Chris Cutler
Great Britain- Biography of Chris Cutler
- Early Life and Musical Career
- Recommended Records and Continuing Musical Career
Biography of Chris Cutler
Chris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, singer-songwriter, and musicologist. He gained fame as the drummer of the English avant-garde rock band 'Henry Cow'. He has also been a drummer for several other bands, including 'Art Bears', 'News from Babel', 'Pere Ubu', and briefly 'Gong'. He has collaborated with many musicians and groups, including Fred Frith, Lindsay Cooper, Zeena Parkins, Peter Blegvad, and 'The Residents', and has been involved in the recording of over a hundred releases. Cutler's career has spanned over three decades, and he continues to actively perform worldwide. He founded and leads the British independent label 'Recommended Records' and is the editor of the magazine 'RēR Quarterly'. He has given a series of public lectures on music, published numerous articles and research, and authored a book on the political theory of contemporary music, 'File Under Popular', published in 1984. In 2009, Cutler's efforts led to the creation and release of the anniversary box set 'The 40th Anniversary Henry Cow Box Set', a collection featuring over ten hours of previously unreleased recordings by the band.
Early Life and Musical Career
Chris Cutler was born on January 4, 1947, in Washington, D.C., in a family of a British foreign correspondent and his Austrian wife. In 1948, the family moved to England, where Cutler grew up. He never received formal music education but experimented with playing the banjo, guitar, trumpet, and flute while in school. Eventually, he decided to focus on percussion as he wanted to join a band, and drummers were in high demand. Cutler formed his first band in 1963, playing instrumental cover versions of 'Shadows and Ventures' compositions, and later played in several R&B and soul orchestras. In 1966, he joined a band called 'Louise', which performed in London's psychedelic clubs for three years before disbanding. Cutler then searched for work and placed a series of advertisements in 'Melody Maker' for nine months in 1970. This allowed him to meet several musicians and eventually led to him joining 'The Ottawa Music Company', a 26-member rock orchestra formed by Cutler and keyboardist Dave Stewart of 'Egg', in 1971. Shortly after, the band 'Henry Cow', which was looking for a replacement drummer, responded to one of Cutler's advertisements and invited him to a rehearsal. By 1971, 'Henry Cow' had already been in existence for three years and undergone several lineup changes, but it was only with Cutler's addition that the band's lineup stabilized. Founding members Fred Frith, Tim Hodgkinson, and newcomer Cutler eventually became the core of 'Henry Cow' until the band disbanded in 1978. However, their reputation in progressive rock circles continued to play a role in the careers of its members, including Chris Cutler.
Recommended Records and Continuing Musical Career
Initially, 'Henry Cow' music did not have commercial potential, which forced the band members to do everything themselves, from songwriting to recording, from releasing their own albums to organizing tours. They acted as their own agents and managers. All of this became invaluable experience for Cutler and greatly helped him in his future endeavors. In 1978, after the band's breakup, Cutler founded the independent label 'Recommended Records' and distribution network in London for artists associated with the 'Rock in Opposition' (RIO) movement, with which he had collaborated during the final months of 'Henry Cow'. The label quickly filled the void left by commercial record companies and embraced not only RIO musicians. The label occasionally faced financial difficulties but remained true to its principles, prioritizing the interests of musicians over profit, and has remained afloat for over three decades. Countless works by talented musicians would never have seen the light of day if it weren't for Chris Cutler's initiative. In 1982, he also established 'November Books', the publishing arm of the label.
As for music, after 'Henry Cow', Cutler played and wrote songs for 'Art Bears' (1978–1981), a band formed by Frith, Cutler, and Dagmar Krause from the remnants of 'Henry Cow'. From 1982 to 1992, he was a member of the Anglo-German group 'Cassiber'. In 1983, he formed 'News from Babel', which existed from 1983 to 1986. From 1987 to 1989, he was a member of the experimental American rock band 'Pere Ubu'. He participated in the 1991 project 'Domestic Stories' and played with 'The (ec) Nudes' in 1993-1994 and 'The Science Group' in 1997. Additionally, since the late 1990s, Cutler has worked on solo projects and has released three solo albums on his label.
