Whilst reviewing apps I’ve come across more and more ways in which smartphones and tablets are used to better health and wellbeing. A few posts ago we spoke of one app that helps people to relax and unwind, through calming soundscapes, a thought I rather quite enjoyed.
Well here’s a rather intriguing twist on that thought. ‘Dark Dream Time Machine’ is an audio application that transports listeners to dark parts of the universe, to locations you would only dare to dream of. Through harrowing soundscapes, the app randomly ports you to a place in time – such as the blood stained streets of London, where Jack the Ripper preys on his next victim. To ancient Egypt, where you lie buried deep inside a Pharoah’s tomb or to a Mayan Temple, where distant cries leave you dumbfounded, chilled and wondering what lurks around the corner!
You’re probably thinking, what on earth is the app intended for? To help me relax?!
The truth is, the app has been designed with thrill-seekers in mind. The developer quite boldly suggests, this app merely compliments one’s habit to read a horror story before bed, or one’s desire to watch a thriller on TV before they settle in for the night. I guess he has a point!
dark-dreams-2Dark Dream Time Machine contains a bevy of different soundscapes, each offering a freakish if somewhat calming soundtrack to your slumber. I have to admit, I got kind of worked up prior to the first few ambiances, but after I realised I was in no immediate danger, I kind of enjoyed the experience!
The sounds are pretty interesting, and offer enough variables for them to remain so. Quality-wise, the audio is good – it doesn’t sound cheap, unlike some other audio-wellbeing apps I’ve heard. I haven’t yet tried the app with headphones, but I’d imagine this is the best way to enjoy the sounds. My Wife sadly doesn’t allow me to play the audio long into the night, she’s a bit of lightweight when it comes to scaremongery.
The app is certainly not for the feint-hearted, but as the developer quite rightly suggests: “You watch thrillers before going to sleep. Why do you listen to raindrops falling or zen music to fall asleep, then?”. Dark Dream could actually appeal to more people than I first imagined.
In terms of design the app is nice enough and includes some visuals to set the scene for each soundscape. I’m not 100% sure what the ‘Logbook’ offers, I guess it is a way of reminding you where you were the night before. For future developments it would be great to be able to select soundscapes from a playlist, but other than that I’d like to congratulate the developer on trying something different. It’s not always an easy thing to achieve.
The application is available now from Play Store for a minimal fee, I guess this means you don’t need to worry about streaming advertisements on your device all night long.
