Mørke Og Lys (which translates to “Darkness and Light”) is the one-woman darkwave project of Hildr Valkyrie from Greece.
The project put out a new album earlier this year called Lethal Sphere on Dark Age Productions in which all the songs are named after plants that are known for their uses in witchcraft (which all seem to also be poisonous). It’s streaming on both the band and the label’s Bandcamp where you can also order the album on cassette; however, the band’s Bandcamp appears to be sold out of physical copies while the label’s Bandcamp claims to still have more.
The first track is “Abrus Precatorius (Rosary Pea)” in which Valkyrie plays her keyboard like a piano, creating something stark and beautiful. “Tanacetum Vulgare (Tansy)” continues this, as the song gives the impression it should be played in a huge, abandoned castle on a grand piano with a candelabra on top. “Actaea Alba (Doll’s Eye)” gets a little bit further into more traditional darkwave territory with a synthesizer that’s actually played like a synthesizer, but it still has a lonely, stark sound that creates a beautiful sense of isolation.
“Digitalis (Foxglove)” combines synths with what seems to be a xylophone to create an absolutely gorgeous soundscape. “Amanita Muscaria (Fly Agaric)” has a sort of new age feeling that sounds heavily influenced by traditional music of the East. “Convallaria Majalis (Lily Of The Valley)” is the perfect ending to this unorthodox darkwave album as it creates a deeply melancholy sound. This album isn’t necessarily what you’re thinking of when you hear the word “darkwave,” but, if you’re willing to keep your mind open, you’re in store for something really special.
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