Morpheus welcomes dreamworld on debut album ‘May I Come In?’
A dreamy, orchestral world reminiscent of a rocky landscape: robust in form, yet gently smoothed by water. This is how Morpheus describes the musical world of his album. Morpheus wanted to delve a little deeper into himself, not to shy away from experiences but to face them head-on, including forms of loss, inner struggle and resilience. ‘May I Come In?’, released via V2, is a safe space to escape in for a while, but also to get closer to yourself.
‘May I Come In?’ will be available everywhere on March 12th 2027.
Pre-save ‘May I Come In?’ | Listen to the single ‘Moment Suspendu’
Photo Credit: Zahra Reijs
Credit zahra rijs
To escape the cold, outside world, Morpheus linked the beginning and the end of the album together. It invites the listener to escape, to slow down together and to imagine beautiful things in this musical world. The world already demands enough of us to be tough. Morpheus, on the other hand, invites us to find strength in gentleness, openness and surrender.
He also references various personal chapters on the album, such as on ‘Moment Suspendu’, the oldest track on the album, which was written out of grief. ‘Tempest’, however, emerged as a resilient song that he used to pull himself out of a difficult period. ‘Hope’s Secret’ gave him something to hold on to when he needed it. “I find it remarkable that I write songs to give vent to a particular feeling, but that the very same song can later act as a remedy when that same feeling returns.”
Morpheus was involved in the production of the album. The music feels deliberate, as he has shaped his own soundscape. This created scope for less obvious choices, including the use of asymmetrical song structures and unusual instrumentation.
In doing so, he sought out collaborations with musicians from diverse scenes to forge his own musical world. He worked with jazz pianist and composer Timothy Banchet, composer and violinist Darian Donovan Thomas, and harpist Maeve Gilchrist – known for their work with Arooj Aftab and Moses Sumney – as well as experimental harpist Sarah Page, who has previously collaborated with Patrick Watson. Film composer Annelotte Coster also produced tracks for the album, alongside drummer Nicky Hustinx and cellist Joel Siepmann.
Rather than allowing images to take shape through the music, Morpheus drew inspiration from natural landscapes and animals before the music came into being. “I think animals have something gentle about them, but also something strong and protective – mythical and earthy. That actually sums up the music as well.” He shared this same framework with the musicians with whom he made the album. As a result, wild horses find their way into the music in various ways: in the rhythms Nicky Hustinx wrote for ‘Tempest’, but also in the harp arrangement Maeve Gilchrist created for the outro.
Alongside the album announcement, the single ‘Moment Suspendu’ is also being released today. Sonically, it serves as the blueprint for the album, featuring harp, celesta and strings. The single brings together various unexpected combinations – such as the Japanese koto and harp – thereby making the album’s sound increasingly clear. “‘Moment Suspendu’ is an ode to the memories I have of my mother. I didn’t want to avoid the darkness surrounding grief, but rather to face it head-on and make space for it. It ties in with the rocks I was thinking of whilst making the album; it’s a beautiful image of something heavy and massive wearing away into something soft. I wanted that tension to be reflected in the music as well.”
