Alessandro Cortini is readying his SCURO CHIARO LP for release on June 11th via Mute. The follow-up to 2019’s VOLUME MASSIMO, also out on the label, the upcoming album relies more heavily on synthesizer than the musician’s previous effort. Using the record’s title to describe his intent, Cortini offers:
“SCURO CHIARO is the opposite of chiaroscuro [the use of light and shadow to give strong contrast], and in a way, it shows that no matter how you order things, there’s always going to be two elements that tend to be the opposite of each other that make up the truth—or makeup everything.”
“LO SPECCHIO” utilizes a minimalist arrangement focused around arpeggiating synth lines and simple rhythmic elements, but he achieves impressive emotional range through his crafting of resonating texture and reverberating atmosphere. Like the visual offering for “CHIAROSCURO,” Cortini’s new video for “LO SPECCHIO” was directed by Marco Ciceri. Like the rarified music which forms its soundtrack, Ciceri’s CGI-generated imagery is abstract enough to hint at transcendental concepts yet recognizable enough to be emotionally redolent.
