Chris & Cosey, sometimes known as Carter Tutti, are a musical duo formed in 1981, consisting of couple Chris Carter (electronics) and Cosey Fanni Tutti (voice, electronics, guitar, cornet), both previously (and as of 2020 the sole surviving) members of industrial music pioneers

Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti, later joined by Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson and Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pioneers of in ...

. Since the release of their 1981 debut album ''Heartbeat'', the group have expanded on the rhythmic ideas of Throbbing Gristle while adding synthesized pop elements to their sound.

History

When Throbbing Gristle broke up in 1981, members Carter and Tutti signed with

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...

and began recording as Chris & Cosey.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 262-3 They recorded four albums for the label using electronics, sampling, Cosey's vocals and

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

playing. In 1983, they formed their own

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

Creative Technology Institute (aka CTI) to release more experimental works and collaborations. The first CTI projects, ''Elemental 7'' and ''European Rendezvous'', were released through Cabaret Voltaire's DoubleVision label. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the duo worked with a number of independent labels such as

Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is an independent record label founded in 1984. The Vancouver-based company was created by principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record label to distribute recordings by the band Moev, but the label expanded in Ca ...

(Canada), Play It Again Sam (Belgium), Staalplaat (Netherlands), Wax Trax! (USA), and

World Serpent Distribution World Serpent Distribution was a England, British record label and music distribution house formed in the 1990s by David Gibson, Alan Trench and Alison Webster. Douglas Pearce of Death In June coined the company name in 1991, ''World Serpent'' b ...

(UK). In 1992, for artistic and health reasons, the duo stopped touring and concentrated on studio work. They returned to performing live in 1998, as documented on the ''Union'' album. Since the couple began collaborating, Carter and Tutti have worked with a variety of similarly respected and recognized avant-garde artists including Monte Cazazza, Coil,

Current 93 Current 93 are an English experimental music group, founded in 1982 by David Tibet. Much of Current 93's early work was similar to late 1970s and early 1980s industrial music: abrasive tape loops, droning synthesizer noises and Tibet's distorte ...

, John Duncan, Erasure,

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British New wave music, new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band t ...

Boyd Rice Boyd Blake Rice (born December 16, 1956) is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s. A pioneer of industrial music, Rice was one of the first artists to use a sampler and turntable as an instrum ...

, and

Robert Wyatt Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is an English retired musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...

. The 1988 album ''Core'' is a collection of these collaborations. Carter and Tutti's tracks have been remixed by world-renowned DJs including

Carl Craig Carl Craig (born May 22, 1969) is an American electronic music producer, DJ, and founder of the record label Planet E Communications. He is known as a leading figure and pioneer in the second wave of Detroit techno artists during the late 1980 ...

, Cosmic Connection, Fred Giannelli, Daniel Miller, μ-Ziq, Vapourspace and Andrew Weatherall. Carter and Tutti have released two ongoing CD series of instrumental music: ''The Library Of Sound'' (L.O.S.) and ''Electronic Ambient Remixes'' (E.A.R.), currently with four volumes each. The E.A.R. series are remixes of material released solo by Carter or Tutti. Tracks from both these instrumental series have been used internationally in gallery installations, performed at numerous electronic music festivals, utilized on TV and radio broadcasts and within Hollywood movie trailers.

2000 to present

To greet the 21st century, Chris & Cosey became Carter Tutti, celebrating the rebirth with a series of concerts which were documented on the live album ''LEM Festival October 2003''. The rebirth was completed by the release of the studio album ''Cabal'' later that year. Both also appeared as guests on the 2006

album '' Black Ships Ate the Sky''. Carter and Tutti re-engaged with

, which reformed with all four original members for a December 2004

All Tomorrow's Parties "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released as the band's debut single in 1966. The song is from their 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. Inspiration for the so ...

festival appearance, and recorded several new studio albums over the following years – '' TG Now'' (2004) and '' Part Two'' (2007). They also performed a short series of concerts in Europe and the United States in 2009, with a rare tour-only release album, '' The Third Mind Movements''. (Ostensibly, the few remaining copies were sold via mail-order through the Throbbing Gristle website upon completion of the tour). In October 2010 Throbbing Gristle began a European tour; however, several days following the band's first tour date at the Hackney Dissenting Academy, London, Throbbing Gristle's website announced that

Genesis P-Orridge Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (born Neil Andrew Megson; 22 February 1950 – 14 March 2020) was an English singer-songwriter, musician, poet, performance artist, visual artist, and occultist who rose to notoriety as the founder of the COUM Transmi ...

was no longer willing to perform with the band, and would return home to New York. Chris, Cosey and Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson finished the tour without P-Orridge, performing under the name X-TG. Carter and Tutti performed with Nik Colk Void of Factory Floor at Mute's Short Circuit Festival in May 2011. A live album of the show, with an additional studio track, was released as ''

Transverse Transverse may refer to: *Transverse engine, an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the wheels of the vehicle *Transverse flute, a flute that is held horizontally * Transverse force (or ''Euler force''), the tangen ...

'' in 2012, under the name Carter Tutti Void.

Discography

Albums

*''Heartbeat'' (1981), Rough Trade *''Trance'' (1982), Rough Trade *''Songs of Love & Lust'' (1984), Rough Trade *''Technø Primitiv'' (1985), Rough Trade *''Allotropy'' (1987), Staalplaat *''Sweet Surprise'' (1987), Dragon *''Exotika'' (1987), Play It Again Sam *''Trust'' (1989), Play It Again Sam *''Pagan Tango'' (1991), Play It Again Sam/WaxTrax! *''Musik Fantastique'' (1992), Play It Again Sam *''Twist'' (1995), T&B Vinyl *''Skimble Skamble'' (1997), World Serpent *''Cabal'' (2004), CTI – Carter Tutti *''Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether'' (2007), CTI – as Carter Tutti *''

'' (2012), Mute – as Carter Tutti Void *''f(x)'' (2015), Industrial Records – as Carter Tutti Void *''Triumvirate'' (2019), Industrial Records – as Carter Tutti Void

Live albums

*''Action!'' (1987), LD *''Union'' (1999), World Serpent *''C&C Luchtbal'' (2003) CTI, live album *''LEM Festival October 2003'' (2004) GliptotekaMagdalae, as Carter Tutti *''Transverse'' (2012), Mute, as Carter Tutti Void ;as CTI: *''Elemental 7'' (1984), DoubleVision *''European Rendezvous – CTI Live 1983'' (1984), DoubleVision *''Core'' (1988), Nettwerk/Play It Again Sam *''Metaphysical – "The library of sound" Edition One'' (1993), World Serpent *''Chronomanic – "The library of sound" Edition Two'' (1994), World Serpent *''In Continuum – "The library of sound" Edition Three'' (1995), World Serpent *''Point Seven – "The library of sound" Edition Four'' (1998), World Serpent ;Compilations *''Collectiv One: Conspiracy International'' (1989), Play It Again Sam *''Collectiv Two: The Best of Chris and Cosey'' (1989), Play It Again Sam *''Collectiv Three: An Elemental Rendevous'' ic(1990), Play It Again Sam *''Collectiv Four: Archive Recordings'' (1990), Play It Again Sam *''Reflection'' (1990), WaxTrax! *''The Essential Chris & Cosey Collection'' (2002), World Serpent *''Collected Works 1981 – 2000'' (2006), Conspiracy International

EPs

*''Take Five'' (1986), Licensed *''C + C Musik'' (1995), T&B Vinyl – promotional only

Singles

*"Night Shift" (1982) –

flexi-disc The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a Gramophone record, phonograph record made of a thin, flexible Polyvinyl chloride, vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral Phonograph pickup, stylus groove, and is ...

with ''Vinyl'' magazine, split with

Minimal Compact Minimal Compact is an Israeli rock music, rock band associated with the post-punk and indie rock movement of the 1980s. Biography Between its foundation in 1980 and its dissolution seven years later, Minimal Compact played an important role in ...

*"This is Me" (1983), Music Time – split with Wahnfried-Brown *"October (Love Song)" (1983), Rough Trade *" Sweet Surprise" (1985), Rough Trade *"Obsession" (1987), Play It Again Sam *"Obsession (remix)" (1987), Nettwerk *"Exotika" (1988), Play It Again Sam *"Exotika (extended remix)" (1988), Nettwerk *"Rise" (1988), Play It Again Sam *"Synaesthesia" (1991), Play It Again Sam *"Passion" (1991), World Serpent ;as Conspiracy International: *"Hammer House" (1984), CTI *"Thy Gift of Tongues" (1985), CTI

Videos

*''Live Vol. 1'' (1996), Conspiracy International (VHS)

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

* *
Trouser Press: Chris and Cosey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chris and Cosey English electronic music duos British industrial music groups British dark wave musical groups Musical groups established in 1981 Wax Trax! Records artists