Mortiis
Mortiis performing in Leicester in 2005 wearing an 'Era III mask'
Background information
Origin	Oslo, Norway
Genre(s)	Ambient Dark Wave Industrial [1] Black ambient Industrial rock
Years active	1993–present
Label(s)	Malicious Records Cold Meat Industry Dark Dungeon Music Earache Records Projekt Records Currently unsigned
Website	Official Website
Members
Håvard Ellefsen (Mortiis) Levi Gawron Ogee

Mortiis is an electronic band from Norway fronted by Håvard 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. However, Mortiis started as the solo project of Håvard Ellefsen as a means to convey a story. This aspect was lost over time and Mortiis slowly formed into a band. Mortiis at The Charlotte, on April 21, 2005. ... This article discusses Leicester in England. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Norway. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ambient music is a musical genre in which sound is more important than notes. ... The text below is generated by a template, which has been proposed for deletion. ... Black Ambient is a musickal forma and direction that is at oft times most difficult to define, a job made harder by those that would profess to be a part of this particular milieu associated by the sparsest of characteristics. ... Industrial Rock is a musical genre which is a fusion between Industrial Music and specific Rock n Roll subgenres such as Punk, Oi!, Hardcore and later on Hard Rock. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Malicious Records was a German black metal and related record label run by Gerrit Weiher. ... Cold Meat Industry is a Swedish independent record label established in 1987, which specializes in Dark Ambient, Death Industrial, Noise music and Neo-Classical. ... Dark Dungeon Music - Mortiis personal label which operated between 1993 and 1998. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... Projekt is a Brooklyn, New York based independent record label specializing in gothic rock, ethereal, darkwave, ambient, shoegazer, dream-pop and dark cabaret created by Sam Rosenthal in 1983. ... For other uses, see Electronic music (disambiguation). ... Mortiis (born as HÃ¥vard Ellefsen on July 25, 1975 in Notodden, Norway), is a Norwegian musician. ... Mortiis (born as HÃ¥vard Ellefsen on July 25, 1975 in Notodden, Norway), is a Norwegian musician. ...

Band members

Mortiis as a band was formed shortly after the release of The Smell of Rain. The current line-up consists of the following: Album Cover The initial CD press run for Germany contained a bonus DVD including the Parasite God video. ...

• Mortiis (also known as Håvard Ellefsen) - lead vocals, programming, mixing
• Levi Gawron[1] (also known as "'Levi G. Trøite'") - guitar, programming, mixing, Bass on 'The Grudge' album
• Ogee - live session guitar from 2005 to present date.

Programming is a form of music production and performance involving using electronic devices, often sequencers, to create music. ... Audio mixing is used in sound recording, audio editing and sound systems to balance the relative volume and frequency content of a number of sound sources. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Programming is a form of music production and performance involving using electronic devices, often sequencers, to create music. ... Audio mixing is used in sound recording, audio editing and sound systems to balance the relative volume and frequency content of a number of sound sources. ... Ogee Arch Ogee is a shape consisting of a concave arc flowing into a convex arc, so forming an S-shaped curve with vertical ends. ...

Former/past member(s)

• Sarah Jezebel Deva - female vocals (soprano)
• Leo Troy - (also known as Svein Tråserud) drums 2001-2007
• Åsmund Sveinnungard - guitar
• Jostein Pendragon - ('one show' guitarist, Kristiansand/Norway 2003)
• Christopher Amott - Guitars (Secret Session-Member on "The Smell of Rain" Sessions)
• Endre Tonnesen - session bass on "The Grudge" album
• [Magnus Abelsen][2] - session bass on "The Grudge" album
• Mortal (Anund Grini) - guitar (2001-2002)

Sarah Jezebel Deva ( born February 25 , 1977 in Forest Gate , East London , England) is a backing vocalist in Cradle of Filth. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ...

History

Era I

The title of Era I was never intentional. It came about in 2001 when Mortiis was set to release The 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 to The Smell of Rain were thereafter referred to as Era I as consequence. All of the Era I albums were composed entirely on synthesizers, creating a sound that Mortiis described as "dark dungeon music." The Stargate went a step further by introducing acoustic guitars and flutes, among others; Female vocals were provided by Sarah Jezebel Deva. This article is about the year. ... Album Cover The initial CD press run for Germany contained a bonus DVD including the Parasite God video. ... Sarah Jezebel Deva ( born February 25 , 1977 in Forest Gate , East London , England) is a backing vocalist in Cradle of Filth. ...

Era II

The Smell of Rain created a divide among fans; the songs this time had an electropop feel to them, and frontman Håvard took to lead vocals for the first time. This would be the only release under the title of Era II. Some fans thought Mortiis had betrayed them as they were expecting what many had nicknamed "The Stargate II". It was during this 'era' that Håvard decided he needed to seek members to perform in a live setting, which later helped change how Mortiis as a band sounded. Album Cover The initial CD press run for Germany contained a bonus DVD including the Parasite God video. ... Electropop (also called Technopop) is a form of synth pop music that is made with synthesizers, and which first flourished from 1978 to 1981. ...

Era III

With Era III came The 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 heavy industrial rock emphasis, combining grinding guitars and industrial programming. Some of the long time fans were again not too happy with this turn, but it helped gain Mortiis more new fans. In 2005 the Norwegian government declared The Grudge as a cultural artifact, requiring the album to be in libraries across the country.^[2] Album Cover Ltd SE Album Cover The Grudge is the latest album released by Mortiis. ... Album Cover Ltd SE Album Cover The Grudge is the latest album released by Mortiis. ... Industrial Rock is a musical genre which is a fusion between Industrial Music and specific Rock n Roll subgenres such as Punk, Oi!, Hardcore and later on Hard Rock. ... Album Cover Ltd SE Album Cover The Grudge is the latest album released by Mortiis. ...

On April 16, Mortiis released a remix album titled Some Kind of Heroin, reworking material from The Grudge, via Earache Records. "Some Kind of Heroin" offers diverse remix material including interpretations by a wide range of contemporaries, such as Zombie Girl, Gothminister, Implant, XP8, PIG, The Kovenant, Velvet Acid Christ, Girls Under Glass, David Wallace, Kubrick, Flesh Field, Dope Stars Inc, In the Nursery among others.^[3] The choice of bands suggested a more industrial future for Mortiis, but this wasn't the case. Some Kind of Heroin is the first remix album by Norwegian solo artist Mortiis. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... Gothminister are a gothic/industrial band from Norway. ... The term implant has different meanings: in Scientology, see Implant (Scientology) in medicine, see prosthesis This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... XP8 is an Anglo-Italian futurepop band formed on May 1, 2001, by Marco Visconti, Paul Toohill and Marko Resurreccion. ... For other uses, see Pig (disambiguation). ... The Kovenant is a Norwegian band which has evolved from symphonic black metal to industrial metal on more recent albums. ... Velvet Acid Christ (VAC) is an electro-industrial band based in the Denver, Colorado area of the United States. ... Girls Under Glass (abbreviated as GUG) is a musical Electro-Industrial-Goth band from Hamburg, Germany. ... David Wallace or Dave Wallace can mean: David Wallace (governor) (1799-1859), American politician Dave Wallace (baseball) (born 1947), coach and player David Wallace (physicist) (born 1945), British David Wallace (actor) (born 1957), American David Foster Wallace (born 1962), American novelist Dave Wallace (musician) (fl. ... Stanley Kubrick in the late 1990s Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 - March 7, 1999) was a Jewish-American film director born in The Bronx, New York City who lived most of his life in England. ... Dope Stars Inc. ... In The Nursery are a neo-classical/martial electronica band, known for their cinematic sound. ...

Mortiis is working alongside Rhys Fulber for his latest album (working title: Road to Ruin^[4]), with working track titles such as "The Great Deceiver", "Zeitgeist", "The Ugly Truth", and "Scolding the Burnt". It's not yet known whether Mortiis will further this as Era IV, as he has said it would have greater emphasis on 'organic' instruments (guitar), or if it will remain as Era III. Rhys Fulber was a member of Front Line Assembly and Delerium along with Bill Leeb. ...

Image

For nearly the entirety of the bands existence, frontman Håvard has altered his facial appearance using several alternatives before using a prosthetic mask and ear set. This lead to much ridicule and myth, which Mortiis dismissed in disgust. The original mask is based around that of 'Blix' from the movie Legend. The studio who made Mortiis' mask asked for a character reference for the moulding. The mask was always coupled with ears. During Era I the mask covered his whole face, though by Era III it had an appearance whereby it seemed to be falling off and was stitched in place. Sure enough the mask was dropped after the release of Some Kind of Heroin. Having stated in an interview that the mask has been shelved "for better or worse," as part of the significance of Some Kind of Heroin.^[5] He has also said that the mask now bares no direct reference to the music he is making. His choice to change from an established cult image, to a new direction is seen as his desire to produce 'art' for himself, and not other people who want him to do certain things against his will. A United States soldier demonstrates Foosball with two prosthetic limbs In medicine, a prosthesis is an artificial extension that replaces a missing part of the body. ... Legend is a 1985 fantasy film released by 20th Century Fox (in Europe) and Universal Pictures (in the U.S. and Canada), directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, Alice Playten, and Billy Barty. ...

Håvard's choice of dreadlocks (sometime after Era I), and various outfits helped produce the infamous 'Mortiis image'. It is debated in almost every interview with him. 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."^[6] Mortiis has been known to 'repair' his live clothes by using black tape to seal holes and tears. They often cover themselves in corn flour before going on stage.

When talking about the influence for the imagery that his band uses, Mortiis 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 with Kiss, W.A.S.P. and Alice Cooper." ^[7] Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. ... W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. ... Alice Cooper (born Vincent Furnier February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans five decades. ...

Remixes

Mortiis was credited for a number of remixes, though most are produced solely by Håvard. Most notable for the Alfa Matrix signed bands, Zombie Girl (on the album "Blood Brains and Rock 'n' Roll") and also for another female fronted industrial metal act I:Scintilla who released their album "Optics" on the Belgian industrial label Alfa Matrix holding a bonus disc with a remix by Mortiis beside others by Combichrist, Clan Of Xymox and many more.^[8] Alfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. ... Alfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. ... Combichrist was formed in 2003 by Norwegian Andy LaPlegua (founder of the band Icon of Coil) as an Electronic body music project. ... Clan of Xymox, also known as Xymox at various parts of their career, are a darkwave/gothic rock band founded in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in 1983 by Ronny Moorings, Anke Wolbert, and Pieter Nooten. ...

Discography

Albums

Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... The Song of a Long Forgotten Ghost is Norwegian solo artist Mortiiss debut Demo, released on Pagan Records in 1993. ... Pagan Records is a independent extreme metal record label. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Født Til å Herske - Is an album by the Norwegian musician Mortiis. ... Malicious Records was a German black metal and related record label run by Gerrit Weiher. ... Dark Dungeon Music - Mortiis personal label which operated between 1993 and 1998. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Ånden Som Gjorde Opprør is the second full-length album by Norwegian solo artist Mortiis that was released in 1994, a year after his debut album, Fodt Til Å Herske, and is the predecessor to Keiser Av En Dimensjon Ukjent. ... Cold Meat Industry is a Swedish independent record label established in 1987, which specializes in Dark Ambient, Death Industrial, Noise music and Neo-Classical. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Re-release Different Artwork Keiser Av En Dimensjon Ukjent is the third full-length album from Norwegian solo artist Mortiis, it was released in 1995. ... Dark Dungeon Music - Mortiis personal label which operated between 1993 and 1998. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Crypt of the Wizard is from Mortiis Era:1 and its entire content is composed and arranged by Mortiis. ... Dark Dungeon Music - Mortiis personal label which operated between 1993 and 1998. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Supposed to have been released with the book Secrets of my Kingdom, alongside a limited gold press version of the CD. Though for unknown reasons was later released in 2001, prior to The Smell of Rain. The LP was a 3 sided gatefold with fold out 12 lyric sheet. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... This article is about the year. ... Album Cover The initial CD press run for Germany contained a bonus DVD including the Parasite God video. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Album Cover Ltd SE Album Cover The Grudge is the latest album released by Mortiis. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Some Kind of Heroin is the first remix album by Norwegian solo artist Mortiis. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ...

Singles

Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Well mainly the inspiration was taken from the singer. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ...

Videography

• Reisene Til Grotter Og Odemarker (1996)
• Soul in a Hole (2005)

Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Ltd edition poster Recorded in London at the Hackney Ocean, on the Unlimited Grudge Tour in September 2004. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Vond
• Cintecele Diavolui
• Fata Morgana (band)
• Lost In Time (band)

Vond is the dark side of Mortiis so to speak. ... Mortiis Cintecele Diavolui, or Devils Songs as it translates to in English, is a side project of Mortiis. ... Fata Morgana is a musical side project of Mortiis. ...

References

1. ^ Encyclopaedia Metallum - Mortiis
2. ^ "Album made available to public for free", Earache, April 14, 2005. 
3. ^ Mortiis to release remix album
4. ^ "Road to Ruin (working title)", Live Journal, December 18, 2006. 
5. ^ Source: Interview
6. ^ Source: StarVox.net Interview
7. ^ Source:Studio Pop Interview 2003
8. ^ I:Scintilla remixed by Mortiis, Combichrist, KMFDM and Clan Of Xymox for new album

External links

• Official website
• Official MySpace site
• Official VampireFreaks site
• Official Some Kind Of Heroin MySpace site
• Official Live Journal Site
• Official Youtube Site
• Mortiis at Discogs.com
• Mortiis discography at MusicBrainz