CORTO.ALTO

Scottish nu-jazz project Corto.Alto, the brainchild of Dumfries-born multi-instrumentalist Liam Shortall, combines the sounds of classic fusion with hip-hop, R&B, dub, Latin, and electronic influences. Shortall played in a youth band and was into '90s hip-hop, leading to an interest in electronic beatmaking and an obsession with jazz. He attended the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and studied jazz trombone at Glasgow University. There he became part of the city's fertile underground scene and, beginning in 2019, released the year-long, five-EP Live from 435 series, comprising 20 tracks recorded live in his bedroom with a rotating cast of musicians. Corto.Alto's first standalone EP, Not for Now, appeared in 2021; the debut album Bad with Names (2023) was nominated for the Mercury Prize. 2024 brought the spontaneous album 30/108, based on loose sketches from his hard drive. In 2025 Corto.Alto debuted on Ninja Tune with the single "Don't Listen."

From 🇬🇧 United Kingdom