Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, simultaneously celebrated and reviled throughout England, spearheaded the British dance-pop movement from the moment their initial chart success arrived in 1989. Rather than echoing the disco-rooted songs associated with the Pet Shop Boys, the band mined the underground club and dance circuit, folding spoken-word excerpts, drum-and-riff loops, and an insistent pulse into brightly melodic, chorus-focused writing. Punk’s confrontational outlook colored their perspective, surfacing in caustic lyrics and a scorched-earth method of dismantling pop conventions old and new. Their next release, “Sheriff Fatman,” crystallized this approach more sharply than any other track and secured their position as a potent force across the U.K. After resolving a copyright-infringement action brought by attorneys for the Rolling Stones in 1991, Carter eased their sound open just enough to reduce obvious audio snippets while preserving a strong dance foundation and undiminished pop instincts. Mainstream listeners proved less welcoming than they had been only a few years prior, and the group never expanded past a devoted cult audience in the United States. By the mid-’90s support had fallen away sharply on both sides of the Atlantic, new albums met with indifference, and still the band kept recording.