Victor Bongiovanni^CA/QC

Born in Paris to Italian and Eastern European parents, Victor Bongiovanni soon relocated to Montréal, where he found his home in the city’s club scene. After a decade as a respected figure of Montréal’s vibrant musical scene, namely under his club alias Rosewater Ctz and as part of organic pop trio Paradis artificiel alongside fellow Montréalers Ouri and Odile Myrtil, Victor Bongiovanni now shifts his focus to his ambitions as a solo artist and producer.

In this new chapter, the multi-instrumentalist turns fragments of his alternative, experimental and pop influences into deeply intimate and vulnerable compositions. The recipe is such: entrancing pop melodies, driving drums breaks and vibrant textures. The resulting soundscape depicts a fragile, decaying utopia existing somewhere between fantasy and recollection. Hot off the 2019 release of Paradis Artificiel’s eponymous album, Bongiovanni’s solo productions now showcase his guitar skills as a pivotal element.

In his latest EP titled Dissociaterr, Bongiovanni sings about past selves and new beginnings. The project is carried by stumbling drums and entrancing arpeggiated guitars that play throughout. Adding another layer of vulnerability, the artist’s whispery distant vocals feel both introspective and passionate. In this dreamy pop-infused offering, ambiguity becomes transparency, which in turn shows Bongiovanni in a whole new light.

No stranger to MUTEK, Victor Bongiovanni will make his solo debut on the festival stage at l’esplanade Tranquille by presenting a live performance consisting of recontextualized experimentations of his existing productions; using stems and edits of his original material combined with his own vocals and guitar skills, the performance will evolve through sections of ambient noise, club music, and alternative psychedelia.