Simple Music for Difficult People is a project that brings together precision and wonder, craftsmanship and intuition, to create a musical language that speaks to the heart, the mind, and the hands.
Simple Music for Difficult People is inspired by contemporary mechanical art and its ability to blend precision with poetry.
These kinetic sculptures embody a deep beauty that goes beyond function. They reflect a human intention made visible through patient care, intentional gestures, and meticulous detail.
This musical project mirrors the same values. Each piece is crafted with the same dedication and slowness typical of fine craftsmanship. Every sound is shaped to evoke a sensation, a space, or a movement that feels mechanical but reveals a hidden grace.
Fabio Mittino has collaborated with some of the most renowned automata makers in the world: François Junod in Switzerland, Hideki Higashino in Japan, Keith Newstead in the UK, and Teun de Vijs in the Netherlands. From each of them he learned how material can be transformed into spirit through detail and intention.
At the heart of these works lies more than just technique. There is a mindset that in Japan is known as kodawari: the relentless pursuit of quality, even in details no one might ever see. This is not about quantity or efficiency. It is about choosing to care. It is a discipline that shapes the maker as much as the object itself.
Research in psychology and motivation science, such as the work of Deci and Ryan, confirms that striving for excellence fosters deep engagement, satisfaction, and a sense of meaning. When done with integrity, the pursuit of quality can transform both the work and the worker.
Music, like an automaton, is born from the alignment of heart, hands, and brain. It requires structure and sensitivity, discipline and receptivity. Musical instruments are analog machines: wood, strings, vibrations. And so are automata: gears, cams, springs, pulleys, brushstrokes, paint.
But Simple Music for Difficult People is not nostalgic. The mechanical and poetic world is filtered through cutting-edge technology. The sound is shaped using state-of-the-art digital processing tools, many of which are still in prototype phase. Visuals are created in dialogue with artificial intelligence, not to replicate or celebrate it, but to contrast it with the unmistakable warmth of human presence.
Throughout it all, the artist and the idea remain the true center. Technology is only a tool. What gives meaning is the intention behind each sound. What gives shape is the human gaze. What brings the music to life is the artist's ability to listen.
Short Biography:
In 1998 he was introduced to Robert Fripp's Guitar Craft in Salisbury, UK, and he kept studying with this technique since then.
He is well known for his 'Simple Music for Difficult People', a solo project with original music for electric guitar, described by the Press as "Progressives Echoes for the Third Millennium"
Inspired by the craftsmanship and poetry of Mechanical Art, Fabio Mittino collaborated with some of the world's best Automata makers, like François Junod (Switzerland), Keith Newstead (Cornwall), Teun de Vijs (Netherlands) and Susumu & Hideki Higashino (Osaka, Japan).
His music mirrors the craftsmanship and intricacy of those contemporary mechanical sculptures, while retaining that mixture of innocent awe and wonder.
American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and educator Ahmad Jamal wrote about him:
"Fabio is a wonderful, talented guitarist. I took his cd to the States and they listened to his performance, and they loved it like I do!"