Her Instagram bio reads: “being hot is overrated I wanna be angelic.” Funny, isn’t it? Well, it’s actually an ironic way to break free from stereotypes that women have to put up with. “The fact that I’m ‘hot’ shouldn’t matter more to you than the fact that I have a brain. It’s unfair that, in order to have my thoughts taken seriously, I would have to fit into this angelic image,” Yoniro tells us in this exclusive interview.
Today, the singer releases QNTM, an EP that explores topics like technology, spirituality, or feminism. “The lyrics of the EP are built around concepts from quantum physics, a topic I’m deeply connected to, especially because of its philosophical implications,” he says. Yoniro is also deeply connected to music: even though she first got more interested in dancing, she later on decided that music making was her calling. And she studied for it seriously: she attended the Conservatory, graduated from Music Theory, but then also delved into contemporary genres like hip-hop.
With such a well-rounded formation, she’s been crafting her sound for the past ten years. It was her previous EP, H e a v e n s (2021) that allowed her “to fully break away from my old production. Through this EP, I truly understood where I wanted to go, how I felt performing those tracks, and how others felt listening to them.” Today we speak with Yoniro about religion, art as politics, and her new record.
Hi Yoniro, it’s a pleasure to speak with you. What is one of your earliest memories related to music that you recall?
Hi Arnau! My earliest memory related to music dates back to when I was about four or five years old. I was in the living room at home, and the movie Patch Adams was on TV. In one particular scene, Beethoven’s Für Elise was playing. That melancholic and sad melody became an obsession for me, and from that moment, I started dreaming about playing music one day.
Before delving into music, you were mostly into dancing. How do you think that discipline influences, still today, the way you approach making music?
Dance has had a huge impact on my music journey. I’ve always studied dance, but the turning point came around my second year of high school. I was at a dance competition, and I saw a group of dancers performing contemporary dance to a track by Apparat. Before that, I had never really been exposed to experimental electronic music. It was another epiphany for me. I ended up leaving my school to study with them. From that moment on, I had the chance to fully immerse myself, both mentally and physically, in electronic music.
You studied the piano and graduated in Music Theory, but later got more interested in hip-hop and DJing. So your journey as an artist has shifted from one place to another seamlessly. What do you think this rich and varied education contributes to your creative process?
This shift also happened thanks to dance. I had grown tired of the Conservatory, both physically and mentally, so I decided to spend my last years of high school studying all types of dance, including hip-hop. We didn’t just study the techniques but also the history and culture behind each discipline, so I fell in love with Turntablism on vinyls. At one point, I even started thinking about joining the Zulu Nation one day.
All of this had a huge impact on my music production, and I think you can clearly hear every influence in it. I believe that’s why it took me almost ten years to build my own sound, but in the end, when you listen to what I create with my team, you can tell it’s somehow unique.
All of this had a huge impact on my music production, and I think you can clearly hear every influence in it. I believe that’s why it took me almost ten years to build my own sound, but in the end, when you listen to what I create with my team, you can tell it’s somehow unique.
Just a year ago you released the EP H e a v e n s. And now you’re back with QNTM. What learnings did you take from that first record that have applied into the new one? And what have you done differently?
H e a v e n s has been the project that allowed me to fully break away from my old production, especially my Italian album. Through this EP, I truly understood where I wanted to go, how I felt performing those tracks, and how others felt listening to them. It allowed me to let go of my last fears and work on QNTM, knowing exactly what I wanted to hear. QNTM is the evolution of H e a v e n s — the sound is more refined, and nothing can be misunderstood anymore.
What does QNTM stand for? Is the title an acronym?
QNTM stands for Quantum. The lyrics of the EP are built around concepts from quantum physics, a topic I’m deeply connected to, especially because of its philosophical implications.
The first single off of the EP is 143. Back in the ‘90s, it was a shortcut to say ‘I love you’ to someone via text message. Is there any relationship to that? You were born in 1994, so you lived the boom of social media in your teens, from Fotolog to MSN Messenger.
My entire work revolves around the overarching theme of technology. I believe that both my lyrics and sound make it clear that I’m a millennial. As a result, I carry with me the chromatic melancholy of our times, and I express it by integrating these influences into my music.
In Paradigma, you write about “a new mode of relationship, different from one based on distrust.” Tell us more about how this came to be, and what does this new mode of relationship consist of.
The truth is that this track was originally meant to be a collaboration. I was in the studio with another artist, and her experiences in the music industry had given her significant trust issues. As I listened to her vent about these topics, I immediately thought it would be powerful to dismantle those ideas and create a new paradigm where we could trust the people in front of us. The new paradigm would be exactly that: not seeing others through the lens of past wounds, but believing once again that we can rely on each other.
Your music shows your disscontempt with several aspects of society, from patriarchy (especially your hit single Bambina Bambolina) to the loss of trust in building relationships. Would you say you use it as a political platform, as well a private diary where you pour your thoughts?
I believe that all art is political. I also think that art is a form of catharsis for the individual, not only in relation to the inner struggles of personal relationships but also to the times we live in, and the social conditions we experience. Inevitably, my music reflects my frustration and dissent toward the system I live in. I’m never overly explicit, but art doesn’t need to be explicit to be political. I have my own ideas, and these ideas shape my work.
“My spiritual discourse includes arguments related to technology. I believe there’s something more out there, and while I don’t feel the need to define it, I enjoy philosophical speculation about it.”
The feminist cause and the liberation of the female body is at the core of your oeuvre. I love how your Instagram bio reads “being hot is overrated I wanna be angelic.” Although being angelic has also often been used to patronise women so they don’t own their bodies and sexuality and remain ‘pure’ for the male gaze. So tell me more about your concept of being angelic and what it entails.
I’ve been waiting for this question for a long time, because, as you pointed out, the portrayal of women as angelic beings has always been a way for the patriarchy to trap women’s personalities. It’s a theme I address in the lyrics of Paradise, the final track on H e a v e n s, which is a critique of the music industry. No one looking at my work, especially from a visual standpoint, could ever think I’m trying to present myself as a pure and chaste angel.
My image is very strong, especially in a context like Italy, which is still quite closed-minded. You could say it’s a ‘hot’ image, but with deep thoughts. It’s an invitation to look beyond appearances and start listening to what women are actually saying. That’s all. The fact that I’m ‘hot’ shouldn’t matter more to you than the fact that I have a brain. It’s unfair that, in order to have my thoughts taken seriously, I would have to fit into this angelic image.
My image is very strong, especially in a context like Italy, which is still quite closed-minded. You could say it’s a ‘hot’ image, but with deep thoughts. It’s an invitation to look beyond appearances and start listening to what women are actually saying. That’s all. The fact that I’m ‘hot’ shouldn’t matter more to you than the fact that I have a brain. It’s unfair that, in order to have my thoughts taken seriously, I would have to fit into this angelic image.
Angels are also religious figures, and I feel your music has a strong sense of spirituality. What would you say are your beliefs? Is there a God, or fate, or just nothing…?
I started studying religions, philosophy, and psychology when I was a teenager. It’s a journey that hasn’t stopped, as I’m still processing my thoughts and opinions. I don’t think there are any concise answers on this topic; the conversation about God is vast. The rapid development of AI has sparked even more questions for me.
This is to say that my spiritual discourse also includes arguments related to technology, for example. I believe there’s something more out there, and while I don’t feel the need to define it, I enjoy philosophical speculation about it. I hope to never lose my interest in this — it’s a great source of inspiration.
This is to say that my spiritual discourse also includes arguments related to technology, for example. I believe there’s something more out there, and while I don’t feel the need to define it, I enjoy philosophical speculation about it. I hope to never lose my interest in this — it’s a great source of inspiration.
Your EP XIII (2021) has a couple of songs titled La Muerte and The 13th Arcana, so I assume you’re into tarot. Do you get your cards read before releasing something or making an important decision?
During my studies related to spirituality, I naturally explored esotericism and archetypal psychology. There was a period in my life, between 2018 and 2021, when I was very connected to astrology and tarots, viewing them more through the lens of psychology and the study of the unconscious and its symbols rather than as tools for magic. This is how my ideas around La Muerte developed. While I no longer have that same connection, I am well-acquainted with the cards and their symbols. During the pandemic, they were a significant part of my creative process.
Besides releasing the EP, what else is in store for you? Maybe a tour or some concerts we can attend?
I’m currently planning my European tour, and I hope to also travel between Australia (my second home) and Asia. In the meantime, I’m already working on my album, which will likely be released in early 2026. It’s going to be another immersive phase of deep study within a meta- ancestral reality.