Alessandro Cortini | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Bologna, Italy | 24 May 1976
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Instrument(s) |
|
Years active | 1994–present |
Labels |
|
Member of | |
Formerly of | |
Website | sonoio |
Alessandro Cortini (born 24 May 1976) is an Italian musician best known for his work with modular synthesizers, [1] [2] and being the keyboard, guitar, and bass player in the industrial band Nine Inch Nails. [3] [4] [5] As a member of Nine Inch Nails, Cortini is the first Italian inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. [6] [7]
As an instrument maker, Cortini created a patchable analogue synth instrument called Strega through Make Noise.
Cortini was born in Bologna, Italy and raised in Forlì, Italy. Cortini moved from Italy to the United States to study guitar at the Musicians Institute. After graduating, and straying away from the guitar, he decided to focus on keyboards and synths.
From 2001 to 2002, Cortini acted as touring guitarist for The Mayfield Four in support of their album Second Skin .
In fall 2006, Cortini contributed to the Musicians Institute's Recording Artist Program by acting as advisor for one-on-one training with students. [8]
He was also a founding member of Modwheelmood, an electronic/alternative band from Los Angeles, with former Abandoned Pools guitarist Pelle Hillström. Together they have released two EPs, ? (2003) and Enemies & Immigrants (2006). In 2007, they released Things Will Change , the companion remix disc for Enemies & Immigrants, and they released the first part of their new album Pearls to Pigs, Vol. 1 on 25 December 2007 exclusively as a digital release.
While briefly teaching at the Musicians Institute, he saw an ad for open auditions for Nine Inch Nails. [9] Trent Reznor stated that Alessandro Cortini "fit in immediately." [10] Reznor also stated that:
My first thought when Alessandro walked in was that he didn't look like what I had in mind. His presence was intense but gentle, not the "I'm gonna attack you" energy fans might associate with NIN. Then he started, and within 30 seconds I was like "That's the guy!" I never once regretted it. Without taking anything away from Charlie [Clouser], Alessandro is really into playing the studio parts as much as humanly possible. [9]
Cortini toured with Nine Inch Nails from 2005 to 2008, during the band's "Live: With Teeth", "Performance 2007" and "Lights in the Sky over North/South America" tours. His primary role was that of touring keyboard player, although he also played guitar and bass guitar on some songs. Besides touring with the band, Cortini also contributed to the instrumental album Ghosts I–IV (receiving co-writing credits on a number of tracks) and the 2008 album The Slip . A Modwheelmood remix of "The Great Destroyer" was also released on the Year Zero remix album Year Zero Remixed , and Cortini features in the live DVD Beside You in Time , as well as the music videos for The Hand That Feeds and Survivalism . He left the band at the end of 2008, citing a desire to pursue other projects.
In March 2017, Nine Inch Nails' official Twitter account announced Cortini would be part of the 2017 summer performance lineup, [11] during which his primary instrument was bass.
When Nine Inch Nails was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, Cortini became the first Italian inducted, as a member of the band. [12]
Cortini joined How To Destroy Angels, a project consisting of Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Rob Sheridan and Mariqueen Maandig, as a touring member. He performs multiple instruments onstage and in addition remixed under his SONOIO moniker their single "The Spaces In-Between", which was used as the show finale for the majority of the tour. In 2013, Cortini returned to Nine Inch Nails as their touring member, and co-wrote the opening track of Hesitation Marks with Trent Reznor.
In 2009, he completed a small Canadian tour under a solo project moniker, named blindoldfreak. [13]
Cortini is also the frontman for the Los Angeles–based electronic-alternative band SONOIO, formed in summer 2010. The band name SONOIO comes from the Italian phrase "sono io", which means "it's me", as it is a solo project consisting solely of Alessandro Cortini. In July 2010 SONOIO released the album SONOIO Blue which was followed up by a remix album in December 2010, NON SONOIO. In June 2011, SONOIO released the album, SONOIO Red.
As of 2019, Cortini has released albums through Mute Records, [14] "Volume Massimo" in 2019, [15] [16] [17] "Scurio Chario" in 2021. [18] [19]
Alessandro Cortini worked with Ladytron in the production of two of their albums, Velocifero (2008) and Gravity the Seducer (2011). He also co-produced the second track, "We Are the Sea", from the debut album Crystal World (2013) of Ladytron's main singer, Marnie.
In 2009, he filled in for Morgan Nicholls (touring member of Muse) while Nicholls took a leave of absence to be with his newborn son.
In 2010, he contributed electronic production to a song called "Birds of Prey" by pop artist Christina Aguilera, produced by Ladytron. The song is featured on the deluxe edition of her fourth studio album Bionic .
Cortini released a collaborative album called "Illusion of Time" with Daniel Avery in March 2020. [20] [21]
In 2021, Cortini released a patchable analog synth called Strega, [22] Italian for “witch,” an instrument he created in collaboration with Make Noise.
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIN, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band until his frequent collaborator, Atticus Ross, joined in 2016. The band's debut album, Pretty Hate Machine (1989), was released via TVT Records. After disagreeing with TVT about how to promote the album, the band signed with Interscope Records and released the EP Broken (1992). The following albums, The Downward Spiral (1994) and The Fragile (1999), were released to critical acclaim and commercial success.
Michael Trent Reznor is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, which he founded in 1988 and of which he was the sole official member until 2016. The first Nine Inch Nails album, Pretty Hate Machine (1989), was a commercial and critical success. Reznor has since released 11 more Nine Inch Nails studio albums.
Ladytron are an English electronic band formed in Liverpool in 1999. The group consists of Helen Marnie, Mira Aroyo, and Daniel Hunt. Reuben Wu (synthesizers) was a member from 1999 until 2023. They have released seven studio albums: 604 (2001), Light & Magic (2002), Witching Hour (2005), Velocifero (2008), Gravity the Seducer (2011), Ladytron (2019) and Time's Arrow (2023). They also issued the live album Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 in 2009 and the compilation album Best of 00–10 in 2011. They have produced remixes for artists such as Dave Gahan, Erasure, Goldfrapp, Apoptygma Berzerk, Placebo, Blondie, Gang of Four, Christina Aguilera, Nine Inch Nails, Bloc Party, Kings of Convenience, Soulwax and Róisín Murphy.
Atticus Matthew Cowper Ross is an English musician, record producer, composer, and audio engineer. Along with Trent Reznor, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Social Network in 2010. In 2013, the pair won a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for their soundtrack to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In 2021, alongside Jon Batiste, they won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for the soundtrack for Pixar's Soul.
With Teeth is the fourth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by Nothing Records and Interscope Records on May 3, 2005. The album was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and long-time collaborator Alan Moulder. It also features contributions from musician Dave Grohl and future band member Atticus Ross.
Telefon Tel Aviv is an American electronic music act formed in 1999 by musicians Charles Cooper and Joshua Eustis. Since Cooper's accidental death in 2009, Telefon Tel Aviv has continued with Eustis as the sole official member.
Nine Inch Nails, an American industrial rock band fronted by Trent Reznor, has toured all over the world since its creation in 1988. While Reznor—the only official member until adding Atticus Ross in 2016—controls its creative and musical direction in the studio, the touring band performs different arrangements of the songs. In addition to regular concerts, the band has performed in both supporting and headlining roles at festivals such as Woodstock '94, Lollapalooza 1991 and 2008, and many other one-off performances including the MTV Video Music Awards. Prior to their 2013 tour, the band had played 938 gigs.
Year Zero is the fifth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by Interscope Records on April 17, 2007. Conceived while touring in support of the band's previous album, With Teeth (2005), the album was recorded in late 2006. It was produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and was the band's first studio album since 1994's The Downward Spiral that was not co-produced by long-time collaborator Alan Moulder. It was the band's last album for Interscope, following Reznor's departure the same year due to a dispute regarding overseas pricing.
Year Zero Remixed is the third remix album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released in the United States on November 20, 2007, and in the United Kingdom six days later. It features remixed versions of tracks from the band's previous studio album Year Zero, created by various producers and recording artists.
Modwheelmood is an American Electronic-Alternative band from Los Angeles, California formed by Alessandro Cortini and former Abandoned Pools guitarist Pelle Hillström in 1998.
Ghosts I–IV is the sixth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by The Null Corporation on March 2, 2008. It was the band's first independent release following their split from longtime label Interscope Records in 2007. The production team included Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, studio collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder, and contributions from Alessandro Cortini, Adrian Belew, and Brian Viglione.
The Slip is the seventh studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on May 5, 2008, digitally on the Nine Inch Nails website, and on CD on July 22 by The Null Corporation. It was their second release in 2008, following their sixth album Ghosts I–IV, released two months prior. The album was produced by frontman Trent Reznor with collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder.
Two months before the release of their fifth full-length album, Year Zero, industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails began a new tour, officially called Performance 2007. The tour initially started off as a 'best-of' tour but later transformed into a direct Year Zero support tour.
SONOIO is a solo project of Italian musician Alessandro Cortini, best known as the keyboardist for Nine Inch Nails' touring lineup and as a member of Modwheelmood. The name of the alternative rock/electronic project comes from the Italian phrase "sono io", which means "it's me".
The Twenty Thirteen Tour was a concert tour by industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails to support the album Hesitation Marks. It marked the return of the band for live performances after a four-year touring hiatus. It began on July 26, 2013, and ended on August 30, 2014.
"Came Back Haunted" is a single by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, from their eighth studio album, Hesitation Marks. It was the band's first single after signing with Columbia Records.
Hesitation Marks is the eighth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on August 30, 2013, by The Null Corporation and distributed by Columbia Records in the United States and Polydor Records elsewhere. It was the band's first release in five years, following The Slip (2008), as well as their only release on Columbia. Like previous albums, the album was produced by frontman Trent Reznor alongside longtime collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder. To date, this is the most recent band's album to be co-produced by Moulder.
Live 2013 EP is the third extended play (EP) by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. It was released on September 10, 2013, exclusively on Spotify.