Since the start of the academic year I have been working on my first album. This process along side my studies has lead me to discover, or rediscover a lot of new artists which have all had an impact on my practice in some way or another. In this post, I will be discussing the two most influential.
Alessandro Cortini
I have been listening to Alessandro Cortini for some years at this point. His analogue production style has an emotional poignancy that has definitely affected my practice. In the video linked below, he talks through one of his live performance set ups, which got me think about how I could adapt my production techniques for a similar setting. This process allowed me to focus a lot more on practice rather than results, ultimately leading to the creation of my album, Growing Pains.
Avanti is the album of his that I hold the closest, I believe there is a power in repetition and that is something that I learnt from Cortini on Avanti. Each track lingers on short arpeggios that grow in intensity throughout as other elements are brought into the mix, creating a feeling akin to a damn slowly filling then bursting then the moment is right.
7038634357
7038634357, or Neo, is another artist I have been following for a while. Their music tackles a certain melancholic feeling that I have always struggled to put into words. Neo’s productions are totally encapsulating and the sound design is delicate and detailed creating a space where curiosity is warmly welcomed.
Neo Seven is their latest release and it is a project that I instantly fell in love with. This time round the productions have teeth that cut to the bone. Vocals are a more than welcome addition and add another level of emotion to an already crushing listen. Winded and Perfect Night opened my eyes to combining ambience with noise in such a tasteful way that I had not previously thought possible.