25.01.2018 • Dominika Šimová
MORTIIS
Sometimes you come across a very special thing, it can be a book, a film or music. I think Mortiis and his music is something very unique. This great musician will be touring the world with his Ånden som gjorde opprør album so we decided to ask him some questions.
So nice to have a chance to talk to you again. How are you?
Good. Tired.
Who came with the idea to perform the Ånden som gjorde opprør album again?
I had been thinking about revisiting that period for a couple of years, but redoing the music so it fits better with the present. When we decided to take break from the industrial rock, the time felt right to do it.
I can see a great response from the audience and promoters. How does it feel?
It's cool, I mean we'll see how things work out. I'm glad people are interested.
Can you introduce the live shows a bit? What to expect?
I prefer to let them speak for themselves. I mean it's not a KISS show... it's visual but sombre and atmospheric. I have some great visuals by David Thierree who also worked on my reissues. Of course the whole Ånden som gjorde opprør album has been reworked, and sounds bigger and deeper, at least to me.
I guess nobody expects KISS. To me the album is dark and deep and that is something that the audience should expect and if there´s some visual input, it must be even better.
Yeah I think it improved a lot. I have a pretty huge library of sounds to chose from now so I think based on that, plus having more experience making music, I was able to really improve it. Obviously I made sure the essence of 1994 is still there.
That ´s what I wanted to hear. Anyways Ånden som gjorde opprør is like 40 minutes long. What else are you going to perform?
The new version is 55.
Really? Amazing! So you play only this album, don´t you?
Well I have expanded a lot on it, adding some parts and changing around arrangements and added more melodic and rhythmical content, so there's a lot of "new" stuff going on.
What´s the difference in between performing with your band and alone? Singing and playing the instrument?
Well, it´s a different world. With the solo stuff it's not aggressive or frustrated the way the industrial rock thing is, it's just all about the atmosphere really.
That´s why you have been composing variety of genres?
Kind of yes. It's cool to be able to do different things. Good for the mind. Keeps me from losing it, haha!
You actually started with music with black metal, didn´t you?
Death metal way back in 1990, but eventually we got into black metal yes.
We are talking about Emperor, right?
Yeah that was 1991 but it didn´t have a name when I joined. I gave the band that name, after the Celtic Frost mini LP.
That is really cool.
Old story now.
Have you been thinking of making new intstrumental album like Ånden som gjorde opprør? How would instrumental Mortiis sound in 2018?
A new one? Maybe. I don't know what that would sound like, but I guess the reworked Ånden som gjorde opprør material might be a pretty good indicator.
You´ve been to this ´business´ for so many years. How has the scene changed since you started with music? If so...
I don´t know. I stopped paying attention a long time ago. It is a lot less exciting and interesting. I'm probably not the right guy to ask, but it doesn't feel as unified and supportive as it used to be. It seems more cynical than ever too.
Money-related?
Yeah, we all have to survive here, so I get it, but it seems that way more than ever.
'Secrets Of My Kingdom: Return To Dimensions Unknown' book will be released in March 2018. Can you introduce it a little bit?
It is pretty much a collection of texts and lyrical pieces written between 1992-1997 that form this alternate, sort of mythical reality, and all the old Mortiis albums were based around this concept. The book was originally released in 2001, this is a reissue with some extras, added artwork, etc, so it´s an expanded edition.
You played in Slovakia some time ago, am I correct?
We did a show in Slovakia as a band in 2010 when we played with Combichrist, but this will be totally different.
Oh yeah! Sure! Are you looking forward to seeing the audience again? Even though, this is very different..
Of course. Always interesting.
Good to hear. Anything else to tell to our readers and your listeners in the end?
Looking forward and seeing you in March.
I want to thank so much for this interview and for being patient with me and my questions.
