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| Alessandro Cortini @ Gray Area (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Far from a household name, Alessandro Cortini, an Italian-born electronic maestro and multi-instrumentalist, steps into the limelight, perhaps most notably recognized as a key figure in the industrial rock ensemble Nine Inch Nails during their tours. Yet, when the curtains fall on NIN's performances, Alessandro's creative energy surges into his own domain. Previously, he wove sonic tales as half of the duo modwheelmood, and more recently, he's embraced solo ventures under various aliases—blindoldfreak, SONOIO, or simply his birth name. Regardless of the label he adopts, his musical canvas is consistently imbued with rich, organic textures, forming the bedrock of his sonic landscapes.
This past Wednesday evening in San Francisco, we found ourselves fortunate witnesses to the inception of his Nati Infiniti tour, a journey slated to span roughly 10 cities across the U.S. until April's end -- and his performance at Gray Area was the cornerstone of the electronica/ambient genre featured as part of San Francisco's 2024 Noise Pop festival. After two performers earlier in the night, the venue was pulsating with anticipation as Alessandro took the stage promptly at 9:45 pm.
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| Alessandro Cortini @ Gray Area (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Nestled at the heart of a quaint, makeshift stage, Alessandro's unwavering focus fixated on the array of knobs and dials adorning the equipment before him, perched delicately atop a modest table. As abstract visuals danced upon the backdrop, casting ephemeral patterns of light, the room remained cloaked in shadow. Alessandro himself was illuminated only by the faint glow emanating from his meticulous arrangement of electronic gear and the two tabletop lights that guided his hands across the labyrinth of controls.
For those anticipating the sensory onslaught typical of a Nine Inch Nails spectacle, this was a departure into the polar opposite. Rather than bombastic beats and sensory overload, Alessandro curated an intimate electronic odyssey, stretching the boundaries of time across his mesmerizing 45-minute performance. Near the stage's edge, attendees reclined, some even sprawled out, eagerly surrendering themselves to the sonic voyage crafted by Cortini's deft manipulation of soundscapes. With closed eyes and minds attuned to every nuance, they embraced a transcendental immersion, eschewing visual distraction in favor of a hyper-focused, meditative engagement with Cortini's music.
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| Alessandro Cortini @ Gray Area (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Throughout the performance, Cortini maintained a steadfast composure, his presence serene and unwavering. There were moments when he would even lean in, resting his head upon his arms atop the table, fully immersed in the ethereal tapestry of sounds unfolding before him. This wasn't a spectacle of performance, nor was it centered on the artist; rather, it was a profound exploration of the music itself—a distinction that resonated profoundly for all of us in attendance that night.
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