Difference between revisions of "Alessandro Cortini"

Latest revision as of 06:27, 4 February 2026

Instruments:Keyboards, Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocals, Programming

Active:2005-2008, 2013-2025

Tours:Live: With Teeth-Lights In The Sky, NIN 2013-2014-Peel It Back Tour

Alessandro Cortini (born May 24, 1976, in Bologna, Italy) was the live keyboardist, bassist, and rhythm guitarist for Nine Inch Nails intermittently from 2005 to 2025. Cortini originally joined in 2005 and departed in 2008. He returned as a touring member starting with the 2013-2014 tour and also served as an opening act for the NIN 2014 Japan Tour.

He has also been part of the How To Destroy Angels live lineup, contributing bass, synthesizers, and vocals. On November 7, 2020, Cortini and NIN were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Biography

Cortini was born in the Italian city of Bologna and raised in Forlì. Sometime around 1998, Cortini moved to the United States to study guitar at the Musicians Institute, where he met Swedish guitarist Pelle Hillström. After graduating he began focusing on keyboards and synths.

While briefly teaching at the Musicians Institute, he saw an ad for open auditions for Nine Inch Nails; after impressing Trent Reznor in his audition, he was brought on board to form the live band for the 2005 Live: With Teeth tour and has been a member of the band ever since. On December 13, 2008, Cortini posted a blog on Modwheelmood's MySpace account stating that he was leaving the band and that the other members had known of his decision for some time. He returned to the NIN orbit in 2013 by writing and remixing for HTDA and joining the HTDA live line-up. He then rejoined NIN live, starting with the NIN 2013 Festival Tour.

Cortini has shared songwriting credits with Reznor for several songs on Ghosts I-IV and "The Eater Of Dreams". He appears in the NIN music videos for "The Hand That Feeds" and "Survivalism". In 2017, he appeared as part of Nine Inch Nails (in this case consisting of Trent Reznor, Robin Finck, Mariqueen Maandig Reznor, Atticus Ross, Cortini and Joey Castillo of Queens Of The Stone Age) in an episode of Twin Peaks: The Return.

Cortini was the frontman of Los Angeles-area band modwheelmood, which is a collaboration with Hillstrom. The band was signed to former NIN bandmate Aaron North and Travis Keller's record label, Buddyhead. Prior to forming modwheelmood, Cortini acted as touring guitarist for The Mayfield Four.

In 2010, Alessandro started his solo-project called SONOIO (from "sono io", which is the Italian for "it's me"). Its first album, Blue, was released in 2010 and was followed by a remix album. The second album, Red, was released in 2011 and again followed by a remix album. The third album, Fine, was released in 2018 and was announced as the final SONOIO album. [1] Cortini stated that he ended SONOIO because it was no longer fun, it didn't do well financially, and he wanted to focus on instrumental music. [2]

Cortini began creating instrumental music under his own name in late 2012, composing using a Buchla Music Easel and releasing the material through Important Records in 2013. Forse, meaning "maybe" in Italian, is a series of three double LP releases, followed by a CD box set containing all three volumes.

In 2026, following the initial European and North American legs of the Peel It Back Tour, Cortini announced a solo date on March 15, 2026, conflicting with a NIN date in San Francisco. He followed up with an Instagram story featuring a quoted passage about concerns with "remaining within a project with no possibility of development", seemingly confirming his departure from the band. Cortini currently resides in Portugal with his family and a herd of cats.

Trent Reznor on hiring Cortini

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, Alessandro is really into playing the studio parts as much as humanly possible. [3]

Body of Work

Alessandro Cortini

MNR002 (7", 2012)
Forse 1 (LP, 2013)
Forse 2 (LP, 2013)
Sonno (LP, 2014)
Forse 3 (LP, 2015)
Risveglio (LP, 2015)
Avanti (LP, 2017)
Volume Massimo (LP, 2019)
Emosfere (LP, 2020)
Prime Cose (LP, 2020)
Memorie I (EP, 2020)
Memorie II (EP, 2020)
Movimento (LP, 2020)
Ritmo (EP, 2020)
Ritmo II (EP, 2020)
Ritmo III (EP, 2021)
Ritmo IV (EP, 2021)
Scuro Chiaro (LP, 2021)
Nati Infiniti (LP, 2024)

Alessandro Cortini & Merzbow

Alessandro Cortini & Merzbow (LP, 2017)

Daniel Avery & Alessandro Cortini

Illusion of Time (LP, 2020)

Blindoldfreak

1 (2009)

How To Destroy Angels

"We Fade Away" - co-written/performed (2013)

Ladytron

Velocifero - collaboration & production (EP, 2008)

Modwheelmood

? (2003)
Enemies & Immigrants (2006)
Things Will Change (2007) - Remixes of Enemies & Immigrants
Pearls to Pigs, Vol. 1 (EP, 2007)
Pearls to Pigs, Vol. 2 (EP, 2008)
Pearls to Pigs, Vol. 3 (EP, 2008)
Pearls to Pigs (2009)

Nine Inch Nails

Beside You In Time (2007)
Ghosts I–IV (2008)
The Slip (2008)
Hesitation Marks (2013)

SONOIO

Blue (2010)
Non Blue (2010)
Red (2011)
Non Red (2011)
Scientist (limited edition 7" vinyl single, 2011)
Fine (2018)

Yoav

Charmed & Strange (2008)

Films

Righteous Kill (2008)
Tropic Thunder (2008)
No. 3 The Beekeeper (short film, 2012)
Il Mostro (Colonna Sonora Della Serie Netflix) (2025)

Remixes

Nine Inch Nails, "The Great Destroyer", for Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D
Big Black Delta, "Betamax (Sonoio Rework)"
Gary Numan, "Dead Sun Rising (SONOIO Remix)" for Dead Moon Falling - this remix frequently played live by Numan
How To Destroy Angels, "Between The Spaces (SONIO rework)"
Mogwai, "Fuck Off Money (Alessandro Cortini Rework)"
Puscifer, "Bullet Train To Iowa (Reimagined by Alessandro Cortini)"
Depeche Mode, "Before We Drown (AC Wet Mix)"
Depeche Mode, "People Are Good (AC Fool Mix)"

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 Cortini was the frontman of Los Angeles-area band [[modwheelmood]], which is a collaboration with Hillstrom. The band was signed to former NIN bandmate [[Aaron North]] and Travis Keller's record label, Buddyhead. Prior to forming modwheelmood, Cortini acted as touring guitarist for The Mayfield Four.
-In 2010, Alessandro started his solo-project called [[Related_bands_and_artists#SONOIO|SONOIO]] (from "sono io", which is the Italian for "it's me"). Its first album, ''Blue'', was released in 2010 and was followed by a remix album.  The second album, ''Red'', was released in 2011 and again followed by a remix album.  The third album, ''Fine'', was released in 2018 and was announced as the final SONOIO album. [https://music.mxdwn.com/2018/06/07/news/alessandro-cortini-announces-final-sonoio-album-fine-for-july-2018-release/]  Cortini stated that he ended SONOIO because it was no longer fun, didn't do well financially, and he wanted to focus on instrumental music. [https://www.reddit.com/r/electronicmusic/comments/dctmr9/comment/f2bph3j/]
+In 2010, Alessandro started his solo-project called [[Related_bands_and_artists#SONOIO|SONOIO]] (from "sono io", which is the Italian for "it's me"). Its first album, ''Blue'', was released in 2010 and was followed by a remix album.  The second album, ''Red'', was released in 2011 and again followed by a remix album.  The third album, ''Fine'', was released in 2018 and was announced as the final SONOIO album. [https://music.mxdwn.com/2018/06/07/news/alessandro-cortini-announces-final-sonoio-album-fine-for-july-2018-release/]  Cortini stated that he ended SONOIO because it was no longer fun, it didn't do well financially, and he wanted to focus on instrumental music. [https://www.reddit.com/r/electronicmusic/comments/dctmr9/comment/f2bph3j/]
-Cortini began creating instrumental music under his own name, composing music using a Buchla Music Easel in late 2012 and releasing the material through Important Records in 2013. ''Forse'', meaning "maybe" in Italian, is a series of three double LP releases, followed by a CD box set containing all three volumes.
+Cortini began creating instrumental music under his own name in late 2012, composing using a Buchla Music Easel and releasing the material through Important Records in 2013. ''Forse'', meaning "maybe" in Italian, is a series of three double LP releases, followed by a CD box set containing all three volumes.
 In 2026, following the initial European and North American legs of the [[Peel It Back Tour]], Cortini announced a solo date on March 15, 2026, conflicting with a [[2026/03/15 San Francisco, CA|NIN date in San Francisco]]. He followed up with an Instagram story featuring a quoted passage about concerns with "remaining within a project with no possibility of development", seemingly confirming his departure from the band.  Cortini currently resides in Portugal with his family and a herd of cats.