tom carter & robert horton

tom carter & robert horton ~ nyida days (blackest rainbow, 2012)

"following on from previous collaborations between Robert Horton and Charalambides Tom Carter on fine labels such as Important, Preservation and Digitalis, Carter and Horton come back to Blackest Rainbow for their first duo recording in a while. the three tracks result in combinations between outsider improvised trips and swirling head drones created via a wide array of instruments and non-instruments. Carter takes hold of the guitar, ebow and lap steel with Horton's every growing army of sound making objects described here as boot loops, boot, vortex, cassette player, minidisks, vibrator, computer, sine waves, voice, sex machine, organ, construction and beats to name some... Carter and Horton create a wild sound that is almost deconstructed and rebuilt through the 3 tracks, it sounds great and like no one else..." blackest rainbow

los discos de robert horton y tom carter tienen un lenguaje propio, un universo particular que reconocerías desde la primera nota, como r keenan lawler, town and country o mike tamburo. 'nyida days' son tres canciones inagotables que te mantienen en trance hasta el final, sobre todo las preciosísimas primeras notas de memorial stupa for manuel gottschink. la magia sigue, la música fluye...tom y robert, robert y tom, que no dejen nunca de hacer discos juntos

~~all proceeds from the sale of this release will go to Tom Carter. read more about the appeal here~~

bandcamp ~ buy

tom carter appeal

"17 June 2012: While on a tour of Europe with Charalambides, Tom Carter was hospitalized in Berlin, Germany and has been in intensive care for over two weeks. He is currently being treated for serious complications of pneumonia. At this time, there remain many uncertainties regarding his condition, which continues to be variable and evolving. Hospitalization and a projected recovery could last at a minimum many weeks and possibly months.

The consideration and support that has already been expressed, during this time, is of great comfort to Tom’s family.

Many concerned individuals have asked about sending cards and flowers, all of which is greatly appreciated. However, the intensive care unit is not equipped to accommodate gifts. We will be sure to let everyone know if and when the hospital is able to do so. Additionally, Tom is currently unable to receive phone calls or visitors. Many individuals have also inquired as to what other assistance they can provide. Due to the severity of Tom’s illness, his hospitalization away from home, and the projection of a possible prolonged recovery, Tom and his family will certainly incur a more than significant financial burden. There will be medical bills as well as possible travel and housing expenses. It is thought that a considerable portion, if not all, of Tom’s recovery must take place in Berlin. 

A fund is being established to receive donations to offset these costs. Information on how to contribute will follow as soon as it is available. Tom Carter’s generosity and modesty as a musician and friend, coupled with his dedication to a vision of spiritual music as transformative force, provides us all with a rare example of creative and personal possibilities intertwined. Let us keep Tom, whom we cherish, in our thoughts and attune our minds to his full recovery.

Please forward this notice to anyone who may be concerned. We will post updates here as more information becomes available. 

Volcanic Tongue is donating all proceeds from sales of Charalambides and Tom Carter and Christina Carter releases to Tom Carter and his family. Blackest Rainbow Recordings have also very generously offered all their available releases to VT with all proceeds going direct to Tom’s fund. Click the links below to browse all the releases that are part of the appeal." volcanic tongue

• http://www.volcanictongue.com/artists/show/114
• http://www.volcanictongue.com/artists/show/116
• http://www.volcanictongue.com/artists/show/399
• http://www.volcanictongue.com/labels/show/793

charalambides

charalambides ~ three lane blacktop (two-lane blacktop 2010)

christina carter is the driver

jason bill is gto

charalambides is the girl

tom carter is the mechanic

three-lane blacktop is the album

buy / download

tom carter & robert horton

tom carter & robert horton - campfire (sloow tapes 2009)

"Casual late night camfire jams by Robert Horton and Tom Carter, with laidback appearances by Natacha Robinson, Janet and Mary Carter. Baked guitars, boot and percussion. On special request there’s only 40 copies of this one." sloow tapes

foto: paul herbst

download

tom carter & vanessa arn

tom carter & vanessa arn - what is here for (a silent place 2007)

"Soundscapers Tom Carter and Vanessa Arn collaborate here on two tracks, the first a rather straight on ambient, the latter a moody, soupy mix of 50's sci-fi soundtrack drone and atmospherics taking their cue from interludes on the Paranoid album. Set side by side on What Is Here For it is the second tune that is the more effective and powerful.

This is essentially, though, a conversation between Carter's lap steel guitar and Arn's electro-acoustic drones. Recorded live, these two tracks of course utilize the sounds of the space itself as another instrument. The environment speaks through its silence as well as its absorption of the duo's sounds. If you listen closely, you can even here sounds from outside the studio drifting into the mix.

While the first track simmers and throbs at its own pace, clearly there is more meat to the second piece, and was probably the more fun out the two to play. Adding warped, droning colors taken from genre archetypes to Carter and Arn's already confident and emotional collaboration, makes for a dense, surprising listen. It is perhaps also a cool taste of where further explorations could take them." foxy digitalis

download

badgerlore

badgerlore - we are all hopeful farmers, we are all scared rabbits (table of the elements, 2007)

"Founders Rob Fisk (Deerhoof, 7-Year Rabbit Cycle) and Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance, Comets on Fire) released their debut in 2002. Tom Carter (Charalambides) and Pete Swanson (Yellow Swans) joined in 2004; in 2006, Glenn Donaldson (Blithe Sons, Jewelled Antler) and Liz Harris (Grouper) added their voices. Now the clan extends its cadence of mantras, dirges, prayers and curses with its third full-length release, We Are All Hopeful Farmers, We Are All Scared Rabbits, produced by Tom Carter.

While the group enlarges, the form compresses, into a brambled nexus of sound, as quaverous organs and guitars, humid vocals, and florid tape manipulations all intertwine. It's their most song-oriented recording to date, the tracks functioning as tightly-clasped fetishes and buried amulets, exerting a phantasmic pull on the listener. Together the musicians proceed with masterful nuance and inexorable tension. It is the sound of effigy mounds slowly rousing from prehistoric slumber.

Forget New Weird America; forget Old Weird America. In devotional murmurs and arboreal whispers, the denizens of the Badgerlore lodge summon the dreadful, breathing shadow of the Old Weird Universe.

Features original artwork and tintypes by San Francisco artist Allison Watkins; graphic design by Grammy Award-winner Susan Archie.

Release date: April 24, 2007"

suena 'furbearer' y ahí está la sensación agradable de reencontrarte con Ben Chasny, Tom Carter y Glenn Donaldson. dan ganas de que el disco se detenga en esa primera canción, una de las más bonitas y tristes, con permiso de 'the crops that you tend', del disco. pero siguen (despacito y con buena letra) en diez temas más donde todo funciona en 'slow motion', narcotizando las notas mediante unos arreglos de terciopelo que acarician más que sustentan. si Stories for Owls era un manual musicado de cómo construyen sus nidos los pájaros, 'We are all hopeful farmers...' podría ser el diario de un campesino cualquiera del siglo pasado, su particular canto a la tierra, a las cosechas, a los granjeros que las cuidan y a los animales que lo habitan, el encuentro soñado gracias a Table of the Elements entre Loren Connors, Jewelled Antler y Flying Saucer Attack. profundizan en ese ambiente taciturno y delicado a través de Susan Archie, creadora de la portada (suya también es esa preciosidad de Albert Ayler llamada Holy Ghost) y catalizadora de postales musicales tan emocionantes como 'mountain wine', guiño imaginario a Hush Arbors y ...¿Spokane?

charalambides

charalambides - glowing raw (wholly-other cdr 2006)

 charalambides - emerald message (wholly-other cdr 2006)

en Glowing Raw Christina toca la guitarra acústica y canta, Tom hace lo mismo y le añade un saxo, campanillas, un piano harp ...en Emerald Message se repite el discurso pero acompañado de órganos y guitarras eléctricas. parece mentira que canciones como 'Power Carry Me', 'Swimming Pool', la acústica 'Curse of the Dust', que es como una versión de John Fahey pasada por el filtro élfico de The Iditarod, 'Dissapear into the Sky', Ben Chasny reencarnado en Tom Carter (esa voz...), la deuda espiritual y gospel de 'Give me Jesus', que es Mimi Parker en el cuerpo de Christina, o el influjo de Black Forest/Black Sea y Six Organs of Admittance en la preciosísima 'Do You Believe' (no hay palabras..)...como decía, parece mentira que todas sean material inédito de hace más de diez años de 'Houston', 'Internal Eternal' y 'Drilling the Curve'. menos mal que los mensajes esmeraldas, las revelaciones, las piscinas, los árboles caídos y las dos portadas pintadas a mano por Christina no han caído en el olvido. una apuesta menos convencional donde el estilo de grabación y la atmósfera ya no son superadas, para bien o para mal, por las melodías celestiales y perfectas. los Charalambides más Charalambides...

'Another new and equally jaw-dropping collection of archival material from the duo of Tom and Christina Carter with one track from the first trio line-up that also included Jason Bill (now of Migrantes). A huge amount of sonic territory covered here, featuring 1998 material drawn from the original Houston album sessions as well as tracks from late 95, unreleased material from 95's Drilling The Curve sessions and late 95 material from an aborted Siltbreeze album. Tom is on vocals, electric and acoustic guitar and saxophone, Christina on vocals, organ and guitar and Jason on acoustic guitar. Hand-numbered edition of 250 copies in beautiful individually painted hand-made sleeves.'

eastern fox squirrels

eastern fox squirrels - eastern fox squirrels (last visible dog 2006)

Eastern Fox Squirrels es para mí una de los discos más bonitos que ha hecho nunca Brad Rose. aquí están las entrañas de The North Sea y The Juniper Meadows, volcánicas, fulgurantes, brumosas, apacibles (como Hours, el momento más dulce del disco). lo mismo pero distinto, incorporando saxos y trompetas, prados de guitarras acústicas y flautas exóticas, manteniendo largas conversaciones con los árboles y las mariposas, con ardillas locas y ardillas lúcidas, advirtiéndonos que no vayamos a los bosques de noche. todas las canciones arropan y adormecen, y su enorme poder evocador convierte nuestras cabezas en pantallas llenas de paisajes, ambientes e historias. no sé si mis elogios vienen contaminados por la magia de los mismos músicos del proyecto pero...esto es una maravilla

"Dream Magazine has come to the same conclusion as I: Brad Rose does not sleep. He can't possibly. Here is a man who runs two labels (both highly prolific), an e-zine, blog, podcast, and who knows what else, and still manages to both work and be about half a dozen bands. He seems a one-man jewelled antler (in fact, he's revived their old e-mail group!), especially when it comes to pioneering some truly innovative and beautiful new groups.

Eastern Fox Squirrels is a collaboration between Brad, his wife Eden and Robert Horton. Along the way they are joined by the talents of Tom and Christina Carter (Charalambides), Dan Plonsey (a player in the company of Anthony Braxton and Eugene Chadbourne) and Jason Bill (Charalambides, also recording with Jack Rose.)

Sonically, Eastern Fox Squirrels has a varied pallet. Like the Jewelled Antler folks, we have bouzouki, glockenspiels, bowed banjos, weird exotic flutes and who knows what else being used to great effect. The results being very much like what you'd expect; experimental but with soft, round edges and nice, nearly ambient dirges that feel welcome but really aren't normal." lvd

Hours (con Christina Carter)

charalambides

charalambides - a vintage burden (kranky, 2006)

hasta ahora sabíamos de Tom y Christina Carter que en el reino del folk primitivo, místico o psicótico podían, por bagaje, caminar con la cabeza muy muy alta. desde el lejano 'our bed is green', autoeditado en cassette en el año 92 a través de su sello Wholly Other, las noticias sonoras de la pareja Carter venían siempre envueltas en drones, pulsaciones minimalistas y trasteos que como los coros, parecían vivir en una súplica permanente. un silencio bizarro que no conseguía conjurar el bien y el mal, únicos aunque plurales en la singularidad, parecían ser dueños en exclusiva de cadencias disonantes que les permitían manejar, como pocos, el sonido dentro de la oscuridad, apuntalando siempre la sensación de contradicción. la nota de prensa de 'joy shapes' hablaba en 2004 de un exorcismo visible en canciones como 'here not here' (here is here / here is not here / the rain falls / and the sun shines / the rain shines / and the sun falls) , todas esas contradicciones, la sensación de vivir en un fuera de juego existencial permanente como parecían decirnos en 'unknown spin' y todas las nubes negras que les amenazaban se han disuelto definitivamente. en 'a vintage burden' el negro no se ve, apenas se intuye, se siente porque existe y es real pero su protagonismo le ha dejado paso a una paleta de colores que, ahora sí, describe paisajes bonitos con todas las letras. abre 'there is no end' y sin apenas darnos cuenta descubrimos que a Chritina Carter le cabía una Mimi Parker dentro. Siguiendo las comparaciones con los luminosos Low de the great destroyer en 'spring' incluso hay cantos a una vida que pone los pelos de punta (go outside / sky is blue / follow stars / love is in the air / let it shine ) , 'dormant love' puede ser perfectamente la canción más evocadora en lo que va de año y tanto 'black dead blues' como 'two birds' -con sus 17 y 12 minutos respectivamente- demuestran que en el firmamento guitarrístico de Tom Carter también tienen cabida la sensualidad y el erotismo. cierra 'hope against hope' y queda la sensación de que este es, con diferencia, el disco más precioso y cósmico que han parido los Carter, y que si logras llegar a él, no querrás salir. maravilloso.

spring

dormant love

two birds

rafa