[Text by Luke Z. Fenchel; read Natasha’s Charalambides interview here] For nearly two decades, Tom and Christina Carter have created some of the most eerie, haunting, harrowing, sophisticated and subtle music in the contemporary American landscape. They have done so to what might be described as smattering of critical acclaim, and what surely may be considered a sore lack of popular recognition. Like fellow Texan Jandek, the Carters — who began making music in Houston and up until relatively recently resided in Austin — create art that is notable primarily for its singularity, and secondarily for its obscurity.
This Sunday, Oct. 26, Tom Carter of Charalambides will appear at the Lost Dog Lounge for a special solo set. He will be joined by Hudson Valley solo musician Cyrus Gengras and local duo American Sphinx. The $6 show will begin at 8:30pm. To say that this is a rare appearance by a pivotal American artist is an understatement.
To listen to the work of Charalambides (that’s Char-a-lam-ba-deez) is to welcome the otherworldly spirit-world of folk art— in all of its backwoods murder ballads and sinister stories — into one’s homes and hearts. Unlike much of what passes as experimental music these days, the Carters’ work travels straight to the listener’s soul. Through the ‘90s and beyond Charalambides self-produced and honed a haunting, psychedelic-informed brand of exploratory electric guitar instrumentals and wordless singing.
The Carters have been releasing music well before the popular labels of freak-folk, neo-psychedelic, and New Weird America ever gained traction. Charalambides — named after a customer at a record store the Carters once worked — has produced bizarre and ethereal art since before Nirvana released Nevermind. Long before Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom and Animal Collective began releasing records, Charalambides was dedicated to uncovering the experimental aspects of folk, blues and country idioms.
Charalambides began with self-released cassettes, and then moved on to the iconic Siltbreeze label in 1993; they quickly garnered attention for their innovative approach to folk, blues, gospel and noise. Charalambides has released material with Siltbreeze, Kranky and their own label, Wholly Other; between the two, Tom and Christina have performed with Bardo Pond, Thurston Moore and Heather Leigh Murray. Several compilation appearances, including the side-long 20-minute piece “Naked in Our Deathskins” on the box set Harmony of the Spheres — a release essential for its prescience at its release in 1997 and significant for its relevance upon re-release as a CD — round out their impressive catalogue.
Tom Carter has worked as a solo artist since the beginning of this decade. Speaking to me from his current home in New York City (until recently he resided in Oakland, CA), Tom distinguishes his solo work from that of Charalambides: “I like the solo music because, in a way, I can do whatever I want. I can do stuff by myself that might not be appropriate with other people. For instance, if you are playing with a group of people, or one other person, it can be more difficult to incorporate certain sounds that are more dense, or experiment with extremes of dynamics.”
Charalambides’ masterwork, 2004’s Joy Shapes, begins with the 20-minute epic “Here Not Here,” which is a characteristically arresting piece. Slowly building through restraint and sparseness, Christina’s voice begins as a murmur, and climaxes in a wail. Sometimes Christina’s singing seems to respond to Tom’s guitar, sometimes it mimics it. This piercing vocal is simultaneously more potent than the most immense immersion in noise, and more personal than the most direct of confessionals by coffeehouse singer and songwriters. The fact that her material is occasionally wordless vocalizing makes the effect all the more immediate and striking.
“Charalambides was more song-based, and though I wouldn’t say the group is not experimental, I would definitely say that it is experimental in a different way,” Carter said. “My solo stuff tends to be more improvisational and conversational, especially in collaboration with people. Sound-wise it tends to be more noisy. Lately I have been doing guitar looping and using a rack of effects. Also I go all over the place, sometimes with no effects at all; I’ll play acoustic.”
In addition to his solo work, Tom Carter collaborates with the experimental artist Marcia Bassett, under the moniker Zaika. Recently, Bassett — who has performed as Zaimph, GHQ, and Double Leopards — joined Jenny Graf at a recent Ithaca concert.
“Christina and I have both been working separately for a long time,” Carter noted, when asked about the future of Charalambides. Referring to 2007’s Likeness, which adapted folk lyrics in the public domain to the Carters’ ghostly interpretations, he said “that was by no means our last record together.”
Tom Carter will perform at the Lost Dog Lounge this Sunday, Oct. 26 at 8:30pm.