ambition. Porter recalls attending as a fan: “We were like, ‘next year, let’s play this.’ And it happened.” To be playing on two stages, feels like the full circle moment they’d once only hoped for.
When I asked what advice they’d give to other artists trying to build a team or break into festivals like these, D’Elia was quick to point to community: “Really take your craft seriously, but also be involved in the scene. We’ve had great opportunities just from going to shows, being part of it, and meeting people. You never know who you’ll run into or what connections might spark.”
That combination of craft and community—of writing music that cuts sharp while also showing up for the scene around them—might just be Sleek Teeth’s secret weapon. From Craigslist to international festival stages, they’ve already proven that their bite leaves a mark.
