Unpacking ‘Imaginary Cinema’ with John Beckmann: The man behind MORTAL PROPHETS reveals all about late-blossoming projects and his fresh experimental soundscape HANUSSEN
Songwriter Portrait: Mortal Prophets
Starting his musical journey in the thriving counter-cultural environment of 1980s post-punk New York, John Beckmann is now releasing his intriguing collaborative compositions to the world as Mortal Prophets. Since 2021 he has been busy working on many experimental projects. He tells SoundSight Mag all about his sonic odyssey and the latest quirky installment ‘HANUSSEN An Opera’. n
With a strong Andy Warhol aesthetic vibe going on, it’s no surprise that John Beckmann (now releasing music as Mortal Prophets) spent much of his former years immersed in the 1980s and 90s NYC new wave/post-punk scenes. Growing up in Rockaway, New Jersey, as a youngster John would sneak into The Showplace to see groups like Devo, The Ramones, The Misfits, The Cramps and David Johansen before moving to New York to attend design school, as well as buzzing venues like Mudd Club, Danceteria and Area.
“I was lucky to be part of that, it was a very exciting time to be in New York, there was an incredible synergy between the music and visual art worlds that I don’t think exists right now.”
John actually wrote and recorded his first piece of music as early as the mid-80s, a song entitled Insects produced by Roli Mossimann – who was known for working with the likes of Yello, Einstürzende Neubauten, Jim Foetus and The The.
The tape recording sat on his shelf for decades before he decided to digitise it in 2020 for preservation. John then reworked the original – which featured the Swans guitarist Norman Westberg, Nick Marden (the painter Brice Marden‘s son) on bass, and Roli on electronics and percussion – with other musicians in Brooklyn, and a new musical chapter in his life was born…Mortal Prophets. This track is now released under Accidental Strangers Insects | Redux.
“I’m mixing things up now—the new material that will be coming out varies from what I call ‘Imaginary Cinema’, experimental soundscapes geared towards film, alternative rock, darkwave to dream pop. They’ve got this lush electronic vibe running through them.”
As Mortal Prophets, John is always writing and working on a number of projects at once, with this persistent work ethic being a vital component to his creative practice.
“I’m always working on a mix of projects, each moving at its own pace. Some ideas come to life quickly. Others unfold more gradually.The key for me is persistence — I’m constantly working. It’s vital to how I create.”
Being somewhat of an expert multitasker has culminated in quite an astonishing number of releases over the last 2 years – with 36 singles and EPs, and 4 full albums released since May 2022 – the latest being an otherworldly film soundscape HANUSSEN The Enigmatic Clairvoyant: An Opera.
This latest addition to his discography incorporates both dreamy otherworldly vibes underpinned by a mild sinister tone throughout. This perhaps isn’t surprising given it’s based around notable psychic and mentalist in 1920s Berlin Erik Jan Hanussen – a mystical and controversial figure whose prediction of the Reichstag fire in 1933 as well as Hitler’s rise to power earned him his clairvoyance.
“He was Jewish, and yet he collaborated with the Nazis to some extent. He predicted the Reichstag fire in 1933, so that and other predictions such as Hitler’s rise to power brought him a great deal of notoriety. I’ve tried to channel this in the music.”
This long opera soundtrack – including prologue, interlude and epilogue tracks; as well as 8 different act songs – is a mix of dark eerie tunes alongside some quite ethereal futuristic sounds. Generally John’s latest piece reflects both the seer-like nature of Erik Hanussen and the eclectic experimental themes of Mortal Prophets’ broader catalogue. If you’re a producer or music supervisor making an Erik Hanussen opera or film…here is your soundtrack! As I listen to the final Epilogue track, I can vividly imagine the credits rolling; a genuinely brilliant use of synths, piano and violins end with an energetic and coherent finale.
John certainly isn’t writing and releasing music for commercial motivations, attributing the liberating and intuitive nature of his writing to the fact it is “somewhat free of market considerations.” citing it as an antithesis to his design business – which due to the fact it is a business involving clients, of course must involve compromises to creativity.
“Making music is a very liberating experience for me, I do believe it’s the highest art form, one based on pure vibration. Paintings don’t make you dance, or cry very often, if ever.”
The unwavering volume and consistency with which Mortal Prophets music is being released is certainly not slowing down any time soon – with 2024 in fact the most productive year yet for John. Could the almost 100 total songs across numerous albums, EPs and singles being released this year be somewhat of a peak in his compositional journey? As he suggests, his high output is simply making up for decades of lost time.
