Chris Carter
Chris Carter was one of the founding members of Throbbing Gristle, initiators of the industrial music revolution. He also has many solo works and collaberations which include Cosey Fanni Tutti, the Eurythmics and Ian Boddy. He is also a noted journalist with many contributions to Sound On Sound magizine. Chris and the other original members of Throbbing Gristle have recently regrouped for a series of TG-related releases and events. These include the TG24 CD boxed set. He is also working on new Carter Tutti releases and continues concert performances with TG and Carter Tutti.
How did you get into writing music?
Wow - where do I begin? I started my career in the late 60s' as a sound engineer working in TV and radio, but by the early 1970's I had developed a touring, solo multimedia show with projections, custom-made synths and quad sound. It was during this period that we formed Throbbing Gristle and invented the whole 'Industrial Music' genre.
When the first incarnation of TG finished in 1981 Cosey Fanni Tutti and I signed to Rough Trade as Chris & Cosey and during this time we released a number of albums and singles including a collaboration with the Eurythmics. By the mid- 80's we had signed to Play It Again Sam in Europe and WaxTrax & Nettwerk in the USA & Canada, and throughout the 80's and 90's we toured extensively and released what are probably our most commercially-successful albums, singles and videos. Those were heady days!
But alongside our more commercial career we've always had this driving urge to create and manipulate unusual sounds and textures and push boundaries. So right at the beginning we set up our own label (CTI) and began working on separate collaborations and projects and have worked with musicians as diverse as Lustmord, Boyd Rice, Mortal Loom, Robert Wyatt, Coil and more recently Current 93.
I've also pursued a parallel solo career alongside TG and C&C and have released albums and toured under my own name (I also spent 8 years writing for Sound On Sound magazine). A couple of years ago synthesist Ian Boddy and I also collaborated and released an album.
In 2003 we decided to regroup Throbbing Gristle and have been exhibiting, filming, performing and recording since, and our first new TG album in 25 years is due for release this year. In the last 3 or 4 years Cosey and I decided to move away from our more commercial 'Chris & Cosey' sound and we now perform and release material under the name Carter Tutti.
What projects have you used Camel Audio software on?I got CamelPhat and CamelSpace last year after reading glowing reports about them on the OSXAudio forums. We were just beginning to record the new Throbbing Gristle album and were throwing sounds and ideas around in the studio like mental patients. I feel it's always better to have too much material than not enough. Anyway I downloaded the plug-ins and tried them on a couple of loops I'd made with my Korg ER1mkII and that sounded a bit lifeless. Well that was it - they changed the vibe of the loops in such a way we used the same loops but mangled and 'Camel-ised' them in completely different ways on two different tracks. By the time the album was finished I guess we'd used those plug-ins on most of the album in some way or another.
Then over Xmas and the New Year TG were working in Berlin for a few weeks and while in the studio there I used CamelSpace and CamelPhat on a some new TG songs. I also used Cameleon 5000 during a live TG soundtrack performance we did there to a new print of Derek Jarman's film 'In The Shadow of The Sun' (which will be out on DVD in 2007). Currently I'm in the studio with Cosey recording our second CARTER TUTTI album and I'm using Cameleon 5000 and CamelSpace a lot. I've already used Cameleon 5000 on every track, totally hooked!
What do you like most about Cameleon 5000?
I'm a relative newcomer to the Cameleon 5000 but it has an awesome breadth and range to its sounds, it really puts so many other soft synths to shame. Also the sheer number and scope of presets you get with it are incredible for a synth in its price bracket. But I guess I use it because it's constantly surprising me with what it's capable of. It really does blow me away, which is rare these days with so many 'samey' sounding soft-synths around.
What do you like most about CamelSpace and CamelPhat?
Apart from the fact that they sound so bloody fantastic they are also fun to use. And I love the Camel user interface, it's so intuitive and easy to get to grips with. If I'm looking for something to warp or mangle a sound, a loop or a track they are inevitably the first plugins I turn to to begin my experimenting because they are so versatile. Also they have a distinct sonic edge over other delay and filter plugins I've used that's hard to explain. They just 'work' with so many sounds, it's like sprinkling some kind of magic audio dust and the sounds just shift up a gear.
I use ALL of your products, including the Biolabs Absynth sounds and are amazing by the way.
What are your plans for the next year?
In 2007 Mute are releasing a definitive TG DVD boxed set and we'll be releasing our second TG studio album. Plus we have two major TG projects under wraps that are going to blow peoples minds. One is a live project the other is studio based, but that's all I'm allowed to say right now. Also in 2007 Cosey and I are planning a few more Carter Tutti concerts, another album and are working on a short animated film and soundtrack.
