This is a collection of Alessandro Cortini’s BlindOldFreak Buchla 200e modular synthesizer experiments.

“Blindoldfreak is simply whatever comes out of me and my machines, without thinking too much about it,” explains Cortini.

You can get an interesting peak into Cortini’s studio at trash_audio.

The video on this is pretty static – but it captures a live synth jam by Alessandro Cortini, Peter Grenader, David Wright & Steve Roach at Camp Tape Op, Tucson 2007.

via horchacha:

from left to right:

alessandro cortini – buchla 200e / ear systems modular
peter grenader – plan b synth
steve roach – surround sound mixing
dave wright – laquarto and perky

we share a clock signal

el conquistador resort – conference room
camp tape op 2007

www.notbreathing.com

Image: mathotspot

In this fantastic shot, Blindoldfreak, aka NIN’s Alessandro Cortini, plays the Buchla 200e modular synthesizer.

Captured live at Oscar Peterson Hall 30.01.09.

It’s on the Modular Brain label and features six tracks of Buchla-heavy electronic music. 

If you’ve got 1, leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Tracks:

• Wake Up
• Smile
• Pipe One
• Make Friends
• Laugh
• Everything Ends Here 

Audio recording of Alessandro Cortini giving a lecture and demonstration of his Buchla 200e modular synthesizer.

This comes from a presentation at the Concordia Electroacoustic Studies Student Association.

If you were an electronic music student, wouldn’t a visit from Alessandro Cortini make your year?

If any readers were at Cortini’s presentation, leave a comment!

Alessandro Cortini – Concordia University (ÉuCuE) – 30/01/2009

Photo of Alessandro Cortini taken at the 2009 NAMM Show. 

via matrix

This video captures a long section of an Alessandro Cortini BlindOldFreak show, live in Toronto in February, 2009.

If you’ve been to any of the BlindOldFreak shows, leave a comment and let us know what you thought of the show and if this video is representative of the show you attended!

From the 2009 NAMM Show, AnalogSuicide’s Tara Busch talks to Alessandro Cortini (Mod Wheel Mood, Blindoldfreak & formerly Nine Inch Nails) about the inner workings of the lovely Buchla 200e modular synthesizer.

Part 2 below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Saturday, Jan.31—Halifax, Nova Scotia @ The North St Church with D/A A/D
• Sunday, Feb.1—Quebec City, venue tbc
• Tuesday, Feb.3—Guelph Ontario @ Albion Hotel
• Wednesday, Feb.4—Kitchener-Waterloo, venue tba
• Thursday, Feb.5—Stratford Ontario, venue tba
• Friday, Feb.6 —Toronto Ontario, venue tbc
• Saturday, Feb.7—Montreal Quebec, @ Lab Synthese. Also appearing: Zilon

More to come.

It’s been exactly 4 years since i joined Nine Inch Nails and the time has come for me to move onto new things.
I feel a need to explore other paths in music and life which leads me to leave the tour at this stage.
I am grateful of the chance i was given: it doesn’t happen every day to be able to work next to some of the most talented people on this planet.

Trent & Co. have been aware of this decision of mine for a while now and are prepared to take the band to the next step.

Thanks to all the fans who welcomed me at the beginning of my journey and supported me through the years.

It was clear that Cortini was constrained within NIN’s shows, which are visually stunning, but surprisingly conservative, musically. It will be interesting to hear what Cortini does with his extra time.

The name Blind Old Freak has been popping up around the web in the last couple of months.

On YouTube, BlindOldFreak has been posting a series of electronic music videos that have been capturing equal attention for the music and the Buchla synth gear porn.

On SoundCloud, blindoldfreak has posted several tracks in an experimental ambient electronic style:

Different tracks are posted at blindoldfreak’s extremely minimal MySpace page.

Fans of Nine Inch Nails and ModWheelMood know that Blind Old Freak is a side project of Alessandro Cortini, best known as the keyboardist for NIN.

Cortini hasn’t said much about the side project. It’s unclear whether this is intentional, to create a bit of mystery about the project, or if it’s a side effect of being in two bands.

Here’s what Cortini has said at the BlindOldFreak site:

I wanted to take a minute to thank you for all the kind words and attitude this music has been welcomed with.

It makes me happy to see it makes you happy to hear what makes me happy.
(yes.)

Blindoldfreak is just starting to take form. It’s just me and an electric music box (Buchla) for now, and it seems to be working between us.

I am collecting songs and looking into ways to release an album in the near future and play shows in 2009, along with more modwheelmood activity.

The real star of Blind Old Freak may actually the Buchla 200e, Cortini’s ultra-rare, ultra-sexy and ultra-expensive modular synthesizer.

In his videos, Cortini keeps the camera trained on his Buchla. This gets the attention of gear freaks, obviously, but it also seems to shift the focus from Cortini and NIN to the music of BOF, and the fact that Cortini’s exploring longer and more experimental music.

Let me know what you think of Blind Old Freak, and if you’ve got any more into, let me know in the comments!

Alessandro Cortini and the Buchla 200e, Part 1

Alessandro Cortini discusses the Buchla 200e synthesizer.

Alessandro Cortini and the Buchla 200e, Part 2

Alessandro Cortini and the EAR Synthesizer

Alessandro Cortini discusses the EAR synthesizer and its role in live Nine Inch Nails shows.

via emusician.com

This month’s Electronic Musician has an interesting profile of Alessandro Cortini, best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails.

In the article, Cortini discusses his Buchla 200e modular synthesizer:

“It was kind of like buying a car. But this takes me more places than a car. It’s my favorite piece of gear. If I had to pick one, it’s the most creative. Just the way it’s laid out.

This is a small configuration—just a 12 panel. I knew that I couldn’t begin with an 18-panel instrument, so I tried to get as many high-density modules as possible. The 249e [Dual Arbitrary Function Generator] was a module they weren’t making anymore, but I was able to get one. It’s two sequencers in one. I could have worked with a 250e [Arbitrary Function Generator], but I felt the more each module can do, the better. And I wanted variety, so I have one of the old 259e’s [Programmable Complex Waveform Generator] and the new 261e [Complex Waveform Generator].

I’ve had the pleasure of working with companies like Plan B and Livewire on the EAR system, which are Buchla oriented in a way. But one thing is that they’re not replicating the [Buchla] interface, for good reason. They might be able to replicate the functions: Plan B has the Heisenberg Generator, which is, in a way, like a simplified [Buchla] Source of Uncertainty. The Model 15 oscillator is half a [Buchla] 258. And they sound awesome. But it’s an ?-inch interface. I hate to be this new age, but it doesn’t call me the same way that the Buchla’s banana jacks call me. The fact that it’s half ? inch and half banana makes you work in a certain way. The density of the modules makes you work in a certain way. And the fact that it’s designed to do quad and that voltage-controlled panning is built in—it’s so easy to achieve stuff that moves around.

Here’s Cortini in action, tweaking his Buchla 200e:

I am proud to announce the final personnel lineup of nine inch nails for the foreseeable future. We’ve added, we’ve subtracted and we’ve wound up with unquestionably the strongest lineup I’ve EVER had. Joining me onstage will be Robin Finck, Alessandro Cortini, Josh Freese and Justin Meldal-Johnson.

We’ve been working on something really special for these shows and so far I couldn’t be happier with the results. We’ll be revealing some live performances shortly here on nin.com – in the meantime, we’ve posted some photos from rehearsals up on Flickr here.

Meanwhile, I assume some of you may not be entirely familiar with the acts I’ve chosen to join us on various legs of this tour, so we’ve compiled a sampler EP for you. CLICK HERE to download this for free. If you like what you hear, be sure to show up early to the show (and please remember to support them by purchasing their music, if so inclined).

Best,
TR

** we have fixed the download to accommodate those of you living in the 80s running Windows! XOXO

The EP contains five DRM-free, fully-tagged MP3 files from a place to bury strangers, does it offend you, yeah?, crystal castles, deerhunter, and nine inch nails. Your download will also include cover art and a pack of digital extras.

In May of 2006, Alessandro Cortini, keyboard player for Nine Inch Nails, contacted Electro-Acoustic Research to develop a custom mid-sized performance-based synthesizer. Housed within a 26 x 18 inch Zero Halliburton suitcase, this synth is completely portable and is fitted entirely with Livewire and Plan B modules, many of which were developed exclusively for this instrument.

Details:

Top Utility Strip:

• Multiples

Top Row:

• Plan B Model 15 Complex VCOs (3)
• Plan B Model 13 Dual Timbral Gates (2)
• Plan B Model 12 State Variable Vactrol FIlter (1)
• Livewire Sub Divider (1)
• Plan B (Model no. TBD) custom 4 in/stereo out mixer with VC pan*

Middle Row:

• Livewire Sub Divider (1)
• Livewire Dalek Modulator (1)*
• Livewire Vulcan Modulator (1)*
• Livewire Dual Bissell Generator (1)*
• Livewire Noise/Sample and Hold (1)*
• Livewire Dual Cyclotron (1)
• Livewire Frequensteiner Multimode filters (2)
• Plan B 4 in/ 1 out mixer

Bottom Row:

• Plan B Model 10 Polyphonic Envelope Generator (4)*
• Plan B Model 14 Dual Processor (1)*
• Plan B VCA/Inverter
• Plan B Model 21 Milton Grande (prototype) fitted with internal VC Clock and Envelope Follower (external click-track syncing)*
• Livewire Trigger Divider

Bottom Utility Strip:

• Plan B Dual Manual Trigger Source
• Multiples
• Livewire Headphone preamp w/level control

Right, NIN keyboard player Alessandro Cortini debuts the EAR Performance System, a custom modular synthesizer manufactured by Electro-Acoustic Research (EAR).

Consisting entirely of Plan B and Livewire modules, the instrument will remain part of the band’s live arsenal throughout their current summer tour.

Details and excessive gear porn are at www.ear-group.net.