Mortiis has unveiled the video for "Doppelganger," the first single from the long-awaited upcoming The Great Deceiver album.
The "Doppelganger" single will also be available as a free download at www.mortiis.com beginning Monday, October 5. The download also includes a :Wumpscut: remix, the downloadable video, a screensaver and other graphics.
"As a song, 'Doppelganger' not so much investigates or peeks into a conflicted psyche, as it just rips it open and exposes someone for being a two faced piece of shit," Mortiis said. "I absolutely see myself as that. Sometimes. Other times I try to be a good person. I often fail. Perhaps I treat myself harshly. But it´s there now, in my face, and I don´t disagree with what the song is saying."
The video, directed by Robyn Van Swank with Nick Plotquin, brings the track to life with horrific images of bloodletting, mutilation and torture. "I thought there was a rough sort of irony in it all with the physical and psychological mutilation," Mortiis said. "The knife imitates the words...the truth bleeds out..."
The video for "Doppelganger" is also Mortiis' reaction to years of being artistically held back by record companies that shied away from the graphic content that visually sums up Mortiis' music. "I always thought that was ridiculous," he said. "We wanted to make videos that people would notice, that would cause a reaction, something they wouldn´t forget as soon as the next video came on. I always thought that if our music or imagery pissed someone off, or made them want to puke in their mouths that would be a way better reaction than indifference."
Mortiis had previously discussed making a video that would be one straight seen of self-mutilation but always knew the powers that be would put the kibosh on it. When he connected with Von Swank to discuss filming "Doppelganger," self-mutilation was naturally the first topic.
