I appreciate a good mythos around a band, especially when it's hard to tell how serious the group takes itself. A good example would be Telecult Powers. They explain themselves as being the house band for the Temple of Pei and they claim that they are opening spiritual gateways with their music. Throw in a handful of homemade synthesizers and you've got a recipe for a particularly flavorful head trip.

Telecult Powers' graphic design work is good (60's occult revival type stuff), their backstory is either fun or spooky depending on your take on it -but what about the sounds? After all, a good setup can only do so much for an album. Well, fortunately the band plays off of its spiritual premise pretty well. Telecult Powers' particular blend of raw analog synth work does indeed promote a trance like atmosphere, and at times the static and filters do seem to be conversing in an almost other-worldly manner. It's not an entirely unique sound, and it owes a lot to the cosmic music of early synth explorers. That being said, this band possesses an unusual appreciation for the rough edges of synthetic sounds that is captivating and unique. Often times their instruments are in tune in such a way that they only seem to create textures and hardly any tones at all. At other moments, the sounds can be slightly more melodic while simultaneously feeling metallic and piercing. It's a strangely comforting but also terrifying sound. In this current revival of rich synthesizer music, Telecult Powers stand out as being a band with an original vision and a raw, personal approach to the instrument.
8/10 -- Charles Franklin (15 April, 2009)