A review of Alessandro Cortini's "Risveglio"

After almost half a dozen albums that could kinda sorta be described (by a less discerning listener) as all sounding the same... Well, I think the magic is beginning to wear off.

Almost exactly a year ago, synth godking, Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails, How to destroy angels, SONOIO, skarn*) released Sonno, created almost solely with a Roland MC-202 and a delay pedal; just this week, he has unveiled Risveglio, which throws a Roland TB-303 and TR-606 into the mix. The results... aren't startling.

The first thing you'll notice, as the album opens with 'Stambecco', is the energy: it's staggering when compared to his other instrumental works, merely for its presence. The opener has a palpable sense of pursuit, a hunt through a misty forest. This trend of palpable BPMs carries on through most of the album, an aspect that serves to keep things interesting for the most part. "Lotta" is sinister as fuck; ancient, massive, and hovering like a cloud of toxic gas, "La guardia" has a nice, subterranean vibe to it, with a glorious crescendo and payoff, and "Ricadere" is cool, future disco, replete with lasers, and the periodic muting of the delay here provides excellent texture.  

I think, at this point, I'd love to hear something new. I don't need nu-metal or anything so shitty, but maybe some vocals or organic instrumentation or even something as simple as a bit of percussion. As an argument for further instrumentation to be added to the mix, "La sveglia (Drum version)" is made downright enjoyable through the addition of a simple, rusty hi-hat. Perhaps something to consider for future releases... 

Is Cortini doing anything markedly different? No, not really; upping the tempo on your click track doesn't really constitute "different" in my mind, plus, to the uninitiated, the Roland 202 versus the Roland 202 paired with the 303 and the 606 might not actually sound that distinct but, if you've enjoyed Cortini's meandering sonic musings over the past few years, chances are you'll enjoy Risveglio as well. Here's hoping that, next time, whatever form his music takes and whatever moniker under which he releases it, we'll get something a bit more substantive and nuanced.
Oh! Or maybe a film score! Isn't it about time someone let this poor guy score something? Maybe a nice, little, indie horror film that involves people chasing people through woods.
I'd see that.
Probably.

Risveglio is available on limited edition white vinyl through Hospital Productions here.

* His latest pseudonym, who seems driven to create stuff that sounds like excerpts from mid-90's era NIN b-side sessions.