Dazed Faves is the series where we talk all things online – that surreal meme account you’re obsessed with, weird conspiracy theory subreddits, ASMR YouTubes, or slime Instagrams.

Entering a hyperreal world of digitally mediated connections, twst’s latest release goes to the heart of what it feels like to grow up online. A familiar face within London’s hyperpop community, the Welsh artist makes ethereal pop music with a virtual spin. Her single “Most Viewed”, a glittering ballad about love in the social media age (“In a world full of stimulation, tell me how do you choose”), can be heard on repeat on BBC Radio One – she also debuted at the BBC Introducing stage at Reading and Leeds this year. 

Following on from 2020’s TWST0001, her follow-up EP TWST0002 (Off-World) expands the artist’s digital universe, exploring internet existence across five shimmering tracks. From the drum-and-bass-inflected title track “Off-World” to the anthemic “Upgrade”, where she dreams up her own cybernetic identity – “I wish I could upgrade,” she croons against celestial synths – each track is a personal exploration into online spaces, with twst racking up screen time to explore its otherworldly potential.

“Off-World is a new realm for self-existence, dreaming and my own personal cybernetic mythology to live and exist by,” twst says. “The EP's essence is navigating these tech spaces while uncovering the intrinsic humanity within, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, and exploring core human emotions residing in otherworldly spaces.”

To mark the new release, we invited twst to take part in our Faves series, where artists tell us about their internet obsessions. A recurring theme in twst’s music is digital identity – the places where fantasy and reality collide, and shape our perception of the world both IRL and URL. “The internet is such a big part of my artistic expression and personal exploration. I see it as an environment with so much possibility where something like a TikTok trend could create movements and go on to change elements in society,” she explains. “It’s a space in constant flux, where different systems shape our perception of art, politics, media, and relationships. Plus, finding a sense of community online has been crucial for me, making me genuinely happy.”

FAVE SONG

twst: Picking a single song is SO tough, but Kate Bush’s ‘Watching You Without Me’ feels like a friend that’s almost been there next to me in my loneliest moments. It has this sincere portrayal of intense loneliness that deeply resonates with me, where the protagonist slips into this hallucinatory state. Where her inner dialogue becomes a lifeline through her fragility, constructing abstract theories to navigate mental turbulence. Every time I listen to it I feel like it transcends being a song and exists in this space between reality and the unknown. It helps me reframe loneliness into another feeling with more beauty in it.

FAVE YOUTUBE

twst: Dr Parker Edmonson is a long time fave of mine, and his content just makes me so happy! He makes experiments in his backyard with antique electrical items with an emphasis on simplicity in machinery. And he also drives a car from 1928, makes videos of himself doing the Charleston (which he’s so good at) – and also makes honky-tonk music! His bio is ‘Picking up where Nikola Tesla left off’ – and I couldn’t agree more with this statement haha! I think I just love how ‘in his own world’ he is, and how he fearlessly just does all these little experiments on his own – I find it so cute and inspiring.

FAVE TV SHOW

twst: Sopranos has always been my favorite TV show. I first watched it as a young teen and rewatching it for me is like a continous journey – and I feel like I relate to it in so many different ways at different times. 

There is so much to this show that you don’t really feel like you’re watching something about the mafia and crime. It humanises the biggest crimes, but it’s also ahead of its time in making you root for the main character. I think Tony Soprano also reminds me a lot of my dad (despite him not being a crime kingpin) in his toughness, but also his tenderness with his relationships with the ducks in his backyard. ALSO!! Not to mention the soundtrack is impeccable, notably ‘When it’s cold I’d like to die’ by Moby and ‘Evidently Chicken Town’ by John Cooper Clarke.

FAVE TIKTOK

twst: This isn’t my favourite TikTok account but it’s a subculture on the app that fascinates me so much. Psychic Stephanie, in particular, uses her psychic abilities to supposedly connect with late famous figures, including Princess Diana and Madeleine McCann. I find the uptick in spiritual Tok super fascinating because it’s so funny when these TikToks turn up on your page like, “THIS TIKTOK HAS FOUND U FOR A REASON!!” – a blend of absurdity and the algorithm at play. Obviously, they can be quite unsettling topics, the intersection of spirituality and the TikTok algorithm is very funny to me.

FAVE INSTAGRAM

twst: One of my fave instagrams for a while has been Elijah’s. With the music industry changing so much in the last couple of years, I feel like Elijah’s voice in delivering simple and strong messages that cut to the point have been very inspiring for unsigned and upcoming artists. I’ve found so much inspiration from this instagram page and would suggest anyone who’s trying to navigate their way through the music to check out his amazing work!!!

TWST0002 (Off-World) is out now