"there's always an easy way out, what are you talking about..."
On the nail biting Official Video for "Il Capitano" by London based VANT, the musical moniker of Sunderland born Mattie Vant, Mattie is strapped to a 1940 Stearman Biplane (wing walker style) as it flies over the Cotswolds. The thought, quite frankly, upsets my stomach but it does show the level of commitment or 'crazy' that Mattie infuses in his art or pushing his art. I absolutely love "Il Capitano" so much that I would of been happy if Mattie was sitting in the back of a pick up truck or in his living room but the video is a trip, a scary one.
"Il Capitano" is from VANT's third full length "Extinction Ballads" dropping on all platforms on November 12th, 2021 and is full of so many elements full of delightful sonic sounds. It is, oddly, yet brilliantly built on a sort of lo-fi (Casio-fied maybe) sound and a big bottom bass and drum rhythm with Mattie vocal aesthetic shaped some by a vintage Yamaha VSS-30 Vocal Sampler as "The lyrics flick between 1st & 2nd person perspectives as the narrator struggles to deal with his own irrational thoughts in times of crisis" as the title is a reference to a character from “Commedia Dell'Arte”.
What engages me, moves me, ultimately here is Mattie's utterly captivating vocal melodies, the divergent sonic narrative he employs like the wonderful acoustic enhancements that have a kind of Beatles-esque sway, the downturns that give way to wonderful ascensions exhibited in his amazing layered vocals. This is the kind of song that if you listen to before drifting off to sleep will surely inject wild and whimsically sad, hopeful dreams that might just make your everyday existence feel less than it should be.
-Robb Donker Curtius
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Sunderland-born Mattie Vant has already had his fair share of highs and lows. After tentatively starting his solo career in Brighton, he moved to London and wrote his first record ‘DUMB BLOOD’ in response to contemporary British rock music’s lack of political engagement. As VANT began to take shape, Mattie worked at the notorious Dalston music venue, “Birthdays”, serving such clientele as Harry Styles, Frank Ocean, Neneh Cherry and Michael Stipe. It was in the basement of this nightclub that VANT’s foundations were built, rehearsing there with bandmates recruited from a mixture of staff and punters. The grassroots artist soon built momentum and after only a handful of gigs attracted the cheque books of every major label executive in the country. Parlophone, who started the frenzy, eventually landed Mattie’s signature and kick-started a whirlwind two year journey from five consecutive “BBC R1 Hottest Record(s) In The World” to main stage festival appearances at Fuji Rock, Governor’s Ball, Lollapalooza, Reading & Leeds, Best Kept Secret, Øya and Pukklepop.
After parting ways with the record label, sustaining VANT in its current incarnation became financially impossible and Mattie was forced to reconsider his options. The music industry along with the political landscape had drastically shifted in this short period, and Mattie became increasingly disenfranchised, his characteristic optimism tested by the double blow of Brexit and Trump. Mattie began exploring new ways of creating music, spending the following summer in LA gathering material for what would become his polarising, second record “Conceived In The Sky”. Like the climate, Mattie’s sound had been radicalised. Reinstating himself as the DIY solo artist he once was, the hip-hop inspired, sample infused sophomore effort confused and delighted his fanbase in equal amounts. 30 million streams and two sold-out tours later the world was put on hold as Covid 19 struck. With the resulting international restrictions and festival cancellations, the pandemic left Mattie like many other artists, in a precarious position.
Mattie took refuge in his studio, The Lightly Padded Cell, that he had built the year before in a run down local warehouse, finally realising an idea he had only flirted with in the past; writing, performing and producing an album entirely on his own. The result is “Extinction Ballads”, a lo-fi classic and his most personal record to date. Inspired by Renaissance news reporting, 16th Century Italian Theatre and the work of Mark Linkous, the album is a voyeuristic browse through a philosophy undergrad’s part-auto-biographical, existentially-dread tinged search history. But that's not to say it isn’t a fun record, Mattie’s witty lyrical form and tongue in cheek sensibilities permeate the doom scrolling. While stylistically the music continues to transform, the subject matter remains as a poignant commentary on world matters.
Mattie continues to host a weekly radio show called “DUMB NARRATOR” which sees him play a selection of his favourite songs and interview guests such as Blood Red Shoes, EXUM, The Pale White, Devon & Nancy. He also interacts with fans through an Instagram live show called “Let The People Talk” which gives people a platform to discuss important issues and offers an informal support system for people struggling with the current state of affairs. A world tour is in the pipeline and with new found confidence, creative independence and a general “fuck it” mentality, VANT 3.0 looks set to finally take Mattie to the heights he’s been shooting for since his acclaimed debut.
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