With our lives in lockdown, there has been an increased need for stay-at-home based entertainment. Book launches, poetry readings and art gallery tours have all quickly moved online. And no doubt there has been an increased surge in online streaming subscriptions. But what of the truly innovative entertainment experience, the kind that can deliver something original to you via technology without you having to leave the house?
Enter Darkfield Radio, brought to you by the team who created the recent Fringe World hit shows, Séance and Flight. Darkfield Radio is an app based, plug-in-and-play audio experience that further develops Darkfield’s love affair with the unsettling and downright spooky.
The premise is simple: grab a lockdown loved one (preferably somebody you’ve been trapped inside with for the past few months), purchase tickets for a set night then download the app. These tickets are for a 20 minute transmission that uses a cutting edge 360 degree audio experience that will make you question reality.
The first episode from Darkfield Radio is DOUBLE, a play on the notion of doppelgängers, changelings and shapeshifters. Now… I can’t really go into the plot, because I don’t want to give anything away. But needless to say, when you close your eyes, just make sure your partner sitting opposite you is exactly who they say they are once the experience is over.
For those who scare easily, DOUBLE will work a treat. This audio experience is truly remarkable, making it feel as though the voices you hear are, at times, literally breathing down your ear before they walk across the room to open a door that was never there. For the more ardent horror fans, like myself, DOUBLE is an opportunity to marvel at how this genre constantly adapts and reinvigorates itself.
Plus, if you’re smart, it’s a fun way to capitalise on the fear in your partner long after the audio is over. In fact, I’d recommend going all out if you decide to participate in DOUBLE. Dim the lights; set up a candle; have a scary mask you can slip on before the audio finishes just to delight your partner even more: that kinda thing.
To be honest, the narrative of DOUBLE could have been pushed a little further. But that said, I can completely appreciate the craft that has gone into creating this immersive experience. While it didn’t leave me with the mild terror of previous shows, like Séance, I must admit that days after experiencing it, DOUBLE is still fresh in my mind: now THAT speaks volumes to how well this experience has been constructed.
Darkfield Radio have truly hit the ground running with this at-home entertainment concept, and DOUBLE is just the first instalment. Undoubtedly, whatever comes next is sure to raise the bar, with the promise of more thrills and chills. So why not turn on, tune in and freak yourself out with Darkfield Radio.
DOUBLE by Darkfield Radio runs until Saturday 1st August. If you’re up for a fright, purchase tickets at darkfield.com.au/radio-tickets
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
Image: Alex Purcell
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