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

industrial music Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initiall ...

pioneers

Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in 1975 in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Peter Christopherson, and Chris Carter (British musician), Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pi ...

. 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. Having successfully promoted and sold records by punk rock and early post-pun ...

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, though there is also a sopr ...

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- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

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 (Canada), Play It Again Sam (Belgium), Staalplaat (Netherlands), and

Wax Trax! Wax Trax! Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago. It began as a record shop in Denver, Colorado, opened by life partners Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher, who sold the store in 1978 and moved to Chicago. In November of that ...

(USA), and

World Serpent Distribution World Serpent Distribution was a 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'' being anot ...

(UK). In 1992, for artistic and health reasons, the duo stopped touring and concentrated on studio work. They returned to performing live in 1998, 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, John Duncan, Erasure,

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...

, Boyd Rice, and

Robert Wyatt Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is a retired English 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 A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...

including Carl Craig, Cosmic Connection,

Fred Giannelli Fred Giannelli (born 1960 in Lowell, Massachusetts) is an American electronic musician. He began experimenting with electronics in the 1970s as Turning Shrines. In 1984, Giannelli met Psychic TV's Genesis P. Orridge while the group was in Bosto ...

, 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 Current 93 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 festival appearance, and recorded several new studio albums over the following years – ''

TG Now ''TG Now'' is an album by English Industrial music, industrial band Throbbing Gristle. It was released in 2004 through the band's own record label Industrial Records and was their first album of original material since 1982's ''Journey Through ...

'' (2004) and ''

Part Two Part Two, Part 2 or Part II may refer to: Films and television * "Part 2" (Twin Peaks), also known as "The Return, Part 2", the second episode of the third season of the TV series ''Twin Peaks'' Music * ''Part Two'' (Throbbing Gristle album), 200 ...

'' (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 ''The Third Mind Movements'' is the final album released by British industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimiz ...

''. (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 a singer-songwriter, musician, poet, performance artist, visual artist, and occultist who rose to notoriety as the founder of the COUM Transmissions arti ...

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 Factory Floor are a London-based band formed in 2005. They have been described as 'post-industrial', using live drums, synthesizers and noise. History The band formed in 2005, originally comprising Gabriel Gurnsey and Mark Harris, who were then ...

Mute Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...

's Short Circuit Festival in May 2011. A live album of the show, with an additional studio track, was released as ''Transverse'' 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 *''Transverse'' (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 phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntabl ...

with ''Vinyl'' magazine, split with

Minimal Compact Minimal Compact is an Israeli 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 the Europea ...

*"This is Me" (1983), Music Time – split with Wahnfried-Brown *"October (Love Song)" (1983), Rough Trade *"

Sweet Surprise Sweet Surprise is a song by Annie Lennox, Chris & Cosey Chris & Cosey, sometimes known as Carter Tutti, are a musical duo formed in 1981, consisting of couple Chris Carter (electronics) and Cosey Fanni Tutti (electronics, guitar, cornet), bo ...

" (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 Ableton Live users Musical groups established in 1981 Wax Trax! Records artists