Charalambides
To say that the words ‘unique’ and ‘singular’ are over−used in describing music is to state the obvious. To apply these words to the sounds created by the various duo/trio configurations of the Texan group *Charalambides *over the last decade would be an understatement. To be sure there are numerous antecedents to their music; to deny this of any artist would be akin to saying that they are deaf. But they have surely broken new ground in the primitive/folk/mystic/improv/psych valley in which they toil.
Originally a duo comprised of Tom Carter (who had been playing guitar in the Houston grunt−psych band The Mike Gunn) and Christina Carter, Charalambides released a cassette called Our Bed Is Green on their own Wholly Other label in 1992. Three years later it was released on CD. The two Carters had a firm grasp on the haunting nature of American blues and country, and a mastery of tape manipulation to add to Tom Carter’s expansive guitar skills. A full length album called Union was released by the Siltbreeze label and the duo became a trio with the addition of guitarist Jason Bill. The band toured the US,continuing to release a series of albums that pay homage to drones, withering guitar psych−outs, country−blues structure and Christina Carter’s gorgeous singing.
Jason Bill left the band in 1996, and has subsequently formed an amazing duo of his own called Migrantes, and Tom and Christina Carter moved from Houston to Austin, Texas. Having appeared on the landmark compilation Harmony Of The Spheres in 1996 alongside Bardo Pond, Jessamine, Roy Montgomery, Flying Saucer Attack and Loren Mazzacane Connors, Charalambides ranked in an elite group of musicians that spanned continents. The duo focused on the Wholly Other imprint; releasing music from Ash Castles On Ghost Coast, Scorces, Tom and Christina’s solo recordings and a series of Charalambides CDrs. These limited edition releases illustrated the band’s working processes; many were recorded live to tape. The band also released a number of titles on small labels.
In 2002 Christina Carter’s partner in Scorces, Heather Leigh Murray, joined Charalambides on vocals and pedal steel guitar. A CDr released on Wholly Other at this time, Unknown Spin, was the first in a series of Kranky reissues of Charalambides material. In November 2003, Kranky released the album (minus a Scorces track that was on the limited edition original) to substantial acclaim.
Joy Shapes was the first studio album recorded by Charalambides in a long time. The main tracks were recorded in June 2003, with subsequent overdubs, mixing and mastering done throughout the summer and early fall of 2003 including one night of vocal recording done in what Tom Carter calls a ‘lost evening’. It was released in May, 2004. Nathan Hogan wrote in Dusted that “Every time I listen to Joy Shapes it’s like a brand new beast, which is perhaps the most you can say about any record.”
Heather Leigh Murray moved to Glasgow, Scotland and Charalambides once again pared down to the duo of Tom Carter and Christina Carter. A series of shows across the United States followed and Charalambides will continue to tour in 2005, although the members now live on each coast. Further reissues of CDrs released on Wholly Other came in the summer of 2004 as Kranky issued Tom Carter’s recording of solo lap steel guitar, Monument, and the Christina Carter Living Contact.
2007 sees the highly anticipated release of Charalambides new album Likeness, a return to spontaneous composition, yet a corner turned into abstract echoing spaces.