Album Review | ‘The Hunger’ by Marcus Whale

Desire, Devotion, and Danger coat the dark electronic world of Whale’s 2021 release.

(Photo from Bandcamp)

Australian experimental artist Marcus Whale began exploring his own creativity outside electronic pop duo Collarbones in 2016. Mixing elements of trip-hop, darkwave, EDM, ambient, and alternative rock into conceptual works that pull you into the stories they create. 2021’s The Hunger is a dark, mystifying exploration of yearning and desire that comes from being a vampire's human servant.

Whale uses this metaphor to explore the alluring and dangerous sides of devotion, submission, and desire in a relationship:

“The Hunger album follows a story of a human who wishes to be turned into a vampire by their master. This figure is often called a familiar, which often also refers to the animal servant of a witch — same concept. There’s quite a specific narrative thread through it, although it exists more for the purposes of teasing out the power play of this relationship, the impulses of devotion and servitude and this longing of transformation that this thread inspires in this character.” — Marcus Whale via Trouble Juice (2021)

There’s an overwhelming sense of oppressive loneliness that devours you on the opening track, “***Cowboy Song.***” You could weave some of the verbiage into the album’s vampiric narrative, but at its core it bleeds with an unending sense of remorse. I got chills from the ever-brightening glow of ambient synths that expand to show the desolate space Marcus’s acapella now encompasses. His meandering melody brings to mind a vast canyon carrying the heartbroken memories of a lost love into the ether of dawn’s first light.

“***Two Holes***” starts our descent into gravitational pull and power dynamics between vampire and prey. Whale explores beyond the mythos and into the allure of this submissive worship that binds the familiar to the vampire they serve:

“The two holes, if it’s clear, are the two holes left by the fangs of a vampire after feeding, to a non-fatal point, their familiar. I like to think of these holes as being the literal, physical mark on the familiar that unequivocally proves their worth, as well as representing the possibility of their future transformation into a vampire. It shows, also, the connection that the familiar has with their master. This sort of submissive power play can be addictive — this is why the pull of these two holes is felt even from a distance.” — Marcus Whale via Trouble Juice (2021)

It’s as if you’ve been struck by this epiphany as soon as the song begins. Ivory synth erupts, then fades into churning magnetism that toes the line between predatory and seductive. I really enjoy how this amplifies the devotion he pours into this being that’s entangled him in this new, intoxicated realm.

[embed]The official music video for “Two Holes” video shot, edited & graded by Andrew Haining.

We carry the parting sentiment of the last track into the suffocating desire of “***Impossible.***” I have to say, the shift from ecstatic electronics to ruminative piano makes this paradise feel painfully out of reach. That cold, tortured melody immediately grabbed my attention. Where it's inspired by the desire to become this immortal being, I hear rapturous longing for someone who may never return the same affection you so desperately covet. Emotionally, I really found myself enamored by the narrative formed by all its elements.

[embed]The official music video for “Impossible” directed by Kane Gaundar.

“***Portal***” aches with sexual desire, painted through a palpable need to be fed upon by this captivating vampiric being. At first, its harsh, fast-paced electronic sound caught me off guard. As the harmonies built and the song took on a more rigid, angular shape, I found myself drawn deeper into this drum-and-bass-inspired realm. That frantic nature of the beats plays on the pulse-pounding need to be ravaged by a lover whose restraint is only heightening this ache through your being.

“***Perfume***” stretches wiry synths and robotic vocals into something hauntingly beautiful. All these elements move like bolts of tulle dancing through pristine pools of water. Whale works around that intangible aspect. This intoxicating perfume is this elusive force that beckons you to give in to your carnal desires. There’s also a hesitation dangling in the background, attempting to keep your wits about you before giving in to what your body craves. It’s a soundscape that really mesmerized me.

The title track, “***The Hunger,***” seeps streams of melancholy longing through its somber piano melodies. Born from the 1983 movie of the same name, Marcus wanted to distill the tragic emotions brought on by a romance you know is doomed to fail:

“This song is named after the film of the same name… I love this film for many reasons, especially its heightened stylisation — by design it deals with vampirism in a melancholic way that is extremely overwrought, almost cartoonish… the moment that really connected with me is a scene in which the central vampire character, played by Catherine Deneuve, weeps while playing my favourite Ravel piece for piano (‘le gibet’ from the Gaspard de la Nuit suite). The scene cuts between her mournful, veiled figure and her new love interest, played by Susan Sarandon, who also weeps while sleeping in her own bed. To me, this moment encapsulates these ideas I’ve been trying to articulate in this album: on one side, the way that desire pulls from a distance and on the other, the grief of already knowing that your love is ultimately doomed. This doom is almost the way in which these characters are connected. Catherine Deneuve’s character pursues these lovers even knowing (or perhaps because of?) the grotesque fate to which they’ll be consigned” — Marcus Whale via Trouble Juice (2021)

These languorous draws on each line carry with them a slight eroticism that each verse conjures. What makes this so evocative is the way everything is dressed in such solemnity. It’s almost dissociative in this act of release.

Shifting back into the overt eroticism of this servant/vampiric relationship, “***Familiar***” tempts you boldly to come and take what’s yours. Lyrically, the metaphor drips with overt seduction. Each crackling synth sample builds this electricity between a lover begging to be ravaged by their stoic, dominant companion. I like how this sparse electronic landscape feeds off this sexual tension drawn up by Whale’s words.

(Photo from Trouble Juice)

A nod to the Slayer song of the same name, “***Raining Blood***” sinks fully into the coitus of becoming a vampire. Pools of thick, black synths rumble below Marcus’s ominous growls as we relish being taken by this being and filled to the brim. Luminous chords rise from the depths as this perverse beauty surges around you. If you’re like me and love exploring the bewitching quality of darkness, then this song will captivate you as it emanates a rich, garnet halo.

(Photo from Bandcamp)

Our final track, “***Undead***,” permeates the room with the dangerous fixation of desire. Marcus wanted to navigate that endless void of sexual desire that men hunger for, yet can’t satiate without the other emotional connections that complete it:

“This song expounds on this fixation and inability to move forward, a desire that burns even after the object is gone. The lyrics begin in the sanctuary of a church before moving to a toilet cubicle and a carpark, cast as spaces for men to cruise one another for sex. The association of these spaces is intentional. All are spaces for this character to chase a dream of a transcendent, transformative connection to others that turns out to be an impossible longing. The reason for the vampire reference is that I was thinking about how past loss and past desire persists into the present, much like how the undead walk the earth reanimated, haunting us.” — Marcus Whale via Trouble Juice (2021)

Its slinky ambiance pulls you in, like the first pangs of attraction before being struck by the pulse-pound beat that gets your blood pumping. I love how Whale uses his creative alchemy to forge this dark attraction from trip-hop, drum and bass, and trance elements. I also like how it almost calls back to the loneliness that opens the record.

I really enjoyed the overall atmosphere that homes in on this story of desire, dominance, and submission. These dark, electronic realms carry the alluring danger of surrendering to your lover’s passions. It also brings to the surface feelings of emptiness and longing that often are left untouched by purely sexual connections alone. You get that hypnotic spin of a Massive Attack or Tricky track while teetering on the edge of oblivion that comes from, say, a Nine Inch Nails release. After my initial discovery of Whale through Nether, this album has only furthered my interest in his entire back catalog.

My overall thoughts on The Hunger:

My rating scale: Love it = 1 point, Like it = 0.5 point, Dislike it = 0 points; Final score = total points/ number of tracks

Loved it: “***Cowboy Song,” “[Two Holes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE80jlOX6Lc&list=OLAK5uy_l07c-7tv4owgBkgixD05YjZn0kpYkZU_U&index=2),” “[Impossible](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5MvOd8U2Fg&list=OLAK5uy_l07c-7tv4owgBkgixD05YjZn0kpYkZU_U&index=3),” “[Perfume](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgGIac-sa0w&list=OLAK5uy_l07c-7tv4owgBkgixD05YjZn0kpYkZU_U&index=5),” [The Hunger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wISEaTK0htA&list=OLAK5uy_l07c-7tv4owgBkgixD05YjZn0kpYkZU_U&index=6),” “[Raining Blood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y96AvxcsI6g&list=OLAK5uy_l07c-7tv4owgBkgixD05YjZn0kpYkZU_U&index=8),” & “[Undead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKG7prVUz8k&list=OLAK5uy_l07c-7tv4owgBkgixD05YjZn0kpYkZU_U&index=9)***”

Liked it: “*Portal*” & “***Familiar***”

Disliked it: None

My overall rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Sources:

[embed]Track by Track: Marcus Whale - The Hunger Marcus Whale's The Hunger is a haunting ambient pop odyssey; a touchingly twisted exploration of doomed infatuation and…troublejuice.co