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Fabrizio Moretti

Fabrizio Moretti is a Brazilian-American musician and visual artist best known as the drummer and founding member of the band , with whom he has recorded six studio albums since 2001. Born in , , in 1980 to an father and a Brazilian mother, Moretti moved to as a child and was raised there, developing an early interest in both music and . He attended the in , where he met future bandmates and , and later studied sculpture at an art school while beginning his musical career. Moretti co-founded in 1998, contributing to their signature revival sound through his minimalist, groove-oriented drumming style, which drew influences from genres like , dub , and . The band's debut album, (2001), propelled them to international fame, and Moretti has remained a core member through subsequent releases, including (2020), which earned a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. Beyond , Moretti has pursued collaborative and experimental projects, notably co-forming the Brazilian-American supergroup in 2007 with and Binki Shapiro, releasing a self-titled album in 2008 that blended and elements. In 2019, he launched the art collective machinegum, a multi-sensory endeavor involving music, visual installations, and community interaction, with their debut album Conduit emphasizing collaborative creativity over traditional band structures. As a visual artist, Moretti has explored , , and curatorial work, including a collaboration with Fabrizio Moretti on the Sotheby's exhibition "Fabrizio Moretti x Fabrizio Moretti: In Passing," which paired artworks with his immersive installations. His multidisciplinary approach reflects a lifelong integration of artistic disciplines, rooted in his Brazilian heritage and upbringing.

Early life

Family background and birth

Fabrizio Moretti was born on June 2, 1980, in , , to Stefano Moretti, an , and Ana Moretti, a . He was raised with his older brother, Leo Moretti. The family's decision to emigrate was driven by professional opportunities for his father.

Education in New York

At the age of three, around 1983, Moretti relocated with his family from to , where they settled in due to his father's professional opportunities. This move marked the beginning of his adaptation to American urban life, immersing him in the cultural vibrancy of the city from an early age. Moretti attended the , a private institution on the , during his teenage years. It was there in the mid-1990s that he first met future bandmates and , forming lasting friendships that would later shape his musical path. The school's environment, blending diverse influences, provided a formative backdrop for his social and creative development. During high school, Moretti developed a keen interest in music, particularly drumming, which he had begun practicing as a child. He played in informal school bands and became exposed to and through shared listening and jamming sessions with peers, including Casablancas and Valensi, who bonded over these genres. He graduated from Dwight in 1998, having honed these early musical inclinations amid the burgeoning scene. Following graduation, Moretti briefly pursued informal studies in at the at New Paltz, exploring his artistic side before shifting his focus entirely to music. This short-lived academic endeavor reflected his multifaceted interests but ultimately gave way to his commitment to drumming and band life.

Career

The Strokes

Fabrizio Moretti served as the drummer for all of ' studio albums, contributing to their rhythm sections and occasionally co-writing tracks. The band's debut album, , was released in 2001 and featured Moretti's drumming on all eleven tracks, helping define their garage rock revival sound. This was followed by Room on Fire in 2003, where Moretti again provided full drumming credits across the record. (2006) marked another full drumming contribution from Moretti, emphasizing his role in the band's evolving influences. The Strokes continued with Angles in 2011, on which Moretti co-wrote the track "Under Cover of Darkness" with his bandmates , , Albert Hammond Jr., and , and drummed on every song. Comedown Machine (2013) saw Moretti handling percussion duties throughout, including on experimental tracks like "80s Comedown Machine." Their sixth album, (2020), included Moretti's co-writing credit on "" and his drumming on all eleven songs, blending retro and modern elements. Key singles from these albums highlight Moretti's rhythmic foundations, such as "Last Nite" from (2001), which peaked at number five on the ; "Someday" from the same album (2002); "You Only Live Once" from (2006); "Under Cover of Darkness" from (2011); and "The Adults Are Talking" from (2020). In addition to studio work, Moretti performed on live and compilation releases, including the 2002 live recordings from early tours documented on platforms like , and the EP (2016), where he drummed on tracks like "Drag Queen" and provided a remix of "Oblivius." No official tour-related recordings from 2025 have been released as of November 2025. The Strokes' discography earned recognition with a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album for The New Abnormal in 2021, acknowledging Moretti's contributions to the production and performance.

Other musical projects

In 2007, Fabrizio Moretti co-founded the indie rock trio in with Brazilian musician of Los Hermanos and American singer Binki Shapiro, following their meeting at a festival in . The band drew on Moretti's Brazilian heritage through influences, blending them with , , and elements in their self-titled debut , released in November 2008 by . Moretti contributed drums, guitar, , , percussion, , and backing vocals, expanding his role beyond percussion to include songwriting and multi-instrumentalism. Moretti launched Machinegum in 2019 as a New York-based band and art collective, serving as its leader and emphasizing collaborative, community-driven creation. The project fused experimental sounds with , incorporating new-wave synths, rhythms, and dream-pop textures in its debut album Conduit, released in December 2019 via Frenchkiss Records. Moretti handled drumming, vocals on select tracks, and production alongside Jake Aron, while singles like "Atomized" (2019) and "Kubes" (2020) highlighted the collective's innovative, boundary-pushing approach. Throughout the 2010s, during periods of hiatus from , Moretti pursued guest appearances and collaborations that allowed him to explore songwriting and diverse genres within and pop scenes. He provided drums for Neon Neon's "Dream Cars" on the 2008 album Stainless Style, contributing to its electro-pop narrative. In 2012, Moretti drummed on Kesha's "Only Wanna Dance With You," a track co-produced by his Strokes bandmate , blending rock edges with pop accessibility. He also co-wrote and appeared on Har Mar Superstar's "" in 2013, infusing the song with raw, energetic . These endeavors enabled Moretti to step into production and compositional roles, broadening his musical palette. As of 2025, Moretti has not launched major new musical projects beyond Machinegum, redirecting his energies toward ' touring and related commitments.

Visual arts career

Moretti's interest in emerged during his teenage years in , where he began exploring creative expression alongside his musical pursuits. After graduating high school, he enrolled in sculpture classes at the at New Paltz in the late 1990s, focusing on assemblage works constructed from discarded materials to create elegant, found-object constructions. He left the program early to dedicate himself to his rising music career with but maintained an ongoing practice of drawing and sculpting, often sketching his bandmates during tours as a way to capture fleeting moments. Throughout the and , Moretti's work spanned , , , and , with themes centered on , urban , and abstracted personal narratives. His frequently incorporated recycled elements to evoke the chaos of city life, while served as intimate, portable explorations of and transience. In 2013, he debuted an interactive public outside a store in , inviting passersby to engage directly with sculptural elements, marking an early shift toward forms. A pivotal moment came in 2019 with the collaborative exhibition "Fabrizio Moretti x Fabrizio Moretti: In Passing" at , where Moretti designed an immersive environment that recontextualized paintings and s through dynamic lighting and spatial interventions, blending historical art with contemporary performance. This project extended into light-based works and interactive s displayed in galleries. From 2019 onward, Moretti integrated his visual practice with the origins of his project Machinegum, producing collaborative installations that fused , sound, and community engagement across venues. In 2021, Moretti presented a major immersive sculptural installation at Beverly Hills gallery, featuring elements that encouraged viewer immersion, as part of a broader on perceptual ; this work highlighted his evolution toward experiential installations blending visual and performative aspects. His practice remains active as of 2025, with pieces entering private collections and serving as a vital creative outlet during periods of downtime from his music commitments.

Personal life

Relationships and marriage

Moretti's first high-profile relationship was with actress , which began in 2002 after they met backstage at a in the social scene. The couple dated for five years, ending in early 2007, and their romance often drew media attention due to Barrymore's celebrity status. Following the breakup, Moretti briefly dated actress in early 2007. The short-lived pairing ended after a few months, with Dunst moving on to another shortly thereafter. From 2008 to 2010, Moretti was in a relationship with Binki Shapiro, his bandmate in the side project , which overlapped with the band's formation and debut. Their partnership blended personal and professional elements within the indie music community. Moretti then dated actress and comedian from late 2011 until their split in mid-2013. The low-key couple kept much of their relationship out of the spotlight, though it occasionally surfaced in entertainment news. Since at least 2021, Moretti has been dating artist and art historian Gabriella Corey, with their relationship intersecting his pursuits. Moretti has maintained a high degree of privacy regarding his , rarely discussing romantic matters publicly, though his partnerships have frequently connected the worlds of music, , and art.

Residence and lifestyle

Fabrizio Moretti maintains his primary residence in , where he has owned an apartment in the East Village neighborhood of since purchasing it in 2003. His daily life revolves around creative endeavors, including visual art and , often conducted in a home studio setup that allows for experimental and immersive projects. Beyond his professional commitments, Moretti has made occasional forays into , appearing in cameo roles such as in the 2009 film Whip It, directed by , and the 2015 romantic drama . In recent years, Moretti has emphasized a grounded, wellness-oriented approach to life, reflecting the band's evolution toward maturity following periods of personal and collective challenges.

Discography

The Strokes

Fabrizio Moretti served as the drummer for all of ' studio albums, contributing to their rhythm sections and occasionally co-writing tracks. The band's debut album, , was released in 2001 and featured Moretti's drumming on all eleven tracks, helping define their revival sound. This was followed by in 2003, where Moretti again provided full drumming credits across the record. (2006) marked another full drumming contribution from Moretti, emphasizing his role in the band's evolving influences. The Strokes continued with Angles in 2011, on which Moretti co-wrote the track "Under Cover of Darkness" alongside bandmates Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi, and Albert Hammond Jr., and drummed on every song. Comedown Machine (2013) saw Moretti handling percussion duties throughout, including on experimental tracks like "80s Comedown Machine." Their sixth album, The New Abnormal (2020), included Moretti's co-writing credit on "Ode to the Mets" and his drumming on all eleven songs, blending retro and modern elements. Key singles from these albums highlight Moretti's rhythmic foundations, such as "Last Nite" from (2001), which peaked at number 14 on the ; "Someday" from the same album (2002); "You Only Live Once" from (2006); "Under Cover of Darkness" from (2011); and "The Adults Are Talking" from (2020). In addition to studio work, Moretti performed on live and compilation releases, including the 2002 live recordings from early tours documented on platforms like , and the EP (2016), where he drummed on tracks like "Drag Queen" and provided a remix of "Oblivius." No official tour-related recordings from 2025 have been released as of November 2025. The Strokes' discography earned recognition with a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album for The New Abnormal in 2021, acknowledging Moretti's contributions to the production and performance.

Little Joy

Little Joy was a collaborative side project formed by Fabrizio Moretti alongside of Los Hermanos and Binki Shapiro, with whom Moretti shared a romantic relationship during the band's formation. The trio's self-titled debut album, , was released on November 4, 2008, by , marking the band's sole full-length output. Recorded in and produced by , the album blends with Brazilian influences across 11 tracks, including "The Next Time Around," "Brand New Start," and "Evaporar." Moretti handled multiple instruments, performing on guitar, , , , drums, percussion, , and providing backing vocals, while also contributing lead vocals on select songs. He co-wrote several tracks, notably "No One's Better Sake" with Shapiro and Amarante, and "With Strangers' Eyes" with Shapiro. The album spawned at least one single, "No One's Better Sake," released in December 2008 with an accompanying directed by , featuring cameos from Devendra Banhart and Strokes guitarist . Another track, "Impossibilidade No. 2 (For the Stars)," received some promotional attention as a closer but was not formally issued as a commercial . The band toured briefly to support the release but produced no additional material, establishing as a one-off endeavor.

Machinegum

Machinegum, an experimental art collective led by Moretti, released its debut full-length album Conduit on December 8, 2019, through Frenchkiss Records. The 11-track and indietronica record, later reissued on in July 2020, features Moretti on drums, production, and co-writing, alongside collaborators including Ian Devaney and . Key tracks include "Atomized" (initially released as a single earlier in 2019) and "Kubes" (promoted as a single in 2020). As of November 2025, Machinegum has issued no additional full-length albums, with musical output serving as an extension of its installations and interactive performances.

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