New Carter Tutti Single - 'Coolicon'

We have a new single out on 20th May on 10" Green Vinyl and Digital Download.

For more details go HERE

Listen to audio clip HERE

PRE-ORDER VINYL NOW! and get a free download on 17th May!

Analogue Observations

Below is a remix I recently put together for the compilation album ‘Interpretations on F.C. Judd’, which is a follow-up to last years outstanding compilation of Fred C. Judd's own works 'Electronics Without Tears'.

     

(If the track is not showing in your browser here is the direct link to it on SoundCloud)

If you think my track sounds quirky, or dated even, that’s because it’s meant to. Many of Fred Judd's instructional Musique Concrète themed experimental recordings, while interesting to hear, have a dry tone, which didn't appeal to me as much as his more melodic Radiophonic works (his description). I wanted to capture the lighter, eccentric vibe from some of Fred's more rhythmic tracks. Also I found it impossible to resist using a couple of clips of his distinctively clipped British voice in the mix. For the project Alex from Public Information allowed us access to digitised files of Fred's music and tape experiments, and if I could have I would loved to have put my track together on tape, but no longer having any kind of tape machine put paid to that. So I recorded it in Logic and restricted my plug-in use to just a few 'retro' valve and tape emulations.

Funnily enough Fred and me go back years… not that I ever met Mr Judd, in fact I wasn't even aware he was such an accomplished electronic music experimentalist until recently. But his written body of work had quite an influence on me getting into DIY electronics and creating my own electronic music. Apart from being a quintessential British boffin and Radiophonic music pioneer of the highest order (who knew!?) from the 1950s through to the 1970s he wrote many electronics and electronic music 'how to' books and contributed to and edited various UK electronics themed magazines. One of those magazines was the hugely popular Practical Electronics, which from around 1968 I would buy monthly without fail. It was in Practical Electronics in the early 1970s that I first saw the original guitar effect circuit (though not one of Fred's designs) that I adapted as the now infamous Gristleizer processor unit. But I did build many of Fred's circuit designs too: little mixers, reverbs, filters and oscillators. His 1972 book 'Electronics in Music' was essential reading for anyone interested in the topic: full of useful audio schematics and circuits, photos of exotic and expensive looking synths, equipment and studios - it was my 'go to' book for years. It's recently been reprinted and is well worth checking out, if just as an historical document of that period.

Having been recorded in the 1960s a lot of Fred's material is very much 'of its time' and by todays standards some would consider it naive sounding, although to me it has a wonderful almost otherworldly quality. His composition and recording techniques would be near impossible to recreate now - even if one were using the same workflow of signal generators, DIY electronics and tape based recording and effects, because I think there is something fundamentally different about the mindset of experimental electronic composers back in those mid 20th century pioneering days - some would call the heyday of the UK experimental electronic music scene. I can't quite pin down what made that mindset different - maybe it was the absence of distraction we inhabitants of the 21st Century suffer so badly from now? I'm not particularly nostalgic for those days, or even their indefinable mindset: progress equals change, the past is another country and so on. I'm just making some general observations about 1960s British experimental electronic music,  Musique Concrète, Radiophonics or however you'd like to term it, not just F.C. Judd's music. Back then we in the UK had the BBC Radiophonic workshop producing some of their best works alongside accomplished electronic experimentalists such as David Vorhaus, Delia Derbyshire, Daphne Oram, Brian Hodgson and of course Peter Zinovieff and David Cockerell of EMS and many more. 

Relatively affordable tape machines, synthesisers and DIY electronics were popular and readily available - amongst a certain demographic at least. That period was a time of great innovation and change and at the tail end of a purely analogue era. But it was also before the widespread use of 'off the shelf' computers in music, before synchronised tape machines, synchronised rhythm units and Basslines, before digital audio and decades before MIDI, DAWs and plug-ins… but they still managed to produce some truly exceptional sound works full of expression and energy.

To a degree I think I'm allowed to include some of my early solo works and definitely Throbbing Gristle's first album within that category. I'm not blowing my own trumpet (that's Cosey's department) and I was nowhere near as well equipped or technically accomplished as those I've mentioned but I feel my own and TG's recordings from the early 1970s' have a similar nebulous energy within them. In my recordings it was partly my enthusiasm at just being able to successfully (and repeatedly) record, manipulate and replay my own DIY electronic discursive meanderings which was somehow supernaturally and permanently impregnated into the oxide of the tape, or am I just hearing it that way through the mists of time? I doubt somehow that few musicians today could record material using just 1960s' techniques and still achieve those kinds of results and reactions, but like I said: there was a different mindset then. And I'm not saying anyone should or would even want to sound exactly like that, it's just another observation about where we as electronic experimentalists were then, so to speak. And I've no doubt in 50 years time people will be making similar observations about this period in the timeline of experimental music.

If you are interested in seeing more of F.C. Judd's work check out Ian Helliwell's wonderful documentary 'Practical Electronica’

www.ianhelliwell.co.uk/practical_electronica.htm

The 'Electronics Without Tears' and ‘Interpretations on F.C. Judd’ albums are released by Public Information and available here:

www.fcjudd.co.uk

.

Coldcut's Solid Steel Radio Show 25th Anniversary Mix

Here’s a set I made for Coldcut's Solid Steel Radio Show 25th Anniversary Mix. 

I hope you enjoy it…

Track list:

The Haxan Cloak - Hounfour (Temple)

Andy Stott - Bad Wires

Roj - You Are Here

Moon Wiring Club - The Edwardians Begin... 

Belbury Poly - Your Stories

Tangerine Dream - Rubycon 

Emeralds - Double Helix 

SND - 3 

Demdike Stare - Mnemosyne 

Emika - The Long Goodbye 

Porn Sword Tobacco - Thank You 

Jon Brooks - Neap Tide 

Ectoplasm Girls - Before It's Too Late 

Rework - Anyway I Know You

Vapourspace - Steam 

The Fall - Dr Bucks Letter 

Amon Düül II - Archangel Thunderbird

Upcoming 2013 Performances

CARTER TUTTI PLAYS CHRIS & COSEY

For the first time since their sell out show at the I.C.A. in 2011 Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti will be playing their acclaimed CHRIS & COSEY live set in London on the 19th May at Heaven.

With special guests: Mika Vainio and Excepter.

Heaven, Villiers Street, London. WC2N 6NG (Charing Cross Tube) view on Google Maps

Sunday 19th May
Doors @ 5pm
Curfew @ 11pm

8.45pm - 10.0pm - CARTER TUTTI PLAYS CHRIS & COSEY (UK)
7.30pm - 8.30pm - MIKA VAINIO (Fin)
6.00pm - 7.00pm - EXCEPTER (USA)

Tickets £15 (+booking fee) - Available NOW! www.ticketweb.co.uk


AND


CARTER TUTTI / HARMONIC COACTION
SALFORD SONIC FUSION FESTIVAL 2013

 Cosey Fanni Tutti and Chris Carter will be performing a new CARTER TUTTI / HARMONIC COACTION audio/visual set at the Salford Sonic Fusion Festival on Thurs 21st March.

Special guest support: Holly Herndon.

For further festival details go here > www.salford.ac.uk


and more to come….

Seasons Greetings...

Seasons greetings and a peaceful holiday to everyone… Here’s an upbeat remix I just did for Django Django: iTunes link

I Dream Of Wires

Chris Carter: IDOW Extended Interview #9 from I Dream Of Wires on Vimeo.

I Dream Of Wires is an upcoming documentary about the resurgence of modular synthesizers. In June 2012, the I Dream of Wires team visited the Norfolk UK studio of pioneering industrial and synthpop musicians Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti, founding members of seminal outfits Throbbing Gristle, Industrial Records, and Chris & Cosey, to name but a few. We interviewed Chris Carter about his long history with DIY electronics, modular synthesizers, and the role they've played in his storied musical career. Busy putting the finishing touches on X-TG's recently released "Desertshore / The Final Report," an album initially intended to be Throbbing Gristle's final recording, Carter expressed his enthusiasm for the current crop of eurorack modular synthesizer modules, and how he integrates them with modern tabletop FX units, to create a present-day, cutting-edge revision of his early Throbbing Gristle set up.

http://idreamofwires.org
http://www.facebook.com/idreamofwiresdocumentary

DESERTSHORE / THE FINAL REPORT

Industrial Records is proud to announce the much anticipated TWO album release 
DESERTSHORE / THE FINAL REPORT, a unique collaboration by
Chris Carter, Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson and Cosey Fanni Tutti.
This is a two album release celebrating both the progress inherent in change
and the fulfilment of two exceptional, yet separate projects.
Available from 26th November 2012

‘Desertshore’
The ‘Desertshore’ project is a 're-imagined' cover version of Nico’s seminal 1970 album first conceived by the late Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson in Berlin 2006. In 2010 at his home in Bangkok, he refocussed his approach readying to record guest vocalists while Chris and Cosey prepared material in their UK studio for his return there in December. Sadly, Sleazy unexpectedly died in his sleep on the 25th November in Bangkok.

Chris and Cosey made a commitment to Sleazy to complete the ‘Desertshore’ project picking up from where they left off just prior to his untimely passing. With enthusiastic support and contributions from so many who were close to Sleazy, especially the guest artistes whose work he admired;  Antony, Marc Almond, Blixa Bargeld, Sasha Greyand Gaspar Noé, the project is now complete.

"a quite remarkable set of songs, a repurposing of Nico's maudlin, scraping sorrow into the deep mindmassaging electronics that characterised later live work by Throbbing Gristle, X-TG and Carter Tutti,arguably even Coil's Ape Of Naples." Luke Turner for The Quietus as part of a review of a live remix preview performance of 'Desertshore' at AV Festival 2012.


‘The Final Report’
Throughout their 36 year friendship Chris Carter, Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson and Cosey Fanni Tutti produced many pioneering and acclaimed collaborative works together.
These trio sessions were without exception always very productive; ideas that produced many hours of recordings, sound experiments, research in new performance possibilities, visuals, the ongoing design and building of new and innovative instruments; a constant restless exploration of new paths together.

‘The Final Report’ album has been completed from their final 2009/2010 sessions together at Chris and Cosey's studio in Norfolk. This album stands as the final report; a celebration, a loving remembrance of their unique partnership.

Industrial Records Ltd are proud to release these TWO extraordinary recordings.

Two teaser videos are available on YouTube
http://youtu.be/4mE1SdBv_oU
http://youtu.be/J8R4uNZIZE4
UPDATE
Listen to an exclusive live remix from Desertshore at Pitchfork.
Listen to an exclusive remix from The Final Report at BoingBoing.

Live Remix of TG's New Desertshore Album

9th JUNE: As part of the 'We Can Elude Control' event at De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill On Sea, Sussex, Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti will be performing a live remix of Throbbing Gristle's final studio album 'Desertshore'.

The album was instigated by, and is in memory of, the late Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson (1955 - 2010) as a ‘cover’ album, and is inspired by Nico’s 1970 ‘Desertshore’ LP, originally the soundtrack to Phillip Garrel's mythopoetic film 'La Cicatrice Interieure' (The Inner Scar).

Please Note: This is a free event and tickets can not be booked in advance. Chris & Cosey will be performing at approx. 8pm. Further details here: www.dlwp.com

Live Premiere of TG's Desertshore Album at AV Festival

Wishful Thinking: In Remembrance of Peter Christopherson.

Sat 17th March 2012, 8pm–12am

Myself and Cosey Fanni Tutti will premiere a selection of live remixes from Throbbing Gristle’s nascent, and final, studio album: a cover of Nico's 1970 Desertshore LP.
This will be preceded by a rare screening of Philippe Garrel’s The Inner Scar film for which Desertshore was soundtrack and inspiration.

More details and ticket information is available here:
http://www.avfestival.co.uk

.

A New Year… and the final TG album

The New Year dawns and it finds me and Cosey already in the studio since late December working on TG’s ‘final’ studio album ‘Desertshore’. In case you don’t know, our Desertshore project is a cover version of Nico’s entire 1970 seminal Desertshore album. ‘TG’s Desertshore - The Final Report’ (to give it its full title) was conceived by Sleazy on a long flight from Bangkok to Berlin in the winter of 2006, and we’ve been recording elements of the album since then.

And since then a lot happened…
Most of you probably know some of the story and some of you may know most of the story: Genesis walked out on TG at the beginning of the 2010 tour in November (we still have no idea why!) and we three attempted to recover from that disaster with a couple of X-TG shows. Feeling both deflated at TG ending and elated that he didn't have to work with Genesis again Sleazy returned to Bangkok later that month to work on Desertshore using new gear he’d bought for the project and to begin recording the guest vocalists. He died before he worked on a single note.

2011 was probably our busiest year since touring as Chris & Cosey in the 1980s' and 90s' and honestly we're not sure why this should be. You'd think as you get older things would begin to slow down a bit, but they haven't. Ironically we've also had to turn down more offers, projects and shows than ever before - we've felt close to burn-out a few times last year, after all we're only human and there are only 24 hours in a day, but we got through it, just.
All that aside, last year we managed to get all our Desertshore guest vocalists recorded for the album, some were done here at our studio, some in Europe and a few in the USA. Everyone we asked to collaborate said yes and everyone has done a fabulous vocal, Sleazy would be very happy. Sleazy could bluff for England and although when asked "how's the album coming along Sleazy?" he'd appease us with a "fine, I'll have some new mixes ready soon" it transpires that most of the work done on Desertshore was either done here in Norfolk by the three of us or stopped being done by Sleazy in Bangkok sometime in 2009. Oh Sleazy, Sleazy… * see update below

Which brings us to now…
All of the Desertshore material that was in Ableton Live (Sleazy's DAW of choice) has been re-conformed for Logic Pro (our DAW of choice) - a laborious process! To say these are early days would be a gross understatement, there is still a mountain of work to do - for a start we're still trying to formulate six years worth of existing recordings, audio sketches, rough mixes, scribbled notes, endless lists and recalling things suggested at many, many 'Desertshore discussions' had over a cuppa or three.

Our (self-imposed) schedule is to have the album finished by July for release late 2012 -  maybe that's being optimistic, who knows? but we do have a career outside TG and we'd like to get back to it at some point.


* update - Feb 2012:
Apologies to Sleazy… after a few more of Sleazy’s hard drives had been uncovered in Bangkok and sent directly to us we found a batch of ‘in progress’ Desertshore material he had been working on during late 2010.