After seven years since DIRTY WHITE KING (Overdrive, 2017),
Captain Mantell’s music returns to explore the mysteries of this world and beyond.

Founded in 2006 by singer Tommaso Mantelli and inspired by the eerie story of Captain Thomas F. Mantell Jr. (the first pilot to die while chasing an UFO), Captain Mantell has evolved over nearly 20 years, taking the stage at major national and international festivals, sharing the spotlight with artists like The Chemical Brothers and Mouse On Mars. Now, with a new lineup that expands the project from a trio to a quartet, Captain Mantell returns with 10 fierce new tracks of wild power-rock-n-roll.

A Reflection on the Human and the Non-Human

HUMAN OR NOT, Captain Mantell’s latest album, is an ironic and disenchanted journey through contemporary life. With themes of artificial intelligence, unidentified objects, messages from deep space, and otherworldly entities, the 10 tracks offer a sharp perspective on humanity’s condition and its relationship with what is not human.

HUMAN OR NOT presents a collection of 10 gripping songs that range from obsessive grooves to punk-pop anthems, with hints of
post-punk and fuzzy rock’n’roll influences. Each track features intricate melodies and high-voltage energy.
What does the future hold? Will we become prisoners of a screen (LIVING IN A VIDEO) or perhaps worship a UFO (MAKING NIGHT DAY)? Amid sci-fi synths and massive guitars, Captain Mantell remains true to its signature mood while embracing fresh influences, particularly through the single MIRACLE MOJO, a track that instantly lodges itself in your memory with its hypnotic “voodoo mantra.”

Musical Legacy and New Formation

With HUMAN OR NOT, Captain Mantell builds upon the legacy of its earlier work, bringing together the dynamic sound evolution that has defined the project from Long Way Pursuit (2007) to Dirty White King (2017).
Over the years, Captain Mantell’s sound has shifted with each album, thanks to the ever-changing lineup, and one of the most significant updates in HUMAN OR NOT is the new quartet format, expanding the sound in exciting ways.

Tommaso Mantelli – Captain Mantell (guitar, vocals)
(Il Teatro degli Orrori, Sick Tamburo, LinguaSerpente)

Roberto Olivotto – Major BD (drums)
(Sick Tamburo, LinguaSerpente, Serpe in Seno)

Andrea Lombardini – Commodore Lo (bass)
(Cenobium, Bunuel, The Framers, poLo…)

Sergio Orso – Starship Officer Ursus (violin)
(Superportua)

The violin, manipulated to create unique sounds, replaces synthesizers and saxophones as the defining element of this new formation.

Collaborations and Artwork

The album also features special guest appearances, including Elli de Mon, who lends her voice to SPARRING PARTNER, and Leslie in the Cloud, who enriches the chorus of MONKEY ROBOTS.

The album’s artwork, created by longtime collaborator eeviac, is an essential part of the concept: using stereoscopic vision, it highlights the duality between the human and the non-human—an idea that runs through the entire record. This duality will also define the visual identity of HUMAN OR NOT, from merchandise to projections during live shows. The experience will become immersive, with 3D glasses handed out to the audience and included with each physical album.

Production

HUMAN OR NOT was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Lesder Studio, owned by Tommaso Mantelli, the mystical shell of the universe he’s created as Captain Mantell. This album emerged from a spontaneous flow and a tightly-knit lineup that had already collaborated on Mantelli’s solo side project 14 Dinosaur Songs (Shyrec, 2021). The previous synergy between band members helped capture an explosive energy, transforming the album’s intricate sound into an experience that promises to maintain its intensity in live performances.

HUMAN OR NOT is poised to be a musical gem, captivating listeners and taking them on a unique sonic journey without losing any of its raw creative power.

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In 2006 Captain Mantell started his interstellar musical journey inspired by a curious coincidence of names. Tommaso Mantelli, the band’s lead singer, shares his name with Captain Thomas F. Mantell Jr., a pilot whose mysterious death during a UFO pursuit deeply influenced the band’s creative direction.

By 2024, Captain Mantell has navigated the turbulent waters of indie music as a trio (drums, bass, synth at first, drums, guitar, sax later) and now expands to include violin. With one foot in the past and the other thrusting towards the future, Captain Mantell has always been known for innovative sounds—a fusion of pop, rock, and electronic that has been developed across six albums released through labels like Irma Records, Kiver, Record Kicks, Dischi Bervisti, and Overdrive. Their unconventional recording methods and experimental techniques have produced a dynamic, ever-evolving sonic experience, led by Tommaso Mantelli’s distinctive voice as storyteller and frontman.

Throughout their journey, Captain Mantell has shared the stage with acts like The Chemical Brothers, The Klaxons, Mouse On Mars, White Rose Movement, and many more, performing at major festivals such as Heineken Jamming Festival (main stage), Sonisphere, and Neapolis Festival, as well as cities across Europe, including London, Berlin, Amsterdam, and The Hague.

With its boundless energy, Captain Mantell’s music is an interstellar voyage beyond the familiar, into a universe of sounds where anything is possible.

…And who knows what might come next.

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Discography
Dirty White King – LP (2017)
Bliss – LP (2014)
7TIMES7 – Serial Video EP (2012)
Ground Lift – LP (2011)
Rest In Space – LP (2010)
Long Way Pursuit – LP (2007)

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Contact: captainmantell@gmail.com +39 3474754302