About us

More information about Dante Hartmann's Project

Learn more about the project, its creators, and its purpose.

Dante Hartmann's Project is an independent project, created by a Brazilian who prefers to remain partially anonymous for now.

The project leader is, among other things, a software developer by profession, but for years he had a project to write progressive rock lyrics. He created several lyrics and even some arrangements and melodies, but they never made it out into the world because the author did not master instruments well enough to venture confidently into the world of music. Now, with the help of AI, it has become possible to turn the lyrics and rustic compositions into reality.

Although the melodies, vocals, and arrangements rely heavily on AI assistance, the lyrics are and always will be 100% human, organic, composed BY HUMANS and FOR HUMANS.

Perhaps in the future, on the third or fourth album, the project leader will introduce his voice to the world. At the moment, he does not feel confident enough for that and prefers to stay behind the scenes, focusing on writing lyrics and structure, and somewhat on melodies and arrangements.

Style and Influences

The musical style of Dante Hartmann's Project varies between Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal.

But since the very definition of "Progressive" in these two styles includes, by itself, experimentation, a broad spectrum of styles and "weights", within Dante Hartmann's Project's body of work you will find songs of the most varied forms, from sweet lullabies to hard rock.

In Dante Hartmann's Project's work you will recognize strong influences from:

• Dream Theater: long instrumental solos and time signature changes;
• Jim Steinman: Power ballads, songs with soft beginnings and powerful choruses;
• Alan Parsons Project: easy-listening songs;
• Pink Floyd: songs with deep reflections.

Also: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Savatage.

The Name

The name Dante Hartmann's Project was chosen for the project for several reasons.

Dante because it is a more universal name, with almost uniform pronunciation in any Western language, whether English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian... unlike the project leader's real name.

Furthermore, Dante honors the poet/writer Dante Alighieri, a poet, writer, and philosopher who went to heaven and hell to write his most famous work, The Divine Comedy.

As Dante Hartmann's Project's work varies greatly between upbeat and positive songs (heaven) and depressive songs (hell), as well as the project leader's mood and life phases, the name Dante fits very well.

Hartmann's comes from the project leader's real surname. Is it hard to spell? A little. But since the work itself, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, is a niche within a niche, aimed at a specific audience that doesn't mind following bands and singers with international names, like "Meshuggah", "Schaliach", "Vildhjarta", and "Vard#f8;ger", then "Hartmann" wouldn't be a major obstacle.

And Project serves both as a tribute to one of the project leader's favorite bands, Alan Parsons Project, and also to establish that this is a project.

Establishing that each album is a unique project gives the freedom to experiment. Just like Alan Parsons Project, where each album is different from the other, with the possibility of changing the style, vocalists, theme, reinforcing the Project in the band's name reinforces this idea.

Dante Hartmann's Project is quite focused on thematic albums, with profound themes, in English, on most tracks with male vocalists. But it may, one day, want to release an album of romantic songs in the Brazilian country style, or a romantic single in Spanish.

The Logo

Dante Hartmann's Project logo synthesizes the essence of the project.

The concentric circles represent both the circles of heaven, hell, and purgatory described in Dante Alighieri's work, and also form the five lines of a musical staff. The musical symbols present reinforce this idea.

The inner circles are incomplete to give a sense of more lightness in one part, and also to reinforce that on the outside, we may seem strong and complete, but inside, we are always incomplete, we always have our flaws and weaknesses.

The inverted fire represents both hell, also from The Divine Comedy, and heat, deep, burning, and even painful feelings, represented in the band's work.

The eagle's head represents both the union of good souls (also a reference to Dante Alighieri's work), as well as freedom and height, strength, of the songs in the band's work.

The chosen font looks both modern and ancient, representing both the poet Dante's work and the modernity of Dante Hartmann's Project, reminding us that Art, when done with feeling, is timeless.