Can was a German experimental rock band formed in Cologne in 1968 — Stockhausen students Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt, plus Michael Karoli and the motorik engine of drummer Jaki Liebezeit. Foundational krautrock: Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi, and Future Days are all essential. Explore Can vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Can formed in Cologne, Germany in 1968 around Holger Czukay (bass, tape work), Irmin Schmidt (keyboards), Michael Karoli (guitar), and Jaki Liebezeit (drums). Czukay and Schmidt had both studied under Karlheinz Stockhausen, bringing modern classical and electronic music sensibilities into the band's approach. The American-born sculptor Malcolm Mooney was the band's first vocalist (1968-1970), followed by Japanese vocalist Damo Suzuki (1970-1973). After Suzuki's departure, the four core members continued recording with various vocal arrangements. The band ceased active recording in 1979, with reunions and posthumous archival releases continuing through the 1990s, 2000s, and beyond on Spoon Records.
Can's sound is foundational to krautrock, combining rock instrumentation with extended improvisation, motorik rhythms (particularly through Jaki Liebezeit's drumming), tape editing and musique concrete techniques, and free jazz influence. Their work has been widely influential on post-punk, electronic music, post-rock, and contemporary experimental music broadly.
Original United Artists pressings of Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi, and Future Days are foundational items in krautrock and experimental rock collecting. The catalog has been extensively reissued through Spoon and Mute, with multiple anniversary editions and live archive releases continuing into the 2020s.
Listeners new to Can typically start with Tago Mago (1971), Ege Bamyasi (1972), or Future Days (1973).
