Fabrizio Moretti (born June 2, 1980) is a Brazilian-American musician and visual artist best known as the drummer for American rock band The Strokes, with whom he has released six studio albums since 2001.
1998
Later, Nikolai Fraiture joined as the bassist and the band was formed when guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.. joined in fall 1998.
1999
Their first show as The Strokes was at the Spiral in New York City on September 14, 1999.
2000
A collaborative artist, he has been part of a series of groups since the mid-2000s, most notably the Brazilian-American band Little Joy, which released one album in 2008, and the experimental pop collective Machinegum, which he has led since 2018.
Throughout his career, Moretti has worked on a variety of art projects which span the mediums of drawing, sculpture, and installation and performance art.
Moretti was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Stefano, an Italian nuclear engineer, and Ana Moretti, a Brazilian.
He was raised with his older brother, Leo Moretti.
Moretti and his family moved to New York City when he was three years old for his father's career; they planned to live there for only three years, but ended up staying for seventeen before returning to Brazil.
Speaking on identity during his young adulthood in New York, Moretti said, "I didn't feel like a Brazilian, I didn't feel like an Italian, and I certainly didn't feel like an American. So I was walking around trying to find my identity through New York City."
He began playing the drums at age five, playing in a soundproofed closet in his family's Midtown Manhattan apartment, and became more serious during high school.
As an adolescent, Moretti attended the Anglo American International School, which later merged with the Dwight School and is where he met fellow band members Nick Valensi and Julian Casablancas.
Upon graduating high school, Moretti studied sculpture at SUNY New Paltz before dropping out to focus on his music career with The Strokes.
Moretti began drumming in an informal band with vocalist Casablancas and guitarist Valensi in high school, and continued after the two left Dwight.
2001
The band released The Modern Age EP in 2001 under Rough Trade Records and was signed for a five-album record deal by RCA Records.
The band released six LPs including Is This It, Room on Fire, First Impressions of Earth, Angles, Comedown Machine and The New Abnormal with tours and festival sets in the North America, Europe, South America, East Asia and Australia.
2006
Amarante and Moretti had met in 2006, at a festival in Lisbon where both their bands were performing, and the idea came up to start a new musical project unrelated to their respective bands.
Little Joy was signed to Rough Trade Records label.
2007
In 2007, Moretti joined with Los Hermanos guitarist, singer, songwriter Rodrigo Amarante and Binki Shapiro to form the trio Little Joy, a Los Angeles-based Brazilian/American rock supergroup.
2008
Their debut album, produced by Noah Georgeson, was released in 2008.
Moretti was part of a project, Megapuss, with Devendra Banhart, Gregory Rogove and Noah Georgeson in 2008.
The group released one album, Surfing.
The following year, Moretti and Banhart collaborated on a project called Permanent Adventure.
Moretti played drums for Neon Neon, on their track "Dream Cars", from 2008's Stainless Style.
2012
Moretti also played on Kesha's 2012 song "Only Wanna Dance With You", together with bandmate Julian Casablancas.
2013
Following the completion of their album contract deal with RCA Records in 2013, the band has continued to release new music through Casablancas' Cult Records.
Moretti's drumming style has been called crisp and clean, and having a mature elegance.
He has said that he wants to provide a steady, driving force with his playing which resulted in him simplifying his drum kit to a four-piece set up with a hi-hat and ride cymbals.
He commonly uses a Ludwig Classic Maple drum kit with Zildjian cymbals and Ahead sticks.
Early on, he was known for drumming very hard, often breaking his drums sticks.
Early records convey a more simplistic and 'punk' style of playing and recording while later records feature more compressed drums in the style of industrial and dance music.
He co-wrote "Prisoner," from Har Mar Superstar's 2013 album Bye Bye 17, with Banhart and Amarante.
Moretti and Amarante also were part of Banhart's backing band during his 2013 tour which had dates in the US and Europe.
2018
Since 2018, Moretti has led the New York synth pop band and artist collective Machinegum (stylized machinegum) which both performs and records music and presents gallery installations.
The group is composed of Moretti and Ian Devaney (vocalist of Nation of Language), Delicate Steve, Chris Egan, Martin Bonventre, and Erin Victoria Axtel.
The group has also collaborated with architect Joseph Vescio and actor/director Justin Bartha in the past.
2019
Machinegum released their debut album Conduit in December 2019.
2020
Released on Frenchkiss Records, the group later signed to the record label in February 2020.
Outside of his more traditional musical work, Moretti's output often blends musical, performance, and visual art.
He has frequently collaborated with musicians Devendra Banhart, Rodrigo Amarante, and New York City contemporaries including his Strokes bandmates.
He has contributed songwriting and remixes to other artists and, throughout his career, has deejayed events.
