a r t i s t : Christina Carter
t i t l e : Coupled
d a t e : 2010
l a b e l : Many Breaths
c a t : n/a
s o u r c e : CDDA
g e n r e : Avantgarde/Vocal
r l s. d a t e : Mar/2010
t r a c k s : 02
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 49,3 MB
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Stunning new art edition disc, self-released by Christina in a
hand-numbered run of 100 copies and only available from
Volcanic Tongue. Packaged in art paper sleeves, signed and
with original lettering and art by Christina, every copy is
unique. This is one of Christina's most unhinged and darkest
performances. The first piece is an extremely intimate solo
vocal piece where she channels the forlorn spirit of Patty
Waters into a heartbreaking memorial for her late father, her
breath carried on arcs of haunting melody. The second piece
might be her greatest accomplishment to date, a solo
guitar/vocal performance where she overdubs some incredibly
confusing Venusian guitar over beautiful descending chords and
one of her most otherworldly vocals. The high-wire atmosphere
takes a turn for the macabre when she steps back from the song
and starts to laugh hysterically, conveying a horrifying
sadness and an atmosphere of emotional trauma that is
inexplicably jaw-dropping. The track runs the gamut of
unutterably beautiful vocals/guitar poetry through harrowing
emotional confusion with all of the unnerving power of the
most profound Jandek recordings. Best thing I've heard this
year and the undisputed jewel in the Many Breaths catalogue. A
masterpiece. Highest possible recommendation.
bio:
Christina Carter was born in the bayou city of Houston, Texas
in November of 1968, and co-founded the group Charalambides
there in December of 1991. Ever since then, she has deeply
mined her own vein of sound-as-music with voice, guitar (both
electric and acoustic), piano, and keys. For the past several
years, Christina has utilized extended improvisational guitar
passages within and without song-medley structures;
re-contextualized certain Charalambides songs within the spare
single guitar/voice form that birthed much of the group's
music; and recently, investigated 'the song' as a thing unto
itself, specifically concentrating on 'the word'- both in her
own lyric writing and her interpretions of the work of other
lyricists.
In addition to performing extensively in the US, UK and Europe
as a solo artist, Christina has played and recorded in various
groups and duos with Black Forest/Black Sea, Maria Chavez (as
Weird Cookie), Loren Connors, Chris Corsano, Dredd Foole, Paul
Flaherty, Gown (as The Bastard Wing), Shawn David McMillen,
and Thurston Moore. She is also a permanent member of Babes On
The Loose, Hot Assphalt, Scorces (with Heather Leigh Murray),
Scorpiio Flower, Soft Hair, and Space(space)Child (a Spirit
tribute band with Jessi Leigh Swenson).
Concurrent with her work as a musician, Christina has expanded
her involvement in writing and visual art. Her poetry has been
published by Digitalis Industries, The Ecstatic Peace Poetry
Journal, Glass Eye, and Slow Toe Press. In 2007, her art piece
Forever 21 appeared at Salon Mijangos in San Antonio, Texas as
part of a concert/exhibit featuring Tom Carter, Warmer Milks,
and Tetuzi Akiyama. Forever 21 was a labor of love and
destruction- six of her handwritten diaries cut up
painstakingly with scissors into miniscule pieces, which then
filled a medium size yellow plastic shopping bag.
Christina currently resides in Austin, Texas. Her latest
albums are the double LP reissue Lace Heart (Root Strata) and
the solo CDR Seals (Many Breaths). Her forthcoming releases
are the Coupled and Of The Gutter CDRs (Many Breaths) which
will be released in the Spring of 2010. Also in 2010 she will
publish Because Of Her In A Familiar Place (Many Breaths) - a
book of lyrics, poems and drawings.
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01-Bearing [19:52]
02-Coupled [27:36]
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47:28 min