Can

• Genre: Krautrock
• Hometown: Cologne
• Can Website

About

The late '60s created an overwhelming number of bands that changed history, but it also gave birth to a group of artists whose proper history has yet to be written. Coming from the diverse fields of visual art, jazz and Avant-Garde classical music and from different parts of the world, Can came together in Germany's blooming Krautrock scene to form one of the most revolutionary sounds in rock music. What sets Can apart from other ensembles is an absence of center; at almost any point in Can's songs, there appears to be no lead. Each instrument forms a cohesive whole of hypnotic rhythms and melting textures. Jaki Leibezeit's unequalled percussion makes complex rhythms as natural as a heartbeat. The electric and acoustic machinations of Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli and Irmin Schmidt accumulate as organic manifestations of the most peculiar approaches to their instruments. Even the unique voices of Damo Suzuki and Malcolm Mooney flow effortlessly through their ever-changing sounds. The members continue to create vanguard music, but at their peak, Can was truly touched by superlative inspiration.

- Marc Kate