Cosey Fanni Tutti knows something about noise. Whether as a member of the band, Throbbing Gristle, or one pole of the Chris & Cosey/Carter Tutti axis, she has made a firm mark in the inner ears of listeners while shaking the fillings from their teeth.
Her new album, 2t2 (see what she did there?), manipulates noises in the most fantastic ways – and not always with chest-compressing intensity. The recordings draw on electronic distortions and harsh oscillations even when there are subtle, sweet surprises to be found.
2t2 opens with “Curae,” which sounds like something Fever Ray would find affinity with, vocally. The layers are assembled with the technical skills and trade secrets that come from a half-century of experimentation, but the artistic quality is like nothing else on the scene.
“To Be” answers the Bard’s question with a danceable rhythm and layers of cornet, synth, and atmospheric vocals. It demands to be played loud.
“Stound” has distortion in spades, twirled like spaghetti around a fork. It is a stimulating track in the spirit of Chris & Cosey’s “Retrodect.” One of the features of Tutti’s music is that she knows how to build an excellent groove into something entrancing. It is worth the price of admission alone.
“Never the Same” picks up with Tutti’s intonations interacting with her cornet. There is so much atmosphere it has its own stratosphere. The cornet returns on “Stolen Time,” where it is balanced with guitar sounds exfiltrated from a Strange Cargo album. The drifting sounds describe the city at night – it is music to ride in cabs to.
“Respair” goes Western with a harmonica and juddering scrapes. Once Upon a Time in King’s Lynn continues the theme of epic spaces, reimagined under the influence of Ennio Morricone. It’s an unexpected but striking turn.
“Threnody” swirls through space with lamentful harmonics. It’s the kind of track Omnisphere was designed for – cinematic, sweeping, and moody. What tools were actually deployed is undisclosed, but the late night sci-fi vibe is strong.
“Sonance” continues the theme with epic, extra-terrestrial resonance. It would work equally well as the soundtrack for the interior of an abandoned spaceship or a view to the horizon on a desert planet. Tutti’s film work, including Caroline Catz’s biopic about Delia Derbyshire, is a launch pad for these expeditions.
The album concludes with “Limbic,” which references the parts of the brain responsible for emotions. Industrial music – a genre rooted in and named for Tutti’s early work with Throbbing Gristle – always triggered responses. Some reacted with aggression, some with excitement – but indifference was never an option. That, as 2t2 reinforces, is the universal constant.