Carter Tutti Void Triumvirate Conspiracy International
This is the third and final album from Carter Tutti Void, the collaborative project of Throbbing Gristle alumni Chris Carter and Cosey Fanny Tutti, and Factory Floor’s Nik Void. Much like 2012’s Transverse and 2015’s f(x), Triumvirate’s largely improvised approach unearths a dark and alluring energy that fogs the mind. Its six tracks are thick with the primitive sensuality at the heart of all good industrial and EBM: pulsating synths throb beneath Carter’s propulsive, rudimentary beats. The burning air of ceremony hangs heavy throughout.
Where Triumvirate excels is the live instrumentation that colours and sometimes overwhelms its rhythms. Here, the sound palette is more varied and exhilarating than the gritty minimalism that characterised previous releases. At its peak, great scrapes of effect-heavy guitar grind against razor-sharp keys and feverish wails. Often it seems Tutti and Void are working intentionally against each other – and to thrilling effect. On T_3_4 we hear processed vocals bristle with menace over rattling electronics, heightening a sense of conflict.
Other tracks cool things down. T_3_3 has a decidedly dub-like feel, with distant drones and cavernous percussion. At many points, there is space for a listener to crawl inside the sound, allowing for hypnotic, hallucinatory moments. Very appropriate for such a rich and intoxicating parting gift from what’s proven a fiercely creative venture – it’s sad to see them go.