(Photo by Emilie Elizabeth) Italian musician Alessandro Cortini has released his latest work, “Nati Infiniti”. This 40-minute piece, divided into five movements, is based on an immersive audio installation that took place across four floors of the Museu de Lisboa’s Fábrica da Moagem, a disused flour mill.

Commissioned by Sónar Lisboa 2022, “Nati Infiniti” captures the ambiance of the original installation. Each floor of the mill evoked different states through Cortini’s sound design, creating a different experience as listeners moved through the building. The album tries to reflects this movement.

Using the Strega instrument, co-designed by Cortini with Make Noise, the piece evolves across 40 minutes. Marta Salogni, known for her work with Björk and Depeche Mode, mixed and mastered the album into five movements. “Nati Infiniti” is available now, in various formats including vinyl, CD, and digital.

Cortini debuted the live audio-visual performance of “Nati Infiniti” at Berlin’s Atonal Festival. After a series of sold-out shows, he will tour North America and Europe throughout 2024 and 2025, with additional dates to be announced.

Cortini, a longstanding member of Nine Inch Nails, has released a steady stream of his own music on labels such as Mute, Hospital, and Important Records. His collaborations include work with Lawrence English, Daniel Avery, and Merzbow. He is also the only Italian musician inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His creations, like the Strega and the forthcoming Bruxa module, kinda show his innovative approach to music. He has composed for fashion shows by Alexander McQueen, Dior, and Fendi, and soundtracked Disney/Hulu’s hit show “The Bear”. His remixes include tracks for Depeche Mode, Mogwai, Death Cab for Cutie, Yann Tiersen, and Vatican Shadow.

Here’s a live impression of Cortini.

Alessandro Cortini tour dates

• 10/11/2024 – Seattle, WA, Age Of Reflections at Seattle First Baptist, US
• 10/12/2024 – Portland, OR, Age Of Reflections at Trinity Cathedral, US
• 10/13/2024 – Los Angeles, CA, Teragram Ballroom, US
• 11/20/2024 – Brussels, Bozar, BE
• 12/6/2024 – Berlin, Silent Green, DE
• 1/17/2025 – Paris, Trabendo, FR

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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Genre/Influences: Industrial, Experimental, Minimal-Electronics.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The last year released album “Enormous Components Of Motor Unit Vol.1” marked the return of Different State., This year we get a new opus from this project driven by Polish artist Marek Xavier Marchoff. Both albums were composed in a rather short period of time, but are introduced as totally different. The hexagonal format of the digipak remains however the same.

Content: I can’t say that this work is significantly different from its predecessor. The main sources of inspiration remain pretty similar, mixing experimental music together with industrial and ambient music. But this work is however more into electronic-minimalism. The 80s aspect of the production remains pretty identical as well, the last part of the album reminding me to Throbbing Gristle. I think there’s more vocals on this album, but here again there are similarities. 

+ + + : I definitely like the early 80s experimental and minimal electro touch running through the work. Songs like “Extra Terrestrre [Above All]”, “Crumbling Under The Feet Of Angels [Beaten Impulse]”, “Not Be Translated [Banded]” and “Gain More Clarity [Astro-Forecast]” are excellent parts. The retro touch sounds great, but I also like the spooky vocals on some of the cuts. Another efficient cut is the opener “Raccoon And An Owl [International Lodge]” for its more explicit industrial touch and its cold, repetitive loops. Last, but not least I once again like the special artwork/format of the digipak. 

– – – : The most experimental passages are once again not my favorite ones.

Conclusion: I definitely prefer this album instead of its predecessor. This is a diversified, minimal-like recording that will appeal for old-school industrial/elector lovers.

Best songs: “Crumbling Under The Feet Of Angels [Beaten Impulse]”, “Raccoon And An Owl [International Lodge]”, “Not Be Translated [Banded]” and “Gain More Clarity [Astro-Forecast]”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/DifferentState

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Genre/Influences: Experimental,  industrial, dark-cinematographic.

Background/Info: Marek Xavier Marchoff set up Different State in 1992 and can look back at an impressive discography. This new album is the first one in seven years so it in a way is a kind of return for Different State.

Content: It’s not an easy thing to seize the music if Different State. There’re so many influences running through the work, it’s not easy it all to define the sound. There clearly is an experimental taste supporting most of the songs, and which also comes back at some vocal parts. Electronics and real instruments have been used. The second part of the work is more consistent revealing a kind of early experimental/industrial touch reminding me of Psychic TV. The songs become more industrial-like featuring deep bass and slow rhythms.

+ + + : First of all the CD version reveals a great and original artwork, a kind of hexagon format in digipak. Sound-wise Different State has something proper and original, but also a bit retro-like reminding me of early industrial/experimental releases. Both last cuts are worthy of examination. I also enjoyed the more psychedelic-like “Mental” featuring guitar parts and sexy vocal parts.

– – – : The coherence is not always easy to find between all songs while the experimental approach makes it hardly accessible.

Conclusion: Different State doesn’t care about established standards, but simply follows his own music instinct.

Best songs: “Mental”, “An Absolute Necessity”, “Effector (Zenial)”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/DifferentState

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com