Chris Carter (musician)
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Chris Carter was born on 28 January 1953, in Islington, London, England. He is best known for his time in Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey. His long time partner Cosey Fanni Tutti is the mother of his son, Nick, as well as another member of TG.
He began his career in the late 1960s' working for various UK TV stations (Thames, Granada and LWT) as a sound engineer on numerous TV shows and documentaries. This gave him an invaluable grounding in sound and audio techniques and theories. He also found himself getting more involved in the visual side of entertainment, which eventually progressed into designing and presenting light shows and visual effects for numerous festivals, events and gigs, including bands as diverse as Yes and Hawkwind. This led to commissions for BBC Television shows, Colour Me Pop and The Old Grey Whistle Test. By the early 1970s' Chris was touring universities and colleges with a solo, multimedia show playing self-built synthesizers and keyboards and incorporating a myriad of lighting effects gleaned from his previous work. During this time he also worked extensively with visual artist John Lacey on many 8 mm & 16 mm experimental films and multimedia presentations.
In the mid 1970s', and through his connection with artist John Lacey, Chris began an experimental music/sound collaboration with Cosey Fanni Tutti and Genesis P-Orridge, who were also working as performance art group COUM Transmissions with Peter Christopherson at the time. The results of this musical collaboration was the creation of the now legendary Throbbing Gristle, Industrial Records and the birth of the 'Industrial Music' genre.
In 1976 Chris also worked at the London bureau of the ABC News agency as a sound engineer and during that time designed and constructed their London radio studio. In 1977 he was offered a contract to build another ABC studio in Rome but turned it down to continue his involvement as a member of Throbbing Gristle.
During the early years of TG the four members each continued with other solo projects and work. It was during this period (1980) when Chris recorded his first solo album for Industrial Records called 'The Space Between', which is now available on Mute Records. Shortly after the demise of Throbbing Gristle in 1981, and with help and backing from Rough Trade Records , Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti formed their Conspiracy International record label and began working together as Chris & Cosey and CTI. Initially releasing only music they soon moved into producing video works, and with the help of Doublevision released a number of CTI experimental video films and soundtracks. In 1985 Chris released his second solo album Mondo Beat.
As well as successfully touring all over the world Chris & Cosey also recorded and collaborated on innumerable releases, most notably with Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, Robert Wyatt, Coil, Boyd Rice, Lustmord, Monte Cazazza and many more. Chris & Cosey also remixed tracks for Erasure, Mortal Loom and other bands.
In 1994 Chris moved also into journalism and regularly has technical articles and reviews published in UK magazine Sound on Sound. Chris is also a keen photographer and graphic designer and in collaboration with Cosey Fanni Tutti has designed and produced numerous album covers, posters and art works. Chris returned to solo performance work in 1995 after a gap of 15 years. His performances included subtle references to his earlier works but with obvious influences from his more recent collaborations. In 1998 Chris released a compilation CD titled Disobedient, consisting of tracks from his 1995 Disobey tour (produced by Paul Smith). In 2000 he released a solo studio album: Small Moon. In 1998 the album Caged, a collaboration album with electro musician Ian Boddy was released on the DiN label. In 2000 Chris, in collaboration with Cosey Fanni Tutti, began producing and releasing a series of albums titled: Electronic Ambient Remixes. The first of these, EAR ONE, consisted of dark ambient remixes of his 1980 'The Space Between' album. In 2002 he released EAR THREE a further solo ambient CD, which consists of radical remixes of his original Throbbing Gristle industrial rhythm tracks. In 2003 Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti stopped releasing material and performing as Chris & Cosey and now produce all their work under the title of CARTER TUTTI. Their most recent performance was in February 2005 as part of the 'See Hear Now' festival at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Chris Carter and the other original members of Throbbing Gristle regrouped in 2002 for a series of TG related releases and events. These include the TG24 CD boxed set and accompanying art exhibition in London and performances in 2004 at the Astoria in London, Camber Sands in Sussex and Turin, Italy in 2005.
Chris Carter is currently working on a new Carter Tutti album and mixing and producing a new Throbbing Gristle album.
[edit] Discography
(NOT including Throbbing Gristle, Carter Tutti or Chris & Cosey releases)
- The Space Between: Solo album, cassette release by Industrial Records, 1980.
- The Space Between: Solo album, cassette re-release by Third Mind, 1983.
- Mondo Beat: Solo album, vinyl/cassette released by CTI/Rough Trade 1985.
- Mondo Beat: Solo album, CD/vinyl/cassette re-released by Play It Again Sam 1989.
- The Space Between. Solo CD album released by Mute Records 1991.
- The Space Between. Solo album, CD/cassette released by Elektra, USA 1991.
- The Space Between. Solo album, CD released by Alfa, Japan 1991.
- Collectiv 1. Solo CD album released by CTI 1996.
- Disobedient. Live solo CD album released by CTI 1998.
- Small Moon: Solo CD album , released by CTI 1999.
- Electronic Ambient Remixes 1. Solo CD album released by CTI 2000.
- Electronic Ambient Remixes 3. Solo CD album released by CTI 2002.
