Doomed Confessionary: Damiano Signorelli (Vantre)
Photos by Alessandro Manna
Based in Paris, France, Vantre avoids its post-pandemic depression by travelling away from pre-defined frames, re-defining their melody. A band without vocals, which mixes math-rock, shoegaze and stoner with two bass guitars and drums. Vantre is an independent creature which breathes noise and dissonance, a mind-blowing rythmic experience, a never-explored planet.
Vantre is Damiano Signorelli (bass), Yann Le Tallec (bass) and Côme Huveline (drums).
Can you say a few words about your band?
Vantre is first and foremost a joke between friends, we said to ourselves: let’s make it weird, and it worked!
We created the project in late 2021, an instrumental band with 2 basses and drums that mixes all the alternative music genres that make us sick. We composed, recorded and mixed it quickly at home. Since then, the main rule has been to go fast, to do things ourselves, and not to get bogged down in the bullshit rules that the music world imposes.
What was the biggest challenge for the band last year?
Our biggest challenge was to compose and defend our new title »Sanji«. It’s a long track lasting over 15 minutes, and we composed it like a scenario, based on an absurd story. It’s not easy to play for so long without going round in circles and boring your audience. We’re very happy with the result: we had a lot to say, a lot of sound to explore, and it taught us to take our time and not rush. You have to listen to the whole track to understand 😉
What can you be most proud of last year?
We’ve released 2 EPs, played quite a few live shows and met some extraordinary people – not bad for our second year of existence!
What was your biggest regret?
We have no regrets at the moment, we just wish we had more time to produce, research and dream. There should be more hours in the day!
What was the best concert/tour this year and why?
We released Sanji on November 10, accompanied by a release party at the Cirque Electrique in Paris on November 16, as well as 2 other dates at L’Accueil Froid in Amiens (FR) (organized by Samara Stoner Session) and Le Narval in Cherbourg (FR). It’s been an incredibly enriching time, an excellent human experience, and I’d like to thank the organizers (François, Léo, Max, Camille) for all their hard work, the bands with whom we shared the stage (Parlor, Sala Bestia, Mad Act, Midsund…) and the public who gave us so many kind words.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Today’s scene is rich and original, created by bands from all over the world.
If I had to single out 1 band in particular, it would be King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. Very few bands in the history of music have managed to produce so much, in such a short space of time, in such an eclectic and original way.
They’ve managed to break codes, recompose them, rewrite them…and they’re all younger than me! It’s beautiful, and gives us great hope for the future.
In France, despite its bad reputation for rock (and the like), we’ve got a lot of surprises, just to name a few: Slift, Birds In Row, Lysistrata, The Psychotic Monks, Mars Red Sky and thousands of others who are defending alternative and niche music today.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We’re currently working on booking dates and tours for 2024, so keep an eye on us for the next dates!
What are your plans for this year as a band? What do you personally want the most?
We’ve got a lot of ideas written down and locked away in drawers, and the first few months of this year will be spent putting them all together to release our first album. Will we make it? Most probably!
How can people best support you?
For independent bands like ours, the best way to support us is to come to shows and have a good time letting go, buying merch and our music on Bandcamp. For concert organizers around the world, know that independent music needs you, don’t be afraid of madness, of expression, bring in passionate people!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Support the culture of creation, performance, and passion in any field. Music is not just made of notes but also of emotions that can be conveyed in many different ways. Be attentive to anything that goes against these fundamental principles. Find a way to fight against what is artificial, soulless, and sold for commercial purposes. Support the artists who are hungry to continue creating and feel free to do so as they wish!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well