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Mortiis | |
|---|---|
 Mortiis live at the Voodoo Lounge, 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Notodden, Norway |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | Malicious,Cold Meat Industry, Dark Dungeon Music,Earache,Projekt |
| Spinoffs | Vond, Cîntecele Diavolui, Fata Morgana |
| Spinoff of | Emperor |
| Members |
|
| Website | mortiis |
Mortiis is anelectronic band fromNotodden, Norway fronted byHåvard Ellefsen, who is also known as the namesake of the band. The name is a misspelling of the word "mortis", which is the pronunciation used by the band. Mortiis started as the solo project of Ellefsen as a means to convey a story. This aspect was lost over time and Mortiis slowly formed into a band. Ellefsen previously played bass in theblack metal bandEmperor (1991–1992), prior to forming this project in 1993. The time he spent in his previous band laid the groundworks for mixing black metal elements with various electronic genres, with these being touched upon across each "era" of the band.
The title ofEra I was never intentional. It came about in 2001 when Mortiis was set to releaseThe Smell of Rain, which was such a departure from his earlier records that he wanted to brand it in a way to signify this. All works previous toThe Smell of Rain were thereafter referred to asEra I as a consequence. All of theEra I albums were composed entirely on synthesizers, creating a sound that Mortiis described as "dark dungeon music"- a fundamental influence on the laterdungeon synth genre. The last album of this era,The Stargate, went a step further by introducing a wider range of instruments including acoustic guitars, flutes and dark vocals; mainly provided bySarah Jezebel Deva.[2]
Songs onThe Smell of Rain wereelectropop, and frontman Ellefsen took to lead vocals for the first time. This would be the only release under the title ofEra II. It was during this era that Ellefsen decided he needed to seek members to perform in a live setting, which later helped change how Mortiis as a band sounded. The first live shows with this new lineup and with Mortiis as frontman & vocalist took place in theUnited Kingdom in December 2001.[3]
WithEra III cameThe Grudge, which took an even more drastic turn from previous eras and is said to have made the biggest impression of any of his albums.The Grudge took on a heavyindustrial rock emphasis, combining grinding guitars and industrial programming. Some of the longtime fans were again not too happy with this turn, but it helped gain Mortiis more new fans. In 2005, theNorwegian Culture Council selectedThe Grudge to be freely available for listening to the public in libraries across the country.[4]
On 16 April 2007 Mortiis released a remix album titledSome Kind of Heroin, reworking material fromThe Grudge, viaEarache Records. "Some Kind of Heroin" offers diverse remix material including interpretations by a wide range of contemporaries, such asZombie Girl,Gothminister,Implant,XP8,PIG,the Kovenant,Velvet Acid Christ,Girls Under Glass, David Wallace,Kubrick,Flesh Field,Victor Vortexx,Dope Stars Inc,In the Nursery among others.[5] In late 2009 and early 2010 earlier music has been partly reprogrammed and re-arranged for future live use.
On 10 October 2010 Mortiis releasedPerfectly Defect as a free internet only download album. Regarding why the album was free, Mortiis stated, "The new model of the music business is important to keep in mind; there's a new mentality out there in terms of how people acquire their music now."[6] During this time and the subsequent tours, the visual appearance and sound was similar to that of Era III, but with a more Industrial appearance closer toCombichrist and without any form of mask which had been a key characteristic of previous eras. Although this is marked as being part of Era III, this could be construed as a movement in Era IV.
Between 2011 and 2015, Mortiis (as a band or a solo musician) never stated that the project was on hiatus, although the last tour ended at P60 in Amstelveen (Netherlands) on 8 July 2011,[7] with no performance, recording or releases since. However, during this time the mailing list, Instagram account and Facebook page was active, hinting at a return at some point.
The four-year hiatus was broken on 8 June 2015 when a message placed on the band's Facebook page[8] suggested a new album was on its way in a new era, Era 0. This was confirmed on 5 October 2015 when the release of the single "Doppelgänger," off the forthcoming albumThe Great Deceiver. The artwork for "Doppelgänger" included the familiar Mortiis logo, but with the Era 0 subscript, confirming the new Era. The album (The Great Deceiver) was originally finished in 2008, and included mixes by Chris Vrenna (ofNine Inch Nails andMarilyn Manson). Additional material was also finished with enough material for another album during 2009. To mark the return, Mortiis announced a series of US tours starting on 7 October 2015 with "The Devils Be Damned Tour". Despite the Era being 0, this was not a return to the original sound of Era I, but a continuation of that within Era III, again with complete lack of prosthetics or mask, but keeping the gothic/industrial costuming and face paint.
In January 2020, Mortiis returned to his Era 1 style of music with the albumSpirit of Rebellion. The album was a reworking of his 1994 workÅnden som Gjorde Opprør, and was instigated after he was invited to perform at the 25th anniversary celebrations for former labelCold Meat Industry in 2017.[9] In April 2020, he shared a work in progress tentatively entitledThe Shadow of the Tower during the onlinedungeon synth festival 'Northeast Dungeon Siege'.[10] An extract was also shared on Mortiis'Bandcamp page; again, the style of this new track reflected the style of the artist's early output. A previously unreleased 1997 track of the same name was released via the same website in October 2020, with Mortiis explaining that the piece had previously been used as atmospheric background music during his sporadic live shows of the era.[11][12] A second such sample, entitledBlood Becomes Water, was released in July 2020.[13]
Mortiis admitted to having long-held negative feelings about his 1990s output, feeling resentment towards perceived lack of quality in musicianship and production. However, he has since reassessed his detachment towards this material, and now sees renewed worth in the honesty and originality of his early records. In the period leading up to the release ofSpirit of Rebellion, many of these early releases were reissued, having remained largely out of print for many years.[14] Mortiis' 2001 book,Secrets of My Kingdom, was also reprinted as an expanded edition in 2018. SubtitledReturn to Dimensions Unknown, the reprint featured new interviews, images and other archive material from the 1990s.[15]
For nearly the entirety of the band's existence, frontman Ellefsen has altered his facial appearance using several alternatives before using aprosthetic mask and ear set. The studio who made Mortiis' mask asked for a character reference for the moulding. The mask was always coupled with ears. DuringEra I the mask covered his whole face, though byEra III it had an appearance whereby it seemed to be falling off and was stitched in place. The mask was dropped after the release ofSome Kind of Heroin. Having stated in an interview that the mask has been shelved "for better or worse", as part of the significance ofSome Kind of Heroin.[16]
Ellefsen's choice of dreadlocks (sometime after Era I), and various outfits helped produce the "Mortiis image". When asked as to what the mask represents he has answered, "I do not look upon myself as a goblin, or troll, or elf, or medieval. I am merely Mortiis."[17] Mortiis has been known to repair his live clothes by using black tape to seal holes and tears.[citation needed] They often cover themselves in corn flour before going on stage.[citation needed]
When talking about the influence for the imagery that his band uses, Ellefsen has commented, "A lot of people do not get that you can do more than just look like you're waiting for a bus. I mean how dull is that? I grew up withKiss,W.A.S.P. andAlice Cooper."[18]
Mortiis has been credited for a number of remixes, though most are produced solely by Ellefsen. Mortiis’ most notable credited remixes are for artists signed to the Belgian industrial labelAlfa Matrix, includingZombie Girl (on the albumBlood, Brains and Rock 'N' Roll) andI:Scintilla, another female fronted industrial metal act who released their albumOptics featuring a bonus disc with remixes by Mortiis and other artists includingCombichrist andClan of Xymox.[19]Mortiis has also provided remixes for Italian Industrial Rock/Metal bands includingDope Stars Inc.,T3CHN0PH0B1A, as well as the American Ethereal/Neoclassical actMelankolia.[20]
Håvard Ellefsen, often referred to as Mortiis, is the only constant band member. He was born inSkien,Telemark. Mortiis began his musical career playingbass for theblack metal actEmperor. He stayed with the band just over one year before going on to create his own solo project, though unlike his previous band the music would bedark ambient oriented. Ellefsen was experimenting greatly with music during his early solo career. He started four separate projects, though the focus was always on Mortiis.
Ellefsen wrapped up work on the soundtrack to the movieBroken andThe Devil's Chair (Renegade Films) in 2007. Both films were directed byAdam Mason who first worked with him on the Mortiis video forDecadent & Desperate. Having completed an album's worth of songs, Ellefsen commented at how they were "atmospheric and eerie" and also "very dark" while "some of it actually is semi-song structured, with some melody and sense to it." They were done under the Mortiis name. The collected music will eventually be released as a Mortiis album.
Mortiis as a band was formed shortly after the release ofThe Smell of Rain.
Dark Dungeon Music was the personal record label of Mortiis. It operated between 1995 and 1999 while Mortiis resided in Halmstad, Sweden, and released mostly limited-edition vinyl. It was dissolved as Mortiis moved back to Norway in late 1999.
| Era | Date of release | Title | Label |
| Era I | 1993 | The Song of a Long Forgotten Ghost | Pagan Records /Witching Hour Prod |
| 1994 | Født til å Herske | Malicious Records / Dark Dungeon Music /Earache Records | |
| 1994 | Ånden som Gjorde Opprør | Cold Meat Industry / Earache Records | |
| 1995 | Keiser Av En Dimensjon Ukjent | Dark Dungeon Music / Earache Records | |
| 1995 | Blood and Thunder EP | Primitive Art Records | |
| 1996 | Crypt of the Wizard | Dark Dungeon Music / Earache Records | |
| 1999 | The Stargate | Earache Records | |
| Era II | 2001 | The Smell of Rain | Earache Records |
| Era III | 2004 | The Grudge | Earache Records |
| 2007 | Some Kind of Heroin | Earache Records | |
| 2010 | Perfectly Defect | Independent | |
| Era 0 | 2016 | The Great Deceiver | Omnipresence |
| 2017 | The Unraveling Mind | Omnipresence | |
| Era I | 2020 | Spirit of Rebellion | Dead Seed Productions |
| Date of release | Title | Label |
| 2010 | Mortiis (Live in London) | Earache Records |
| Date of release | Title | Label | Chart position |
| 2004 | "The Grudge" | Earache Records | UK Singles Chart: 51[21] UK Indie Singles: 7 |
| 2005 | "Decadent & Desperate" | Earache Records | UK Singles Chart: 49 |
| 2015 | "Doppelgänger" | Omnipresence | |
| 2016 | "The Shining Lamp of God" | Omnipresence | |
| 2016 | "Demons are Back" | Omnipresence | |
| 2016 | "Geisteskrank" | Omnipresence | |
| 2017 | "The Die Krupps & Leætherstrip Mixes" | Omnipresence | |
| 2017 | "The Great Leap" | Omnipresence |
| Date of release | Title | Label |
| 2001 | "Parasite God" | Earache Records |
| 2003[22] | "Mental Maelstrom" | Earache Records |
| 2004[22] | "The Grudge" | Earache Records |
| 2004 | "Decadent & Desperate" | Earache Records |
| 2015 | "Doppelgänger" | Omnipresence |
| 2016 | "The Shining Lamp of God" | Omnipresence |
| 2016 | "Demons are Back" | Omnipresence |
| Year | Song | Type | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Necrose Evangelicum" | Sinth | Brighter Death Now |
| 2005 | "Muv Your Dolly" (Swedish Erotica Mix) | Remix | XP8 |
| 2005 | "N.A.S.A." (Return of the Funky Dead Mix) | Remix | T3chnophob1a |
| 2005 | "Self Destructive Corp." (Midnight Mass Remix) | Remix | Dope Stars Inc. |
| 2005 | "Maze" | Chorus | Apoptygma Berzerk |
| 2005 | "Backstabbers Go to Heaven" | Chorus | SCUM |
| 2005 | "Touch Me (Cleanse & Corrupt)" | Remix | Girls Under Glass |
| 2006 | "Blitzkrieg" (Driven On Mix) | Remix | Deathstars |
| 2006 | "Havestar" (La Malediction Mix) | Remix | I:Scintilla |
| 2012 | "Bring Me Victory" | Remix | Melankolia |
Track – 05 // "Zeitgeist" – Mortiis[23]
Track – 15 // "The Ugly Truth" – Mortiis[23]
