I Changed the Face of God a Thousand Times: An Interview with Mortiis (Mortiis, ex-Emperor)

If you’re familiar with Håvard Ellefsen, better known as Mortiis, then you know that his musical career has evolved and changed many times since he was a member of Emperor in their founding years.  Since departing the legendary black metal group in 1992, Mortiis embarked on a solo career in the early 1990s that featured several releases which would heavily influence the dungeon synth genre, before gravitating towards an electronic pop and industrial rock format largely inspired by Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails at the turn of the millennium.  In the years since, the undefinable artist has continued to progress and vascillate between genres, creating musical landscapes that defy categorization.

While still in Emperor during the years before the formal release of their famous EP and debut album In the Nightside Eclipse, Mortiis contributed the lyrics of “I Am the Black Wizards” and “Cosmic Keys to My Creation & Times,” arguably the two strongest songs from featured on both by creating an alternate world for the songs to live.  He would continue to provide soundtracks to that world during his Era 1 solo work of the 1990s, before evoking new ones once he pivoted to a more pop oriented sound.  His latest creation, Ghosts of Europa, carries trademarks from all of his eras, while creating an expansive atmosphere of dystopian dread that pushes his own musical limits, if there are any left, to places unknown.

Ahead of the release of Ghosts of Europa, I had a chance to speak with Mortiis about it and many other topics, including: 

• what world Ghosts of Europa lives in, a revelation about the album beginning as an ode to Tangerine Dream and then having a member of the group contribute, a discussion of the making of Spirit of Rebellion and returning to Era 1, and how the new record compares to the rest of his discography.
• the reflective and introspective nature of the album’s lyrics, if he considers creating music as a therapeutic process, his process of creating Ghosts of Europa, and how viewing electronic music through a metal lens can influence his decision making.
• his recent performance with Emperor at Z Rock Live in Spain, how the idea of performing the Emperor EP with Faust with Ihsahn and Samoth at select shows came to be, writing “I Am the Black Wizards,” and some reflection on the highly publicized non-musical events from the early Norwegian black metal scene and their repercussions. 
• an existential discussion of being able to change the past involving the lyrical content of the closing track of his new record and questions about the his next musical direction.

You can watch the entire interview HERE:

Mortiis gave genuine and thoughtful responses to every question posed to him, and for that I thank him.  It’s evident in speaking with him that he takes great care with his craft, poring over and experimenting with different sounds and methods until he finds something that works as uniquely his.  As he has changed the face of his music, and well, his actual face if you’ve seen him perform live over the last thirty years, his ability to adapt and change and succeed creating these musical worlds is unparalleled with one of the most unique catalogs that still loosely falls under the metal umbrella.  His latest incarnation, Ghosts of Europa, is no exception to that and is a testament to his untiring search for new approaches to sound that push traditional boundaries.   

To preorder Ghosts of Europa, visit the link by clicking the button below. The first three singles from the album, "Ghosts of Europa," "Violent Silence," and "Tundra, Heart of Hell" are available on all major streaming platforms now.