Establishing a mood with the frequency of thunder, followed by glistening celestial detailing, Mortal Prophets opens his debut single, Stomp The Devil with atmosphere and mystery, as he dedicates a megaphone vocal intro to “all the demons in hell”.
Stomp The Devil expands into an art rock, alternative immersive energy as our protagonist delivers thought-provoking lyricism and the captivating hook of the song.
Mortal Prophets, who is also known as artist John Beckmann, has released the opus with a cerebral and subversive music video, filmed at Untermyer Park and Gardens.
Speaking on the meaning of the track, Beckmann tells us, “Music functions as a form of exorcism; ghosts seem to slip in from the past to commune with us in the present, so for me, the song and video for Stomp The Devil represent everyone’s inner demons that we each have to struggle with in our own personal ways. Yet there is an irony in that struggle, which is also mirrored in the song.”
The video sees Mortal Prophets deliver a hypnotizing performance whilst being wheeled thorough the location by two enigmatic figures. Michele Civetta who directed the video says, “The Mortal Prophets video is a detour into the realm of a certain form of post-modern gothic. It is almost a sci-fi expansive space with shadows of the past blurring into a post-apocalyptic future”.
Beckmann cites pre-war blues legends such as Lead Belly, Blind Willie Johnson, Charley Patton and Robert Johnson as influences along with the experimental ethos of German Electronica, groups such as Neu!, Cluster, Harmonia, Brian Eno, David Bowie and Suicide, although it is clear that Mortal Prophets is creating a universe of his own.
“I’m very interested in building up a deep sonic atmosphere”, explains Beckmann. “There’s a certain uncanny quality to the music as well, one that reflects my love of German cinema from the ’20s, Werner Herzog, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Kenneth Anger… films that possess magic”, the rising artist elaborates on his conceptual imagining.
We have added Stomp The Devil to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we stream his other single Nobody Knows, and await more magic from Mortal Prophets!