NSFW: Mortiis premieres “Geisteskrank” video

I’ve always had a soft spot for Mortiis. Not because he played bass on Emperor’s classic demo and self-titled EP recordings. Not because I interviewed him 20 years ago shortly after he moved from Norway to Sweden and he assured me that he wasn’t suffering from “too-far-away-from-home disease.” And not because of the prosthetic ears and nose he rocked in their early days of this then ambient eponymous project—OK, maybe a little because of those. 

I back the artist formerly know as Håvard Ellefsen because the debut LP, Selvmord, from his long-dormant side project Vond is one of the most depressing ambient/darkwave recordings I’ve ever heard. Tune in, lock the knife drawer, and drop out with that some time.

Of course, all of this has little to do with the kind of music Mortiis performs these days. Despite being firmly rooted in “industrial rock,” our rehabilitated troll still continues to push boundaries—at least visually. So, Decibel presents to you Vardøger, the first of three short pieces by noted Norwegian filmmaker Reinert Kiil. Mortiis’ song “Geisteskrank,” recorded during the same sessions that yielded his latest album, The Great Deceiver, provides the soundtrack to your NSFW-viewing.

“There’s this (un)quiet desperation in the mini that Reinert created,” Mortiis tells Decibel. “Something disgusting and forbidden—his personal demons, apparently. I can relate to that, the grit and the decadence. It was a huge part of my life for a long time, as well… that collection of demons and the various ways in which they manifest themselves. With me it was music and lyrics, with Reinert, it’s the visual.”

At first glance, the video storyline looks douche-y enough to be written for an Artery or Rise Records band. But stick with it, and you’ll be, um, rewarded.