Experimental drone hero and onetime Nine Inch Nails member Alessandro Cortini has teamed up with esteemed Japanese noise artist Merzbow for a new collaborative album.
Simply titled Alessandro Cortini and Merzbow, the record will arrive on April 21 via Important Records.
The pair reportedly bonded over their shared love of the EMS Synthi, an early '70s UK synthesizer that is noted for its patch pin matrix, distinctive tone and portability (it is, after all, contained within a suitcase). The same model has been championed by Brian Eno over the years, who's used it heavily in his ambient work.
A press release notes that Cortini and Merzbow have found ways to bring the vintage synth's sound into the modern age. It reads: "Astonishingly, these two disparate artists meld into a single sound as they flex the analog circuitry of the EMS Synthi in new ways; giving this classic synth a modern workout and proving that, in capable hands, a 40 year old analog synthesizer is a tool for the ages."
And while official tracklist details have yet to be revealed, you can listen to a teaser of things to come in a new album trailer down below. If you like what you hear, Alessandro Cortini and Merzbow is currently available for pre-order here as a double-LP.
Cortini released his last full-length solo LP Risveglio back in 2015. Merzbow, meanwhile, has already released Aodron, Wildwood II and Gomata this year. In recent years, he's also released collaborative projects alongside the likes of Sun Ra, Boris and Xiu Xiu, plus Flying Basket with Akira Sakata, Jim O'Rourke and Chikamorachi, as well as Cuts of Guilt, Cuts Deeper with Balázs Pándi, Mats Gustafsson and Thurston Moore.
Simply titled Alessandro Cortini and Merzbow, the record will arrive on April 21 via Important Records.
The pair reportedly bonded over their shared love of the EMS Synthi, an early '70s UK synthesizer that is noted for its patch pin matrix, distinctive tone and portability (it is, after all, contained within a suitcase). The same model has been championed by Brian Eno over the years, who's used it heavily in his ambient work.
A press release notes that Cortini and Merzbow have found ways to bring the vintage synth's sound into the modern age. It reads: "Astonishingly, these two disparate artists meld into a single sound as they flex the analog circuitry of the EMS Synthi in new ways; giving this classic synth a modern workout and proving that, in capable hands, a 40 year old analog synthesizer is a tool for the ages."
And while official tracklist details have yet to be revealed, you can listen to a teaser of things to come in a new album trailer down below. If you like what you hear, Alessandro Cortini and Merzbow is currently available for pre-order here as a double-LP.
Cortini released his last full-length solo LP Risveglio back in 2015. Merzbow, meanwhile, has already released Aodron, Wildwood II and Gomata this year. In recent years, he's also released collaborative projects alongside the likes of Sun Ra, Boris and Xiu Xiu, plus Flying Basket with Akira Sakata, Jim O'Rourke and Chikamorachi, as well as Cuts of Guilt, Cuts Deeper with Balázs Pándi, Mats Gustafsson and Thurston Moore.
