The sequel project from Jónsi and Carl Michael von Hausswolff is chilling and eerie, giving off dark and tortured themes of suffering marine wildlife. It's not as cohesive or consistent as its predecessor, but it's still an intriguing listen.
Dark Morph is a collaborative project between Jónsi (of Sigur Rós fame) and Carl Michael von Hausswolff. The two have very creative endeavors and Dark Morph is quite a unique musical feat. Inspired by the devastating environmental impact that is inflicted upon marine life day in and day out, last year's Dark Morph album combined ambient and electronic music with samples of whale calls and other marine sounds, often looped and layered. Dark Morph II is the sequel for obvious reasons, but there are noticeable differences here. For starters, when listening to both records, Dark Morph is way more of a cohesive and consistent album listen than Dark Morph II. It is also more engaging, intriguing, and accessible than the sequel. Instead of a similar aesthetic throughout the record like on Dark Morph, Dark Morph II contains three distinct pieces: "Dive-in," "The Humpback Whale Choir," and "Dark Wave." The entire project is both chilling and eerie, giving off dark and tortured themes of suffering marine wildlife.
To start, "Dive-in" is quite the deep dive. It's a 20-minute ambient monster and it's much more quiet, focused, and minimal compared to the ambient works on the first project. The piece sounds cacophonous and overwhelming, as if you're in the ocean's deepest crevices, searching for life and gasping for oxygen. Overall, it's an interesting ambient piece, but it doesn't necessarily change up drastically throughout its 20-minute runtime. There are very subtle changes throughout like the emphasis on bass or the sampling in the forefront, but not enough to expand toward 20 minutes (maybe 15 at the most). The next piece, "The Humpback Whale Choir," is exactly what the title suggests: eight minutes of looped and layered whale samples. It's also an interesting listen, but I would've enjoyed it more if there were electronics or ambient noises combined with these sampled whale sounds. Instead, it's a simple field recording that seems out of place in between these two pieces. The third and final piece is "Dark Wave," which is my favorite of the three. The track is the shortest and most accessible of them all, clocking in at nearly 4 minutes. The track features a groove-heavy beat, sinister synth passages, and also sampled whale sounds. The combination comes together really well and it successfully gives off the dark, sinister vibes and themes they seem to be going for.
I have a few comments and concerns about Dark Morph II. Why have three distinct pieces, all of them completely different sounds and styles, back to back on one album? Why not release these three as singles, or an EP? I don't know, but the whole packaging of these tracks back to back seems off putting and awkward. I get similar vibes and themes throughout Dark Morph II, but I really wish there was a cohesive style that can tie all of these tracks together in a consistent listen, similar to that of the first Dark Morph. When I first listened to this album and finally got to "Dark Wave," I was overjoyed by the combination of sounds on this track. I wish that there was a full album of dance tracks like "Dark Wave." I think it would've been a better listen and a more accessible one. My gripes aside, I still found Dark Morph II to be an interesting listen and concept. Hopefully if we get a Dark Morph III, there will be more tracks like "Dark Wave." I think Jónsi and Hausswolff have chemistry when it comes to creating music with nocturnal ambient electronica and marine sounds. Though not as cohesive as Dark Morph, check out Dark Morph II if you're into this vibe or curious about it.
My Rating: 6 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Dark Wave"
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