CHRIS CUTLER & LUTZ GLANDIEN: DOMESTIC STORIES

"Domestic Stories" is an album created by the duo of Chris Cutler and Lutz Glandien. Chris wrote the lyrics and Lutz the music, while both produced and mixed this record. While Cutler needs no introduction being from the legendary RIO band HENRY COW and what a creative drummer and composer this man is. Lutz was born in East Germany and to be honest looks like a square and is a brain when it comes to the studio and composing. He has had so much training, and been so active, although not in our music per se.

And considering this was recorded in 91/92 it's surprising that Lutz even uses a computer on this. He uses a sampler as well and plays mainly keyboards/electronics but adds guitar on my favourite track "Red, Black, Gold". Chris and Lutz also recorded a song together in 1991 called "Strange Drums" that would be used on Glandien's solo album called "Songs From No Marriage" surprisingly enough. Syzygy's opening line in his review of "Domestic Stories" says "This is a song cycle that looks at the institution of marriage from Chris Cutler's hard line Marxist perspective." Interesting. We get thirteen tracks and about 49 minutes worth.

So a duo plus guests. And the most controversial guest will be singer Dagmar Krause. Her voice is so depressing, and I would be too if I were into the communist lifestyle. With her involvement you can't help but think of the bands ART BEARS and NEWS FROM BABEL with Cutler on both. Another guest is Fred Frith who was also part of ART BEARS. Lastly Alfred Harth adds sax and clarinet and he played with Cutler in that eighties band CASSIBER. A lot of connections. And speaking of that, the cover art was done by Peter Blegvad from ART BEARS.

I find the music very hit and miss with really only that "Red, Black, Gold" track being the one that I like from start to finish. I do like how they contrast the powerful sections with the more mellow passages on this record. Amazing musicianship of course. Such a melancholic album, but one that RIO fans will probably take to like a duck to water. Just not my cup of coffee.