Tee Vee
Introducing Houston’s own Teresa Vicinanza who makes music under the moniker of Tee Vee, presenting the world premiere of her Trey Ferguson visual for the single “Angel Eyes” that peers into those “windows on your eyes” that offer up visions into the sacred realms & sects of the personal spiritual sectors. The notion of being able to understand an another’s internal composites & core based upon the stained glass designs painted on the surfaces of the cornea, iris, pupil & lens that feeds directly into the insightful information receptor of our retinas. Establishing herself as a producer, songwriter, singer & artist Vicinanza with harmonic & synth assists from Daniela Hernandez illustrate an illuminated experience that expresses the perceptive powers of getting to know another by the expressions shared eye-to-eye.
Trey Ferguson & Teresa Vicinanza’s video for the Tee Vee track “Angel Eyes” entertains the perceptions, gazes & glances that we share with the most nearest & dearest people in our lives. With wrapped in plastic “Twin Peaks” allusions that occur throughout the video, views into the new dimensions & celestial worlds are entertained in-between Teresa’s impromptu & inclusive dance parties. From shadow play movements behind sheer curtains & strobe-lit moments, Tee Vee gets the dance party started among a blizzard of poly-chromatic lights & veils that deserves to be on your next dance pop mix. From Laura Palmer-esque references with a lively aura that transcends the points between life & death breaks through to the executive lodges of infinite leisure & angelic observations. From an array of opaque blue & pink motifs of mercurial luster, Tee Vee delivers a DIY slice of sophisticated pop set to coordinated sights that illustrate instances of amour & infatuation from a variety of angles & sights of serendipity that practically breaks through the plasma barrier wall of reality.
Tell us the story of how you established your own pop alpha persona Tee Vee.
I have wanted to play music since I was a child I was just always way too shy. Two years ago I started a band called Rose Ette and for the first time ever I started playing live. I realized quickly that I didn’t want to just make the music. I wanted to be the producer and I wanted to get deep into the nitty gritty of software and recording. I think this is what birthed Tee Vee: The desire to have full control of song writing, production, and recording.
Describe for us your own creative approaches for both songwriting & the building block elements of production, arrangement & the like.
This has all been an experiment for me so I don’t think I have a concrete creative approach for my songwriting, and i’m not sure I want to. A lot of the time I just start recording sonic ideas and melodies into Ableton until I have something similar to what I’m hearing in my head. I normally just build from there. The production and arrangement usually form after the song structure is more concrete. Although, I am still evolving and learning new things every day and this could all change at any moment.
Some awesome local events & happenings in Houston that you want to tell the world about?
YES! There is quite a lot lately but i’ll just mention a few. My friend Anthony Obi, also known as Fat Tony, has been involved and is the editor of a new magazine in Houston called Found Me Magazine and it’s a magazine covering Houston and its inhabitants. I’m also really excited about my friend Jessica Baldauf’s record label Miss Champagne Records. She has put out some of my favorite local records this year and I’m really excited to see what’s next.
How have the people & environments impacted your own approaches to music & creativity as a whole?
People inspire me every day in too many ways to even begin to write about. I get really inspired when I meet someone who is incredibly knowledgeable about something specific, whether it me an instrument or program or anything really. It encourages me to work harder and not ever let myself get bored. I also think my experiences in art school have sculpted my creativity in a huge way. I definitely learned to be more aware of certain choices I make when I am creating something, whether it be sonic or visual.
Give us a behind the scenes take on the rose tinted lenses & celestial affinities that would inspire “Angel Eyes”.
“Angel Eyes” is very hypnagogic for me personally. When I wrote the song I was in a very confused state, mentally. My life was fluid and ever changing at the time and I don’t deal with huge changes very well. While the song has grown to be about so many different things for me, I think the aesthetic of the video and the tinted lighting was inspired by a metaphor for how I was feeling. Sometimes things seem very apparent and clear but often they are obscured and, sometimes, distinguishing those things from each other can be hard. My friend Andi Valentine helped me create an amazing backdrop of experimental lighting to help bring that feeling to life.
Any upcoming releases you would like to hype?
Am I allowed to mention a release that was last weekend? My friend Mike Lacour aka, B L A C K I E… all caps, with spaces released a record titled Remains and it’s incredible. I had been anticipating it for a while. I’m also really looking forward to Empress Of’s new album. I keep seeing her posts on Instagram and am itching to hear what she’s working on.
Other artists you want to give a shout out to?
There’s too many, that’s always the answer. I guess right now I really want to shout out to some amazing ladies who have inspired me—Kate Bush, Miharu Koshi, Bjork, Solange, Grimes, Caroline Polachek, FKA Twigs, and some of my girls in Houston, Miears and Black Kite—check them out! Also, I could keep going…
