Album of the Month: Alessandro Cortini – Forse 2

Alessandro Cortini makes music.  But he does it with a passion for detail and method so unique that he consistently impresses us here at Rabbits Black.  Whether it’s being the do-it-all guy for Nine Inch Nails and How To Destroy Angels or the solo artist behind SONOIO and Blindloldfreak- what Alessandro Cortini does is create unique soundscapes with an impeccable attention for detail.

Cortini’s Forse Trilogy is a collection of analog sounds created on the Buchla Music Easel synthesizer.  Even if you don’t know your synthesizers from your MIDI controllers, this one fact should impress- there are only 13 Buchla Music Easel’s in existence.  Buchla was founded by synthesizer pioneer Don Buchla in 1963 in Berkeley, California-  ya, we’ll count that as another Berkeley innovation and creation.  Forse 1 included ten tracks and was released in July of this year.  Now we have the second part of the trilogy- Forse 2.  While it is part of the ongoing trilogy, Forse 2 is different in sound and feel from its predecessor.  You can listen to “Canta” from Forse 2 here:

 

Forse , meaning “maybe” In Italian, is the latest of imaginative and unique works from Cortini.  The 3 double-LP release is very different from the synth-pop styling of Cortini’s solo work as SONOIO.  The latter has been one of our favorite projects from Cortini and delivered the amazing track “Enough” in 2011.  The writing and creation process for Forse 2 has been very different from works under SONOIO.  Alessandro describes the process of creating Forse 2 here:

“All pieces were written and performed live on a Buchla Music Easel, in the span of one month. I found that the limited array of modules that the instrument offers sparked my creativity. Most pieces consist of a repeating chord progression, where the real change happens at a spectral/dynamic level, as opposed to the harmonic/chordal one. I believe that the former are just as effective as the latter, in the sense that the sonic presentation (distortion , filtering, wave shaping, etc) are just as expressive as a chord change or chord type, and often reinforce said chord progressions.”

Cortini was a fundamental member of Nine Inch Nails both live and in the studio when Trent released Ghosts I-IV in 2008.  Cortini’s work on that album and with Reznor was very influential in the creative process for the Forse Trilogy.

“Of all the years with Nine Inch Nails the period spent writing and recording the instrumental record Ghosts I-IV is probably the one which changed my approach to music making the most. After that record I started getting more into instrumental composition, although I tried to approach it in a different way. While we had a vast array of tools and instruments at our disposal then, I decided to approach my pieces limiting myself to one instrument only, as I found myself being more decisive when faced with a limited creative environment.”

If you are a fan of electronic music, Nine Inch Nails, one or all of Alessandro’s other projects and bands, or just a fan of unique and creative pieces of work, this is for you.  You can get Forse 2 on a limited edition double-gate blue vinyl or download the digital album from your favorite online store.

Forse 2 on Limited Edition Vinyl from Important Records

Forse 2 Digital Download from Amazon

 

What makes a record the Rabbis Black “Album of the Month”? Simple, there is no other album released in the month that we think deserves your time, ears, and late night listening sessions.  Unlike normal press reviews or inquiries, our job isn’t to review it and give it a score.  We simply want to bring these pieces of work to your attention.  We’ve personally bought these records and added them to our collection.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.