Telekinetic by Twice Dark is a record so drenched in sorrowful grandeur that any artist might have to pause and take a deep breath just to fully enjoy the project. This isn’t just some synth-laden gothpop confection designed for casual toe-tapping. No, Telekinetic is pure gothic rock: cavernous guitars, deep basslines that crawl under your skin, and a soundscape that feels like it was recorded in the depths of an abandoned cathedral. Twice Dark wears their influences proudly—The Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim, and Bauhaus all cast long shadows here—but I find The Cure’s signature cocktail of delicate melancholy and theatrical doom that allows for this record an appeal that can work like a charm for anyone.
The seven tracks on this album move with grace and make you want to throw on a tattered lace shirt and sway dramatically under a strobe light, with analog synth textures carrying some well-balanced mixing that manages to toe the line between suffocating rhythms to ear-deafening ones. Simply put, this is synthwave done well.
As for lyrical themes, Telekinetic leans into the idea of unseen forces—both supernatural and emotional—pulling people together, pushing them apart, and generally making life feel like an eerie, synth-soaked fever dream. The basslines are deep and relentless, the synths shimmer like ghosts whispering through old Casio keyboards, and the vocals float like a mirage, but in the best way possible.
Produced at Postal Recording in Indianapolis, Telekinetic also benefits from a diverse lineup of contributors who in turn, add new textures to Twice Dark’s evolving sound, reinforcing the album’s sense of fluidity and transformation. One moment, you’re lost in a haze of ethereal synths, the next, you’re being dragged onto the dancefloor by a bassline that refuses to let go and personal highlight Invisible Man got me in a trance the most in this project, though I’m sure standouts will differ based on how you like your dance music. Maybe you’d prefer a more straightforward track like the opener Night Shifts or maybe you’d find some resonance in the track Mind Trap, which feels like a track that could have ended up on a Greatest Hits compilation for Falco’s work. (For those not in the know, you most likely know him as the Rock Me Amadeus one-hit wonder; that track bumps and is criminally underrated for how strong its production goes.)
Telekinetic is yet more proof that Twice Dark somehow keep leveling up without losing that signature brooding, poetic flair. Whether you’re here for the haunting atmospheres, the pulsating synths, or the whole “mystical forces binding us together” vibe, this album absolutely delivers. It’s the kind of music that makes you feel like you’re mainlining raw emotion in a neon-lit cathedral at the end of the world—and honestly, isn’t that the dream?
If one wants to nitpick, you can’t deny that Telekinetic takes a lot of cues from Twice Dark’s influences but rather than feeling derivative, Telekinetic distills them into something new, something vital. Twice Dark isn’t just imitating their gothic forebears—they’re channeling them, resurrecting the best elements of the past while ensuring the genre’s heartbeat remains strong.
Telekinetic isn’t just gothic rock; it’s the sound of beautiful things falling apart in slow motion, of neon lights reflecting in rain-slick streets, of the moment right before dawn when everything feels surreal. This is music for the sleepless, the ones who dance in empty streets, the ones who chase ghosts just to feel something… and you do. So put on your headphones, step into the night, and let Telekinetic pull you into the dark.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
