Can

Influential German ensemble Can infused rock with an improvisatory spirit, favoring textural exploration and rhythmic dialogue over conventional pop structures. Although its core participants drew from avant-garde classical and jazz traditions, they channeled the propulsive drive and hypnotic pulses of funk alongside psychedelic rock, yielding a tightly controlled yet freely flowing brand of groove-oriented experimental sound. Their recordings typically emerged from extended, vigorous studio improvisations edited in a manner reminiscent of Teo Macero’s approach to Miles Davis’ late-’60s output, resulting in expansive side-long pieces as well as concise tracks strong enough for single release, two of which even entered the pop charts. American vocalist Malcolm Mooney fronted the 1969 debut Monster Movie, after which Japanese singer Damo Suzuki appeared on several landmark releases such as Tago Mago (1971) and Ege Bamyasi (1972). The group incorporated disco rhythms on 1976’s Flow Motion, while subsequent albums featuring former Traffic musicians Rosko Gee and Rebop Kwaku Baah ventured into Latin rock and fusion territory. Can officially ceased operations in 1979, with each member pursuing solo endeavors and outside projects, yet they reconvened intermittently for sessions and shows across the next twenty years; a reunion effort with Mooney titled Rite Time surfaced in 1989. Countless alternative and experimental artists have cited the band as a foundational influence, with Radiohead, the Fall, Public Image Ltd., and the Jesus and Mary Chain covering, referencing, or dedicating songs to Can, while the 1997 remix anthology Sacrilege underscored their reach into ambient and electronic realms. Beyond repeated reissues and compilations, multiple volumes of previously unheard material have emerged, among them the 2012 box set The Lost Tapes.

Keyboardist Irmin Schmidt and bassist Holger Czukay, both alumni of renowned avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, initiated collaboration with free-jazz drummer Jaki Liebezeit and guitarist Michael Karoli in 1968. Operating initially as Inner Space, the Cologne unit issued one single and supplied scores for the films Agilok & Blubbo and Kamasutra, both of which received release four decades afterward. Flutist and electronic artist David C. Johnson participated briefly in those formative stages before exiting, having preferred a less rock-oriented path. The ensemble encountered American visual artist and poet Malcolm Mooney, who became their inaugural lead singer; his surreal incantations and volatile presence proved central to defining their aesthetic. Following his proposal, they adopted the name the Can for its affirmative associations across languages, and their first album, Monster Movie, appeared in 1969. Its second side consisted of “Yoo Doo Right,” a twenty-minute piece reportedly condensed from a six-hour improvisation that ended only when the amplifiers began to overheat.

Mooney repatriated to America after reportedly experiencing a nervous breakdown. Japanese street performer Damo Suzuki, another distinctive vocalist celebrated for his spontaneous and highly dynamic delivery, entered the lineup in May 1970, prompting the shortening of the name to simply Can. Suzuki debuted on Soundtracks, which also contained Mooney’s concluding contributions prior to departure. Non-album single “Turtles Have Short Legs” preceded the 1971 double album Tago Mago, issued on United Artists Records—an ambitious synthesis of improvised rock, funk grooves, and musique concrète methods widely regarded as their most celebrated achievement. Equally innovative yet somewhat more approachable, 1972’s Ege Bamyasi yielded the single “Spoon,” which climbed to the German Top Ten after serving as the theme for the television miniseries Das Messer (The Knife); “Vitamin C” likewise became a signature piece through its immediate appeal and later appearances in films and series. Suzuki’s final recording with Can, 1973’s Future Days, shifted toward a gentler, more atmospheric tone while retaining equal fascination.

Following the Future Days sessions, Suzuki departed to marry and later embraced the Jehovah’s Witness faith, stepping away from music for an extended period. Unable to locate a suitable replacement vocalist, the band divided singing duties between Karoli and Schmidt. The rarities set Limited Edition, later expanded as Unlimited Edition, arrived in 1974 ahead of the studio album Soon Over Babaluma, a comparatively raw effort. Signing with Virgin in the U.K. and EMI/Harvest in Germany allowed an upgrade from two-track to sixteen-track recording, producing the more polished Landed in 1975. Its 1976 successor Flow Motion drew heavily on disco and reggae rhythms; its single “I Want More” unexpectedly reached the U.K. Top 30 and earned a Top of the Pops slot. Further evolution came with the 1977 addition of percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah and bassist Rosko Gee, both ex-Traffic members. After Saw Delight, Czukay exited, leaving the newer arrivals to assume larger roles on 1978’s Out of Reach and 1979’s Can (also known as Inner Space), which blended Latin rock, fusion, and disco elements.

Can disbanded at decade’s end, its members continuing as solo or session musicians, with Czukay and Schmidt generating numerous albums, film scores, and stage works. Archival releases included Delay 1968, an early recording issued in 1981. The original lineup, Mooney included, reconvened for sessions in France at the close of 1986; after thorough editing, Rite Time appeared on Mercury in 1989. In 1991 the band contributed “Last Night Sleep” to the soundtrack of Wim Wenders’ film Until the End of the World. Marking their twenty-fifth anniversary, the career-spanning Anthology emerged in 1994, followed by 1995’s The Peel Sessions, gathering material recorded for John Peel’s BBC Radio 1 broadcasts during the 1970s. Sacrilege, a 1997 remix collection featuring reinterpretations by ambient, techno, and alternative acts including the Orb, Sonic Youth, and U.N.K.L.E., was released by Mute. In 1999 Karoli, Liebezeit, and Schmidt joined Jono Podmore for a version of “The Third Man Theme” that appeared on Grönland Records’ cover compilation Pop 2000 under the Can name. The limited thirtieth-anniversary package Box, containing a video and two live CDs, surfaced the same year; those discs later stood alone as Music (Live 1971-1977).

Michael Karoli succumbed to cancer on November 17, 2001. Can DVD, comprising a documentary, a concert recording, and a CD of solo material, arrived in 2003, while Mute launched an extensive Super Audio CD remaster series of the catalog in 2004. In 2012 the label issued The Lost Tapes, a substantial box drawn from more than fifty hours of unreleased studio and live recordings. Jaki Liebezeit and Holger Czukay both died in 2017, the same year the straightforward compilation The Singles was released. Damo Suzuki passed away on February 9, 2024, at age 74.