Chris & Cosey

Following the 1981 dissolution of the pioneering industrial rock outfit Throbbing Gristle, Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti (b. Christine Newby) chose to continue their partnership. Operating as both Chris and Cosey and CTI (Creative Technology Institute), the pair built upon the thick rhythmic foundations of their prior group while gradually incorporating more approachable synthesized pop textures into their sound.

The duo’s initial release under the CTI name, Heartbeat, appeared on Rough Trade in 1981, followed by Trance the next year. A disagreement with Rough Trade concerning Trance’s retail pricing sparked ongoing conflicts that eventually prompted the artists to exit the label in 1985, after which they aligned with Nettwerk Productions in North America and Play It Again Sam across Europe. Early in the 1990s the pair moved to the influential industrial imprint Wax Trax!