CUTLER AND FRITH

Cutler And Frith biography
Chris Cutler and Fred Frith first worked together when Cutler joined Henry Cow in 1971. Their first recorded joint composition was on Henry Cow's In Praise Of Learning, and following the demise of Henry Cow they formed Art Bears along with Dagmar Krause. There have also been other projects involving both musicians, including Aqsak Maboul. They have also worked extensively as a duo playing free improvisations all over the world, beginning just before the end of Henry Cow in 1978 (at Reading university), and at the time of writing 3 CDs of their improvised music were in print.

As well as being highly accomplished performers on their chosen instruments, they have both taken an innovative approach to the design and sound of their equipment. Frith has built a number of tabletop guitars which he plays in all kinds of unconventional ways, and uses a range of devices to modify the sound. Chris Cutler has his electric drumkit, a unique set up in which every piece of the kit is fitted with a mike or pick up and run through a mixer and effects pedals. This means that it's not always clear which instrument is producing which noise, and gives both players access to a far wider range of sounds and textures than you'd expect from a guitar/drums set up. The three CDs feature performances recorded between the late 70s (Prague) and the late 90s (Verona), and some had previously been issued on vinyl.

As bizarre as it can be, Cutler and Frith's music is not unprecedented; an improvised music scene already existed in the UK before they started working together, and their music is clearly influenced by artists like AMM and Derek Bailey. What sets them apart is that they were the first generation of free improvisrs to have their roots in rock music rather than in jazz. Like any good improvisors they're not afraid of silence, but they are equally happy making an enormous electric noise. Probably the best album to start with is 2 Gentlemen in Verona, which showcases their dexterity, versatility and phenomenal interplay. Recommended strongly to those with a taste for the unusual and extreme.




Why this artist must be listed in www.progarchives.com :
2 of the most important figures in RIO/Avant prog playing freely improvised rock music.



Discography:
Live in Moscow, Prague and Washington (1990)
Live in Trondheim, Berlin and Limoges (1994)
2 Gentlemen in Verona (2000)