The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Tommaso Santillo of Solar Mantra

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

Well, it could sound trivial but what I do with Solar Mantra is just boosting the feeling that every common man or woman, normally experience in their daily routine. We amplify rage, frustration, love, disappointment, excitement, revenge, sex, even perversion… everything that naturally flows from everyone’s spirit. Every hidden secret of our souls. Doing it, it’s a way to face all the secret and darkest sides of ourselves.

Describe your first musical memory.

My Father’s aunt was a professional piano player and she used to have a white piano in her house, locked in her “music room”. Me and my cousins were not allowed to enter that room and to touch that piano. I have always been attracted by forbidden things and that piano was (super) forbidden. My first music memory it’s me playing a forbidden piano in a forbidden room. An iconic combination of music, joy and revolution.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Wow… that is super hard!… Probably when I had the chance to see SRV live at Pistoia Blues. Many years ago. 1988 I guess. I’m still trembling.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

I don’t have any strong belief in my life to be tested. I have opinions, points of view that can change with me, with my evolution as human being. Every day I get older and wiser and something changes in me. I’m not schizophrenic at all but every day is different and I have to be different to face the day. Bruce Lee used to say: “be water my friend” and I’m water. Here it is, probably, my only strong belief and I test it every day.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Without any mince words: art leads to self consciousness.

How do you define success?

Success is to be recognized. Success is having the chance to express yourself and make it your priority in life. No matter if you lie or if you make fun of your audience, if you are honest or if you show a stereotyped image of yourself, success is when people believe in you and you can draw nourishment from that trust.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

My father’s death.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

It’s ambitious but, one day, I’d love to create a perfect soundtrack for a movie. I love movies and I love the magic combination between music and images. Just to be precise: images don’t have to explain music and music mustn’t explain images: they both bring a unique feeling, a unique suggestion. That’s why they have to be created together at the same time like a twinning.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

I believe that art is a kind of magic. Something that make our essence to come out and rise through all the different layers of falsehood, homologation and appearance. the real spiritual link between human beings.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Nothing. To me, music is everywhere, in everything.

www.facebook.com/SolarMantraStoner
https://solarmantrastoner.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/solarmantra_band/
www.argonautarecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords/
https://www.instagram.com/argonautarecords/

Solar Mantra, Away (2021)

Roman heavy rockers Solar Mantra will release their debut long-player, Away, through Argonauta Records on Sept. 3. It follows behind the band’s 2018 self-titled EP and in addition to capping with an eponymous track in the seven-minute “Solar Mantra,” Away boasts punch after punch of heavy grooves and rough attitude, brashness and burl making their presence felt on lead cut “Stone Rider” and the subsequent bruiser “Pacciani” and holding sway for duration, even as songs like “This Iz” tap into Constellation-era Alabama Thunderpussy-esque Southern heavy and “Crown” touches on doom in its melody.

Along the way, “Candy Man” and “Hurricane” and “Mazinga” brim with festival-ready vitality as Francesco Carretti‘s riffs set the patterns given heft and movement through Simone Bianchini‘s drums and Federico “Quattro” Lombardi‘s bass, solos liberally strewn about the proceedings to offset the verses and choruses from frontman Tommaso Santillo, whose gruff voice proves malleable throughout to the various builds and progressions of the tracks, more laid back in the early going of “Monster of the Deep” and belting out the final hook later. Wild guess, but some beer may have been consumed during the making of Away.

Their songs are neither revolutionary nor unwelcome. An able execution of genre, they tap into late ’90s and early ’00s stoner vibes without sounding either too much like Kyuss or Clutch, and as a first full-length — and a long one at 52 minutes/11 tracks — there’s no point at which Away feels disengaged from its central aesthetic purpose, which is unpretentious even as “Solar Mantra” hits into some more complex melodic fare and near-psychedelic guitar work. Rock for rockers? With the trades between double-time hi-hat tension and riffy strut, it’s hard to think of “Hard as a Stone” any other way.

And even the penultimate ‘Snake,” which is more severe in its riff, holds itself to the standard the band have by then well set, balancing aggression and groove in a way that feels aware of the style it’s playing toward but unforced despite that. That is to say, first record or not, new-ish lineup or not, Solar Mantra come across as having every idea of what they want their material to do, and that’s what Away brings to life. They hit it hard, with due vitality, and ask little of the listener more than coming along for the trip. The vibe will be familiar, and so will the choruses by the time you’re through the record a couple times.

The video — watch for Santillo‘s eyeliner to come and go — for “Stone Rider” is premiering below, followed by more info from the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

Solar Mantra, “Stone Rider” video premiere

September 3, 2021 will see Roman stoner rockers SOLAR MANTRA to release their first full- length album through Argonauta Records.

The band, who formed in 2017, takes its listener on a wild fuzz rock trip into a psychedelic wonderland. With their catchy yet powerful and heavily groovy stoner sound, the Italian four-piece creates a revitalizing vibe that is immediately evident. From the crushing album opener “Stone Rider” to the equal bracing, grande finale “Solar Mantra”, Away unleashes eleven gritty and hooking songs that deliver the perfect soundtrack for a roadtrip in the sun!

“Away is the result of a new creativity vein that came from the new line up, since 2019, with Francesco on guitar and Federico on bass,” says vocalist Tommaso Santillo. “The different influences from our first EP created a new sound and groove that comes to light on our new album “Away”.

The leitmotif is the hypocrisy of the appearance, about the difference between our real emotions, feelings, beliefs, opinions and what we want or we are forced to show in this “over-ruled” social environment. The artwork expresses the will to escape from this black hole of social rules and regulations towards the inspiriting light of the sun… in one word: “Away”.”

Release: September 3, 2021 – Argonauta Records Formats: CD + Digital.

Tracklist:
1. Stone Rider
2. Pacciani
3. Candyman
4. Monster From The Abyss
5. Mazinga
6. Thiz Iz
7. Hard As A Stone
8. Crown
9. Hurricane
10. The Snake
11. Solar Mantra

Solar Mantra is:
Tommaso Santillo (vocals)
Francesco Carretti (guitar)
Federico “Quattro” Lombardi (bass)
Simone Bianchini (drums)

Solar Mantra on Facebook

Solar Mantra on Instagram

Solar Mantra on Bandcamp

Argonauta Records website

It’ll probably be a 2020 release by the time we get there, but Solar Mantra‘s full-length debut — whenever it happens — will be made under the regularly-expanding banner of Argonauta Records. I’ve said on multiple occasions that Argonauta have done well in remembering to support native-Italian heavy even as its reach has expanded well beyond its home country, and Solar Mantra represent yet another side of that, bringing psychedelic turns to swinging groove and capping off with a Roman energy that seems to show up regardless of how fast a given song is actually moving. They made their debut last year with a self-titled EP that you can stream below, and while I don’t know if any of those songs will be re-used on the impending long-player, they’d only be welcome if so, particularly if they managed to keep the same bass tone. That’s pretty tasty.

The PR wire brings the signing announcement from Argonauta:

SOLAR MANTRA inks worldwide deal with Argonauta Records!

Italian fuzz rockers, Solar Mantra, have signed a worldwide record deal with Argonauta Records, the powerhouse label and home for Sludge, Doom, Blackened and Stoner Metal bands such as Mammoth Storm, Ancient Vvisdom, High Fighter, Kal-El, Destroyer of Light and many more.

Solar Mantra was born in Rome in 2017. Since then, their deep fuzzy sound creates a unique and powerful experience, taking their ever-growing fanbase on a special trip into a psychedelic wonderland. Countless live performances lead the band along a desert path across Europe to spread its stoner soul all around, Solar Mantra have shared prestigious stages with acts such as Banquet, The Well, Tuna de Tierra, Fvzz Popvli, Fuzzalicious among many more. With their heavy riffs and an excellent psychedelic mood in their sound, the four-piece caught Argonauta Records’ attention and have proudly inked a worldwide record deal. Says Argonauta owner Gero Lucisano:

“When I hear those typical sonorities made of big fuzzy riffs, it’s just a matter of time before I get overwhelmed by the songs of the band. Undefined latitudes of desert landscapes is what the music of SOLAR MANTRA makes you thinking about. And a touch of psychedelic space imagery gives the final mark to the exciting sound of the band. Listening to their songs is like to see an ancient druid surfing across the planets and we really can’t wait to share with you all their new material!”

Stay tunes for many more details, first album news and tunes to be unveiled soon!

Solar Mantra is:
Lupus Dei – Vocals
Fabio Teragnoli – Bass
Simone Bianchini – Drums
Carlo Loffredo – Guitar

www.facebook.com/SolarMantraStoner
https://solarmantrastoner.bandcamp.com
www.argonautarecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords/
https://www.instagram.com/argonautarecords/

Solar Mantra, Solar Mantra EP (2018)