Chris Carter's Blog

Performing at Acusmatiq Festival

2010-07-08T10:51:00.004+01:00

Myself and Cosey Fanni Tutti will be performing a version of our new live audio/visual improvisational piece ‘Harmonic Coaction’ at the
Acusmatiq festival in Ancona, Italy on the 31st July.

'Harmonic Coaction - Part Two'
A live audio assimilation of person place and time.
'Harmonic Coaction' is a series of sound works constructed from audio field recordings relating to the performance site. The work is created live in situ using those recordings as key components, deconstructing and manipulating the sounds in juxtaposition and harmony. The accompanying visuals consist of images inspired by the site to create an audio visual continuum.

Link to sound excerpt of previous 'Harmonic Coaction - Part One' performance.
http://soundcloud.com/chris_carter/harmonic-coaction-part-one-live-excerpt

Performances & Exhibitions

2010-05-19T07:57:00.000+01:00

Cosey and myself have been rushed off our feet for the last few months - remixes, my Dirty-Carter project, Cosey Complex, numerous exhibitions, Cosey’s Tate Modern solo performance and our up-coming audio/art performance in Brescia, where Cosey is also exhibiting new works and doing an ‘in conversation’ in Faenza. More details on the CARTER TUTTI site

When we return to the UK next week we are taking a few days off before completing some other outstanding projects, which includes remastering some of our early Chris & Cosey back catalogue for vinyl reissue later this year.

Site Technical Problems - UPDATE

2010-05-19T07:56:00.000+01:00

I’ve semi-permanently fixed the previous blog entry problems on this site (and TG's and Cosey's sites). We (well me, the plug-in developer and a few tech chums) couldn’t actually trace (or fix) the route of the problem but the most likely culprit seems to be some recent undocumented changes that happened with Google’s Blogger backend. So for now I’ve moved my blog entries on www.chriscarter.co.uk over to a non-Blogger system and all is well again, it just takes me a little longer to sync up the pages.

SITE TECH PROBLEMS

2010-05-13T08:42:00.005+01:00

We've recently discovered a technical glitch with this blog page on www.chriscarter.co.uk where visitors see the raw HTML code... while on its Blogspot mirror page it's business as usual. We are attempting to track down the problem asap but in the meantime please bear with us. If you are viewing this on www.chriscarter.co.uk please use the Blogspot link above to view a clean version of this page.
We are also experiencing similar problems with Cosey's site and the TG site.

Technology is great... when it works!

2010-05-03T08:52:00.002+01:00

As a follow-up to the footnote in the post below I'll mention that after Tweeting my frustration at not finding a simple non-Flash (mobile iFriendly) solution to SoundCloud playback on my blog I got a lot of (what seemed to be) useful tips. Unfortunately non of these were nearly as simple or as elegant a solution as I'd hoped - or even assumed - would be out there. Chief amongst the respondents was fellow musician and all round tech genius Chris Randall - who had some really good laterally thought-out ideas.

So... unfortunately there isn't an immediate available, widely compatible solution and we have to wait for SoundCloud - and BandCamp - to update their webpage players to HTML5.
If you are a web developer, web designer or are just interested in this subject Chris Randall has posted a detailed blog on his thoughts resulting from attempting workarounds to this unusually complex and (to me) unexpected web problem. It and the many replies make very interesting reading.

http://www.analogindustries.com

Live Recordings

2010-05-02T15:20:00.001+01:00

When I was in Leicester for the Dirty-Carter project I recorded two live tracks while killing time in my hotel room. They're not Dirty-Carter tracks, although they are related somewhat - it's just me improvising using some of the gear I later used for the Dirty-Carter performance. The voice and ambience on 'This Train...' is from a nearby train station and was recorded out of the hotel window and played back on my iPhone. The inclusion of the Tannoy station announcements on the same piece was partly inspired by listening to the album 'Music For Real Airports' on the journey to Leicester.

This Train... by chris_carter

While Waiting by chris_carter

OOPS...
I've just realised these audio clips are in Flash format- my apologies. As soon as it's technically possible I will try to replace them with a mobile iFriendly format. See above

First Dirty-Carter Performance

2010-05-02T14:52:00.000+01:00

Our first Dirty-Carter performance took place in Leicester on the 28th April and went exceptionally well. We played - we being myself, John Richards and the twenty-five piece Dirty Electronics Ensemble - six challenging experimental pieces to an appreciative full-house. Though in fact I only actually played in three of the sections, well I improvised if being pedantic. I have to say how enthusiastic and knowledgeable the ensemble were, without exception. It makes a refreshing change to come across such a disparate range of artists, musicians and technicians who can work together (and with an 'outsider' such as myself) with such a positive attitude.

John and myself will be participating in another Dirty-Carter workshop and performance at STEIM in Amsterdam between June 01 and 03 and if enough interest can be found we will stage the project at other locations later this year.

http://www.steim.org/
http://www.dirtyelectronics.org/

I have posted some photos of the Dirty-Carter rehearsals and performance on my Flikr pages, follow this link to view them: Dirty-Carter on Flikr

There's also a short review and interview with me & John here:
http://mikistrange.blogspot.com/2010/04/chris-carter-dirty-electronic.html

CC and Dirty Electronics Live Performance

2010-04-27T16:47:00.005+01:00

Tomorrow I'm teaming up with the twenty-five piece group Dirty Electronics Ensemble, led by noise doctor John Richards, to perform our piece for the 'Experimental Sound Generating Instrument' (E.S.G.I.). As you may already know the instrument also features an copper etching artwork designed by me... expect random sequences, distortion with noise coalescing in a hand-held instrument the size of a postcard. The performance takes place at Phoenix Square in Leicester on Wednesday April 28th.

Tickets: £8/£5 concessions.
Booking: To purchase tickets please call the Box Office on 0116 242 2800
or Book Online at http://www.phoenix.org.uk/index.php?cms_id=287
Box office closed.

New 'Guest Mix' on Vessel

2010-03-31T11:40:00.000+01:00

I have a new 'Guest Mix' now available for all to hear at VESSEL. The 40 minute mix includes 20 disparate tracks from various sources and time periods that you may (or may not) have heard me DJ with before. Enjoy...

www.vesselmusic.com

Cosey Complex Photos

2010-03-31T11:01:00.000+01:00

I've uploaded a selection of my photos from the recent Cosey Complex / Cosey Club events at the ICA to my Flikr pages.
More shots (and video of the afternoon event) were taken by the ICA, if/when I can I'll post a link to them here.

>Follow this Flikr link<

Dirty Electronics with Chris Carter & John Richards

2010-03-17T22:46:00.000Z

In a collaboration project with John Richards Dirty Electronics Ensemble I will be participating in two experimental electronic music workshops and performances in April and June this year.

The first is at De Montfort University, Leicester in the UK - April 27-30 and the second is at STEIM in Amsterdam, Holland - June 01- 03.

The workshop project is to build a specially designed DIY Dirty Electronics experimental music instrument and perform with it as an ensemble. The instrument will feature an original copper etching artwork and circuit concept by me and has been designed and built by John. Expect random sequences, distortion and noise coalesce in a unique hand-held instrument the size of a postcard. Anti-Social noise for all!

More details and some photos soon... but in the meantime follow these links:

http://www.dirtyelectronics.org/
http://www.steim.org/

Parallel Voices 2010 - Missing Link

2010-02-17T09:48:00.000Z

Myself and Cosey (Fanni Tutti) will be participating on one of the discussions panels at Parallel Voices 2010 - MISSING LINK on 18th March at the Siobhan Davies Studios in London. Also taking part will be: Blixa Bargeld, Carsten Nicolai and Ben Borthwick.

Website Link

Slow News Day

2010-02-10T16:11:00.001Z

There we were: me and Cosey sitting quietly waiting for the London bound train to depart on our way to Cosey's lecture at the Red Bull Music Academy in London.
Hang on a minute... there seems to be a lot of police in the station for a Monday morning, usually there are none. Oh they've got sniffer dogs too, and here come some more police in flak jackets with sub-machine guns, and those guys at the end of the carriage must be spooks or plain clothed cops - well they're definitely not civilians, civilians don't usually wear those single earpieces. And that woman coming down the aisle wearing a dark suite and a humorless expression has a pistol peeking out from under her jacket. OK, so the carriage we're sitting in at the front of the train - the 10.55 from King's Lynn - is basically swarming with constabulary, uniformed or otherwise, who are giving everyone the once over.

It wasn't ‘that’ unusual to see activity around our little train station. Living in this part of Norfolk we've got used to seeing the odd dignitary, or celeb. I would think it's much the same in many English rural towns with picturesque views, castles and quaint tea rooms. We get a a couple of movies and a few TV shows shot around here each year and it’s not unusual for the odd actor and politician dropping by. I even saw Al Pacino once, sauntering around the market - surrounded by 'minders'. And of course everyone around here has seen Stephen Fry shopping in town at some time or another, he's a local. I know it’s probably hard to believe - and I’m not blowing our own trumpets here (well not much) - but me and Cosey even get recognised and stopped for autographs in town at least a couple of times a year: see... I told you it was hard to believe? But I suppose our inconspicuous market town's biggest claim to fame must be our famous neighbour: HM Queen Elizabeth II, whose winter residence Sandringham is a couple of miles up the coast road.

So we're waiting on the train putting two & two together and thinking it will probably be Prince Philip (HMQ's hubby) going down to London again, we've seen him plenty of times... so no big deal. Or maybe it's some terrorist related exercise or other, who knows? But the train is ready to go and we're all just sat there waiting with restless flatfoots in abundance, when this petite, white haired figure in blue, wearing a silk headscarf bobs past our window and ducks into the (only and empty) 1st Class compartment in our carriage. The passengers (well those who saw her) do a double-take and the penny drops and everyone is like "oh... right, that's what all the dogs and bodies and hardware were for". The scenario was vaguely surreal to say the least.. we were to be accompanied on our journey by the Queen of England and her Royal entourage.

Once we'd set off, well we'd set off... that was that. It seemed mildly inconvenient with all the plods everywhere: eyeballing, taking up seats and wandering up and down and generally lounging to attention outside the 1st Class compartment - although unfortunately I saw no marching and saluting, is that inappropriate on a train? Maybe... anyway a few people joked that we'd bound to be on-time (ha ha!) and that the driver seemed to be driving the train a bit smoother than usual (is that even possible?), then - as you do on a 90 minute journey - we checked our emails and went on Twitter and of course we did a few Tweets about HMQ - as you would - and thought little more about it really. Although... it was fun ‘gun spotting' the plain clothed cops who went up and down the aisle. "he doesn't have one, she has a big one, he has a small one, that guy looks like he has two".

About 30 miles down the line we stopped at Ely station and a family of Americans got on board - we have a lot of 'US cousins' in this part of England, because of all the US air bases around here in East Anglia, so it was not an entirely unexpected addition. They sat next to me and Cosey - actually they sat down on either side of us - and were all gushy and full of "OMG! we just saw the Queen of Enger-land in the front compartment" and "it can't be the Queen of Enger-land, what's she doing on the 10.55 from King's Lynn?" Good question. Then the conversation went along the lines of: "why doesn't she go by State limo? why doesn't she fly to London - surely she has her own jet, like Air Force 1? or in her own helicopter, or her own train, surely her own train carriage?” All perfectly reasonable questions but we only knew the answer to one: she used to have her own train but stopped using it long ago due to 'Royal cost-cutting', or something, but don't quote me on that it could just be an urban myth. But their best quote had to be: "I've lived my whole life and never seen a US President in the States, I come to the UK and The Queen of Enger-land is on the first train I get... wait till I tell the folks back home". Cosey pointed out that as Britain is much smaller than the USA the the odds of bumping into Royalty were much higher here, which kind of went over their heads. But they did seem quite concerned that our dear old HMQ was traveling by public transport. So we told them not to worry as she was on a train full of highly trained armed guards and sniffer dogs to look out for her. But the 'sniffer dogs' comment got them worried about 'terrorist threats' and that maybe the train would be a ‘terrorist target’. So we let them worry and went back to our emails and Tweets. Until... they decided this was a Kodak moment, a photo opportunity not to be missed. Out came the cameras, flashes popping and, as we were only 5 or 6 rows from Her, not very discreet. Of course we got a visit from a stern plain clothed plod, who takes the two adults to one side for a wrist slapping and a dressing-down, and we overhear 'disrespect' and 'privacy' bandied about. All very funny - well it was for us at least.

As predicted by the wags at the beginning of the journey we did actually arrive on time at Kings Cross, and came to an unusually gentle halt, definitely none of the usual lurching and stalling. But once we'd disembarked we were all held on the platform by a line of police while HMQ - now looking all spick and span and sans head scarf - toddled off to a waiting limo outside the station.

There is no point to this story - well it's not even a story, more an anecdote - I'm just relaying what happened on one of the slightly more interesting trips we regularly take to London. But to bring this tale to an end... the next day The London Evening Standard decided to run a quarter page piece on our trip with HMQ: 'Her Majesty's close encounter with industrial anarchy' (LINK). They mention the Tweets (word for word) and lie about attempting to contact me and say “how tame they look nowadays”. WTF? They also refer to me as a "rocker & DJ" - which is very funny because anyone who knows me would agree that the "rocker" tag is about as inaccurate a description of me as you could make. But I'm still trying to figure out though why they decided to use an ancient photo of Genesis in a piece about me and the Queen. Unless it's some ironic reference to another old queen!
(no offense meant Gen...)

Site Updated

2010-02-07T17:18:00.000Z

This site update - the first substantial rebuild for quite a few years - took a lot longer than I expected (don't they always?), but perseverance, determination and a few nasty headaches ultimately got me there. There are probably still a few gremlins, odd bits of duff spelling, bad grammar, rogue code and broken links scattered around so bear with me as those bugs are ironed out. If you spot anything please drop me a line and I'll start making a 'to do' list of fixes. I've checked all 90 or so pages on the site using the current versions of: Fireforx, Safari, iCab, Flock, OmniWeb, Opera, Camino, Navigator, IE5-8 and iPhone... and 95% of the time the pages load as expected. The exceptions are that the randomly generated Flikr badge (a Flash badge) in the left-hand column does not display on an iPhone or some versions of Opera and IE... and the layout can often look odd in IE, although as far as I'm concerned that's bloody IE's problem. But I am looking for another non-Flash solution for the Flikr badge problem though.
So now I'm taking a few days off from coding HTML - I also just did some updates to my CCCL site, Cosey's site and the various TG sites too - because later this week I begin tackling the Carter Tutti/C&C website - which is long overdue a major overhaul and restructuring and which is probably at least three times as big as my own site!

Testing, Testing...

2010-01-31T17:08:00.000Z

This new blog hasn't been publicized or 'officially' gone live yet and you've probably got here via another blog page. Currently it's a work in progress and the content is being transferred from my old blog as and when I get the time, which should be by mid-February.
While I have still to decide on the final layout and design - this layout is more of a 'holding page' - it is liable to undergo some changes in appearance and content and may even disappear occasionally. But please bear with me and it will eventually all get sorted.

Looking for an EMS Synthi

2010-01-23T16:53:00.005Z

For some time now, well since I sold all my analogue and modular synths back in 2007-8 - a moment of madness I'm still trying to live down - I've been hankering after another EMS Synthi... specifically a Synthi AKS, or Synthi A. I used to have an EMS Synthi VCS3 back in the mid-late 70s' and I loved it, but had to sell it just before we started TG (that's another story).
But since selling much of my old analogue gear last decade I've been looking to buy a self-contained analogue synth that I could travel with and the Synthi AKS would be ideal for my purposes. I've come across a few over the years, some utterly knackered (technical term), some pristine and some outrageously overpriced but I've always missed out in some way on a sale. The market value of EMS synths has risen exponentially over the last 10 years and some currently go for crazy prices, usually in bidding wars on eBay. Where frankly these things can get totally out of hand in the heat of the moment. Which is typical of most auctions I've attended, virtual or not. When I was in LA a couple of years ago my friend Lustmord mentioned that he was selling his Synthi AKS but at the time I wasn't in a position where I could make a decent offer for what was a really nice unit. As is happened he sold that AKS last year for $7k, on eBay. Like I said, some sell for outrageous prices.
Well I think i've waited long enough now so I'm putting the word out there that I'm 'seriously' looking to buy a Synthi... though I can't go to $7k and I don't really want to bid on eBay but I will consider most sensible proposals for a decent unit. Also I'd rather buy from the UK, or maybe Europe, but no further.

Update: I’m no longer actively looking for an AKS. See this post:
http://chriscarterchemistrylessons.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-little-synthi-aks.html

Equipment brochure scans

2010-01-21T10:43:00.000Z

I recently found some scans of equipment brochures and catalogues from my extensive 30 year old collection. Some of the scans were done about 10 years ago and, to be honest, weren't very good as many were made up of stitched images or suffered moiré effects. The problem I've always found with scanning is that many of my brochures and catalogues don't fit into a standard scanner A4 or 'legal' window.
So yesterday I took some quick shots of a few sales brochures with my DSLR, from above, and the results are quite good.
I've published the first batch up on my Flikr pages but as there are so many (probably well over a hundred) and the process of copying/shooting, then trimming and uploading is quite long-winded I won't be doing any more until the later part of 2010. You could say this is a primer for what is to come...

Looking back, while moving forward

2010-01-13T13:12:00.000Z

As I’ve said before, 2009 was extremely busy for us and to be honest we probably took on too much work and too many projects and we have to learn how to say "NO" more often, and mean it. Of course the bills still have to be paid and it may seem odd to be talking about turning work down but ultimately our health comes first, well Cosey's more specifically, particularly with her heart condition, which isn't any worse but is definitely aggravated by stress and overworking.

End of the year

2009-12-12T00:00:00.000Z

Bloody hell, it's been two months since I posted anything on here. So I think my apologies are the order of the day... for being so outrageously lax. But to say I've been busy would be an understatement, of the greatest degree. There have been various ongoing (and unfinished) Carter Tutti projects, filming and remixes - assisting Cosey in her many solo endeavors and of course the ever present enterprises of TG. Of which the release of our new little musical box 'Gristleism' has been the most time consuming. But I'm not going to go on at any length, yet... as I'm in the process of designing and building a new website to replace this one you are on right now and I'll be updating my blog in the process. Check back here sometime in January 2010.

Gristelism update

2009-10-16T00:00:00.000+01:00

GRISTLEISM - So that cat is out of the bag: you can see some of its colour, its ears and the top of its head but it's not meowing yet and you don't know what kind of cat it is, so to speak. All I can say right now (am allowed to) is that it's a Throbbing Gristle product and it will be released by Industrial Records (cat no. IR2009005). An 'exclusive' edition will be available for pre-order in September from the TG Web Store and a regular edition will be available shortly afterwards Worldwide.

I can also tell you that we've been secretly working on this project for many months with Christiaan Viarant. I'm making an educated guess that many of you will figure out even more from these basic details I've given. But anyway you won't have long to wait... in the meantime go here: http://www.gristleism.com

Flikr photo set http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris_carter_/sets/72157622568217418/

Better the Devil you know (?)

2009-10-08T00:00:00.001+01:00

I can't remember the last time Cosey and I were this busy, probably during our early to mid Nineties period. But then it was recording, performing and working on projects almost exclusively related to Chris & Cosey. And although we've always had Cosey's solo Art career running in parallel with what the two of us work on together it's since 2002 that we've had to factor in ever increasing amounts of Throbbing Gristle and Industrial Records related work and projects. But during the last 12 months TG & IR has at times almost taken over our lives (well mine & Cosey's at least) and has impacted our own solo and CarterTutti projects pretty drastically.

Even if you haven't read the TG book 'The Wreckers of Civilization' you may know that the core of TG/IR (the TG four) has always been run as a democratic co-oprative cottage industry. In as much that everything we do is decided by a majority vote, all our income is shared equally and we try keep as much as possible of what we do and how we do it 'in-house' - or 'in the family'. No matter what it may appear like to outsiders the realm of TG/IR is not a dictatorship, and it never has been. In the early days: the 1970s' & 80s', that literally meant everything, well except physically pressing records. We even ran our own cassette duplication facility, churning out thousands of cassettes and covers from a converted kitchen in Hackney. I used to rent or borrow vans and Genesis and me would deliver vinyl, cassettes, t-shirts and merch in person all over London. This was apart from all the equipment building, recording, editing, mastering, filming, videoing, performing and self-promotion we did. And for most of that period we all had regular day-jobs too.

So here we are in 2009... and there are obviously still aspects and areas within TG & IR that we individually excel at or specialise in, or are sometimes co-opted into out of necessity. But it seems a lot of what we do nowadays, to keep TG running smoothly (or at all) falls on the shoulders of Cosey and me. And if we didn't 'step up to the plate' as often as we do (which is pretty much all the time) I honestly think TG would fade out of existence and cease to exist as a living, working collective.

Just telling it like it is....

A=P=P=A=R=I=T=I=O=N in Glasgow

2009-09-09T00:00:00.000+01:00

A=P=P=A=R=I=T=I=O=N, our TG sculptural collaboration with Cerith Wyn Evans is now on exhibition at the enormous Tramway gallery in Glasgow. If you get the chance please visit this for a truly unique TG audio experience. A=P=P=A=R=I=T=I=O=N is TG being restrained and ethereal... delicate almost. It is very hard to describe an encounter with the sculpture: it uses multi-channel, highly polished, highly directional audio spotlights to project sound in a slowly, ever moving collage that seems to appear and disappear in mid air and from many directions simultaneously.

Like I said totally unique. We are all hoping that A=P=P=A=R=I=T=I=O=N will travel next year, and although there's no definite info yet as soon as we do know we'll make an announcement. - More Tramway details here.

A=P=P=A=R=I=T=I=O=N photos on Flikr.

Excepter 12" Remix

2009-07-02T00:00:00.000+01:00

Excepter 12" (a future now series).
A project we've been working on with the band Excepter which is being released by Rvng, a small Brooklyn-based record label. This limited edition 12" is the first release in the series and features collaborations from NYC's industrial pranksters Excepter with Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti (of Throbbing Gristle, Chris & Cosey, Carter Tutti), JG Thirwell of Foetus and his many alter egos, and Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto. exceptor.com

Flikr site update

2009-06-01T00:00:00.000+01:00

I've recently deleted all my photos from this site and moved most of them onto my Flikr pages.
I have had a Flikr site for a year or so and any photos (or videos) I wish to share have lately been posted straight onto it, and viewers can leave comments (unlike here), so it didn't make sense having my photos spread across two sites any longer. I still haven't moved some of the travel, international and architectural images, but I will as soon as I get the time.

You don't need a Flikr account to view my photos but without a Flickr account you cannot leave comments, send me messages or access my fetish & bondage photo sets (link), which are tagged as 'restricted' by Flikr. Also if you wish to view my 'restricted' images and you have a Flikr account you may need to reset your preferences. My 'restricted' images are also not accessible if you are located in Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany or Korea: sorry, It's not my fault, that's just how Flikr works.

I can tell from my Flikr stats figures that a lot of people are viewing my photos (another good reason for moving my images from here), this includes the 'restricted' fetish & bondage sets, which is only to be expected I guess but PLEASE do not berate me for using Flikr as I'm happy using it (and I don't care what you experience is with it) and don't ask me to host my' images ('restricted or otherwise) on another 'photo sharing' site (way too much hard work) or to send copies to you by email as I don't (or will ever) have the time.

I hope you enjoy them... (link)

CCCL project

2009-05-18T00:00:00.000+01:00

As part of my ongoing CCCL project I recently recorded a short video of some experimental sounds as a 'tribute' to the experimental work of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop who staged a performance in London on the 17th May, that I couldn't attend. All the sounds and loops originate from a BC8 synth, a Gakken SX-150 synth and BugBrand Weevil synths. All the effects and processing is done with Boss pedals.
Longer HD clip on Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/4706722
Shorter lo-res clip on Flikr: www.flickr.com/photos/chris_carter_/3541773057/
Photo still with notes on what was used: www.flickr.com/photos/chris_carter_/3541773771/
An audio only MP3 edit of the track can be heard > HERE <