CAN

Biography

German experimental rock band formed in Cologne circa 1968, initially as Inner Space and becoming “The Can” when fronted by American vocalist Malcolm Mooney. Can are well-known as one of the key pioneers of Krautrock, particularly during the era when fronted by Japanese singer Kenji “Damo” Suzuki who “turned their sound towards a crazy mixture of improvisation, noise, mantra and funk rhythms”. They were constantly at the forefront of the Krautrock scene during their 10+ year history, composed music for films by directors including Roland Klick and Wim Wenders, and had an international hit with their pop satire single “I Want More” (1976).

The first Can member to go solo was Holger Czukay, and after Can split keyboard player Irmin Schmidt established a successful solo career. Other Can members also went solo and/or participated in other projects. In 1986 Czukay, Karoli, Mooney, Schmidt, and Liebezeit reformed, resulting in the album “[m=16239]” (1989). In March 2003 Can received the German music industry’s Echo Award for lifetime achievement.

Posthumously for some members, Can continue to inspire today and are blessed with a huge collection of tape recordings that have not seen the light of day. The Lost Tapes is part of this legacy, released in 2012, also known as Holger Czukay’s pension fund. A new series is taking shape in the form of live recordings by long standing Can fans that shows the depth and wealth of the bands musical resolve.

Principal members:
Irmin Schmidt (born 29 May 1937, Berlin)
Holger Czukay (born Holger Schüring, 24 March 1938, Free City of Danzig; died 5 September 2017, Weilerswist)
Jaki Liebezeit (born Hans Liebezeit, 26 May 1938, near Dresden; died 22 January 2017, Cologne)
Michael Karoli (born 29 April 1948, Straubing; died 17 November 2001, Essen)