Modwheelmood is led by Alessandro Cortini, a member of Nine Inch Nails, joi… Read Full Bio ↴Modwheelmood is led by Alessandro Cortini, a member of Nine Inch Nails, joined by guitarist Pelle Hillström. The two have performed together for nearly six years.

Modwheelmood's music is composed of Cortini’s carefully structured analog synths and loops with Hillström’s raw, riffing guitars and ambient guitars, depending on the mood. The experienced duo exercises restraint, never allowing the guitars to overpower the synths, and offering provocative vocal melodies that add just enough depth to create well rounded, richly textured arrangements.

Born and raised in Italy, Cortini’s family encouraged his interest in music from an early age. Cortini’s father played guitar, and his mother often listened to bands such as the Beatles, who Cortini agrees had an influence on his songwriting. Other songwriting influences include Cat Stevens, Francesco De Gregori, and Depeche Mode. From a programming perspective, Cortini recognizes Alva Noto and Brian Eno as influential in his development. In addition to songwriting, Cortini is a seasoned live musician, having toured with such bands as The Mayfield Four, and is currently lending his talents as a keyboardist to Nine Inch Nails.

Hillström grew up in a small village in Sweden. His pursuit of music began early, playing saxophone in jazz orchestras in the afternoon and learning Iron Maiden riffs in the evening. Eventually, his desire to play music for a living led him to the U.S., where he met Cortini. Hillström is the former guitarist of Abandoned Pools and has also worked with producer Patrick Leonard. Hillström’s guitar playing is reminiscent of Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood.

Modwheelmood’s second EP, Enemies & Immigrants was released in August 2006 on Buddyhead Records. Although they have many influences, both Cortini and Hillström agree that Enemies & Immigrants doesn’t necessarily reflect those influences. Hillström notes that there are decidedly more acoustics on this EP than the first, to give the tracks more of a lush, earthy, percussive sound. He adds that the material on the new EP took shape just from sitting in a room full of gear with open minds and the objective of “making music that meant something to us.”

Modwheelmood borrows their name from the mod wheel, a controller typically mounted at the left end of the keyboard that is used for modulation. It can provide positive or negative values. It can be easily raised or lowered at the artist’s whim.

www.modwheelmood.com
www.buddyhead.com/recordings/
www.myspace.com/modwheelmood

Going Nowhere
Modwheelmood Lyrics

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Please now wait
Won't be late again
Everything
Turns to grey
Morning aches
Everyday
Make them go away
Go away

You never ask yourself what's behind the pressures
You take the time to stare - nothing moves at all
You better pack your bags and move back where you came from
I'm going nowhere, nowhere

Please now wait
Won't refrain again
Don't erase anything

Oooooooh

You never ask yourself what's behind the pressures
You take the time to stare - nothing moves at all
You better pack your bags and move back where you came from
I'm going nowhere, nowhere
(repeat)

Going nowhere, nowhere
Going nowhere, nowhere
I'm going nowhere, nowhere

Going nowhere, nowhere
I'm going nowhere, nowhere

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Modwheelmood's "Going Nowhere" depict a sense of overwhelming stagnation and numbness. The repetition of the line "Going nowhere, nowhere" reinforces this feeling of being stuck or trapped. The singer asks for time ("Please now wait") and promises to not be late again, implying perhaps that they have been struggling with punctuality or procrastination. However, the second line "Won't be late again" can also be interpreted as a desire to not be late to the inevitable end of life, reinforcing the feeling of aimlessness and futility.

The line "Everything turns to grey" suggests a lack of passion or inspiration in the singer's life. They also mention "morning aches every day" which can either be interpreted as physical pain or possibly the emotional pain of feeling trapped in a mundane existence. They promise to "make them go away" but it's unclear whether they can truly escape their circumstances.

The lines "You never ask yourself what's behind the pressures / You take the time to stare - nothing moves at all" can be interpreted as a criticism of society's emphasis on productivity and success. The singer may be encouraging the listener to question the pressures placed upon them and the possible emptiness of achieving goals without examining the deeper meaning behind them. The final lines "You better pack your bags and move back where you came from / I'm going nowhere, nowhere" suggest a desire to return to a more innocent or carefree time in life, but ultimately the singer acknowledges that they're still going nowhere.

Line by Line Meaning

Please now wait
Can we pause for a bit?

Won't be late again
We won't let time be a limit again.

Everything
Life in general.

Turns to grey
Seems monotonous and mundane.

Morning aches
Pain felt in getting up and starting the day.

Everyday
Every day.

Make them go away
Wish to alleviate these pains.

Go away
Disappearance of the pains.

You never ask yourself what's behind the pressures
You don't try to find the root cause of the stress.

You take the time to stare - nothing moves at all
You choose to be stagnant and unresponsive to the problems.

You better pack your bags and move back where you came from
It's time to change and go back to your origin to start anew.