The Cologne Band: Can They Still Cut It?

The German experimental rock band Can was formed in the late 1960s and split up in 1978. The group's founding member Holger Czukay described the band as a living organism with a beginning, a youth, a time of getting old, and a time to die. Can's music, a mix of primitive and avant-garde sounds, continues to influence underground rock and electronic music. The band is known for their innovative use of technology and their studio in Weilerswist, Cologne, played a significant role in their creative process. Can's self-made mixing desk and unique recording space contributed to their distinct sound. The band's legacy is preserved in the CAN Studio, which was relocated to the rock'n'popmuseum in Gronau and continues to inspire musicians even after the band's disbandment.

The band Can is from Cologne

Can began in a castle near Cologne, using the imposing stairwell as an echo chamber for their recordings. They later moved to Weilerswist, where they converted an old cinema into the Inner Space Studio. This studio became a space for experimentation and improvisation, and Can's music was closely linked to it. The band even reused recordings from their rehearsals and breaks, often handled by Holger Czukay.

The band's early years were characterised by a lack of clear division of jobs or instruments. All band members were free to experiment and change the sound at the mixing table, contributing to their unique and innovative style. Can's technological limitations during this period also contributed to a certain focus in their music, as their equipment allowed for fewer mistakes.

Can's influence extends beyond their music, with their former studio in Weilerswist continuing to play a role in the music industry. After the band's separation, the studio was used by former members for their solo projects and productions. It was also linked to the "Kölner Pack", a group of well-connected musicians from Cologne, including the band Bläck Föös, who sang rock songs in the local dialect.

Can's music style

Can, the German experimental rock band, was formed in Cologne in 1968. The band's founding members—Holger Czukay (bass, tape editing), Irmin Schmidt (keyboards), Michael Karoli (guitar), and Jaki Liebezeit (drums)—came from backgrounds in avant-garde music and jazz. They blended elements of psychedelic rock, funk, and musique concrète on influential albums such as Tago Mago (1971), Ege Bamyasi (1972), and Future Days (1973). Can also enjoyed commercial success with singles such as "Spoon" (1971) and "I Want More" (1976), which reached national singles charts.

Can's early recordings were loosely based on traditional song structures, but they soon reverted to a fluid improvisational style. Their double album Tago Mago is often regarded as groundbreaking and deeply unconventional, featuring intensely rhythmic jazz-inspired drumming, improvised guitar and keyboard solos, tape edits, and idiosyncratic vocals. Can's music was constructed largely through collective spontaneous composition, sampling themselves in the studio, and editing down the results.

Can has been widely hailed as a pioneer of the German krautrock scene and a significant influence on subsequent rock, post-punk, ambient, and electronic music. They developed a unique style that blended various musical elements and collective improvisation, leaving a lasting impact on the world of music.

Can's studio in Cologne

The CAN Studio in Cologne, Germany, was the recording studio of the experimental German rock band Can, which was active from the late 1960s until 1978. The studio was first set up in a castle near Cologne, where the band used the imposing stairwell as an echo chamber. They then moved to Weilerswist, converting an old cinema into the Inner Space Studio.

The band members of Can were Holger Czukay, Jaki Liebezeit, Irmin Schmidt, and Michael Karoli. They were known for their experimental sound, mixing the primitive with the avant-garde and total freedom with rigid, funky grooves. Their music continues to influence underground rock, electronic music, film soundtracks, and more.

The CAN Studio was equipped with two stereo tape recorders and four microphones when it was first established in 1968. Over the years, they expanded their equipment, adding another tape machine, the Studer B62, as they were constantly recording, even during rehearsals and breaks. They also had a self-made mixing desk that handled most of the signals for their "classical" albums.

The studio design was partly done by artist Christine Scholl, Jaki Liebezeit's girlfriend at the time. Huge curtains with colourful psychedelic patterns were used to conceal the seagrass mattresses that helped achieve the desired surround sound. The mattresses were purchased from old military stock and were cheap.

After the band's separation in 1978, the former members continued to use the studio for their own projects. On the initiative of friend and producer Conny Plank, sound engineer René Tinner took over the studio, renaming it the CAN Studio. Tinner ran the studio as a commercial enterprise, and it became linked to the "Kölner Pack", a group of well-connected musicians from Cologne.

Can's influence on music

The German experimental rock band Can emerged in the late 1960s and continued to produce music until their disbandment in 1978. During this time, they forged a unique sound, blending the primitive with the avant-garde, and total freedom with rigid, funky grooves. This fusion of styles has had a lasting influence on music, particularly in the realms of underground rock and electronic music.

Can's early years were characterised by a spirit of experimentation and improvisation. They started out with minimal equipment, recording in a castle near Cologne, using the imposing stairwell as an echo chamber. As they progressed, they built their own mixing desk and acquired additional recording equipment, such as the Studer B62 tape machine, allowing them to capture their rehearsals and breaks. This constant recording and reuse of material became integral to their creative process.

The band's innovative approach to music-making extended beyond their use of technology. Can believed that their songs were not written but rather tapped into as a primal force, a concept they referred to as "instant composition". This organic approach to music is likened by band member Holger Czukay to a football game, where "you know the goal, but you don't know at any moment where the ball is going". This fluid and intuitive style of creation had a profound impact on the band's sound and continues to inspire and influence musicians.

Can's influence can also be seen in their unconventional use of studio space. Unlike traditional recording studios, their rehearsal and recording space in Weilerswist, Cologne, had no separation between the control room and the live room. This layout contributed to the band's signature sound and allowed them to experiment and record at any time of day. Can's willingness to break free from conventional studio design inspired future musicians and producers who sought to create music in a more fluid and creative environment.

Beyond their musical innovations, Can also left their mark on the world of film. Their unique sound, blending primitive and avant-garde elements, has been described as highly cinematic, and their music has been used in film soundtracks. This crossover between music and film has broadened their influence and introduced their unique style to a wider audience.

Can's band members

Can, the German experimental rock band, was formed in Cologne in 1968. The founding members of the band were Holger Czukay (bass, tape editing), Irmin Schmidt (keyboards), Michael Karoli (guitar), and Jaki Liebezeit (drums). The band featured several vocalists, including the American Malcolm Mooney (1968-70) and the Japanese Damo Suzuki (1970-73).

Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt were students of the composer Karlheinz Stockhausen and were fascinated by the possibilities of rock and roll. The band initially called themselves Inner Space. In late 1968, they enlisted the vocalist Malcolm Mooney, and recorded their first album, 'Prepare to Meet Thy Pnoom', but they could not find a recording company to release it.

At Mooney's suggestion, the band changed their name to Can. Liebezeit later suggested the backronym "communism, anarchism, nihilism", after a claim in an English magazine.

Can accepted an invitation to move into a friend's castle, Schloss Nörvenich, and used it as a recording studio. There, they recorded their debut album, 'Monster Movie' (1969). It contained new versions of two songs previously recorded for 'Prepared to Meet Thy Pnoom', "Father Cannot Yell" and "Outside My Door".

During one live performance, Mooney suffered a mental breakdown and left the band at the end of 1969 on his psychiatrist's advice. He was replaced in 1970 by Damo Suzuki, a young Japanese traveller whom Czukay and Liebezeit found busking outside a Munich café.

Can's most acclaimed works came in the following years, including the double album 'Tago Mago' (1971), which is often seen as groundbreaking and influential, and based on intensely rhythmic jazz-inspired drumming, improvised guitar and keyboard soloing, tape edits, and Suzuki's idiosyncratic vocals.

In 1971, Can composed the music for the three-part German-language television crime miniseries 'Das Messer', and the track "Spoon" was used as the theme song. "Spoon" also reached number 6 in the German singles chart.

'Tago Mago' was followed by 'Ege Bamyasi' in 1972, which featured "Spoon" and "Vitamin C". It was followed by 'Future Days' in 1973, an early example of ambient music.

Suzuki left soon after the recording of 'Future Days' to marry his German girlfriend and become a Jehovah's Witness. Vocals were then taken over by Karoli and Schmidt, but after Suzuki's departure, fewer of Can's tracks featured vocals, as the band experimented with ambient music.

Can continued to release albums and perform together until 1978, when the group split. However, they reunited several times over the years for various projects, including an album in 1989, a track for a film in 1991, and a cover of "The Third Man Theme" in 1999.

Frequently asked questions