The 2025 DOBBELTGJENGER album "Master Of Failure" is a captivating and creative exploration of mastering the art of failure. Written by Vegard Wikne, the driving force behind the band, the album emerges from his treatment for mental health issues. For Wikne, who also works as a music therapist, the album serves as a therapeutic process.
“This album was created during the same period as our previous release ‘The Twins’ and proved to be immensely cathartic for me during a challenging time. It’s honest and it explicitly addresses diagnoses, substance abuse issues, and other still-taboo subjects. This openness is intentional, aiming to combat the unnecessary shame often associated with mental health struggles. The themes of shame and a wounded self-image resulting from ‘failure’ are prominent throughout the album. It’s often easier to tread the paths we’ve walked many times before than to forge new ones. This is at the heart of the album,” says Wikne.
Musically, Dobbeltgjenger has teamed up with pop producer Eirik Hella (Moyka, Michelle Ullestad) to further develop their unique and eclectic sound. The result is a cohesive alternative pop/rock album characterised by energetic synths, understated acoustic guitars, and a prominently featured, multifaceted vocal performance. The album cover features the famous "Penrose stairs" illusion, where the stairs never end, and one finds themselves in an endless loop. This visual metaphor resonates throughout the album's structure, which begins and ends with two versions of the same song, hinting at the recurring feeling of returning to where one started.