christina carter
Living Contact
cd (kranky 75)- Silhouette
- Dream Mother
- Alone, Not Alone
- Going Down
- Body Energy Exchange
- Major
Content: The material on Living Contact is made up solely of Christina Carter on acoustic guitar and occasional vocals. It was recorded on boombox and four track tape from 1994-98, the period between Charalambides' Union and Houston albums, with most of the material recorded in 1995 and 1996. Wholly Other originally released Living Contact as a CDR in 2001 and the label's catalogue describes the music as: "The primitive and spectral underpinnings of Charalambides rendered with mysterious simplicity." Performed by one woman in a room by herself, this music sounds both as old as the hills and utterly contemporary.
Context: Living Contact follows the Charalambides' Unknown Spin CD and Tom Carter's Monument CD in the continuing series of kranky reissues of Charalambides-related material. Seen in the light of the latest studio album from the band, Joy Shapes, this solo acoustic recording expands our understanding of Christina Carter's instrumental contributions to Charalambides and stands alone as affecting acoustic music. Living Contact reminds us how pivotal Charalambides have been as a band and as individuals over the past decade. For a long time now Christina has, both within the context of Charalambides and independently of them, been slowly building and refining a guitar sound that is intensely personal and uniquely hers. Living Contact proves that the most basic musical tools can still rivet the attention of a listener when they are used by an astute and daring musician.
Some observations on Christina Carter and Charalambides:
"It may be a nightmare for cataloguers and shelving clerks, but the sweetly droning, spacey guitar music of Heather Leigh Murray and Christina Carter, who perform as the duo Scorces (and with Tom Carter as the trio Charalambides) is lovely by any name." Chris Dodge, Utne March/April 2004