Alessandro Cortini is one of the foremost figures of contemporary electronic music, best known for his haunting, atmospheric work. A longstanding member of Nine Inch Nails, he is a highly prolific solo artist, releasing a steady stream of his own heady music on luminary labels including Mute, Hospital, and Important Records over the past decade.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated artists such as Lawrence English, Daniel Avery and Merzbow; been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (the only Italian musician ever honoured); found time to create the Strega synth with Make Noise (used on his latest full length, Scuro Chiaro [Mute], which Pitchfork described as “pitched somewhere between purgatory and the planetarium … consistently managing to thrill and surprise”); and soundtracked catwalk shows for fashion giants Alexander McQueen, Dior and Fendi.

Balancing dark ambience with smoky, pulsing rhythms, his compositions are perfectly restrained, textured and mesmeric.