Damo Suzuki (16 January 1950 – 9 February 2024) Can: Cannibalism 1978

 

Damo Suzuki, the Japanese musician who spent a handful of memorable years as the lead singer of

Can, died in February 9, at the age of 74. Can’s label, Spoon Records, did not disclose a cause of death in its announcement, but Suzuki had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014. “His boundless creative energy has touched so many over the whole world, not just with Can, but also with his all continents spanning Network Tour,” the label wrote. “Damo’s kind soul and cheeky smile will be forever missed.”
              

Born Kenji Suzuki in Kobe, Japan, the musician found his way to Germany by the late 1960s, joining

Can after bassist Holger Czukay and drummer Jaki Liebezeit spotted him busking outside of a Munich cafe. Can had released just one album, 1969’s Monster Movie, with original vocalist Malcolm Mooney before Suzuki joined for some work on 1970’s Soundtracks.
                 

In 1968, while still a teenager, he moved to Europe, first to a Swedish commune, while spending time

in Ireland, France, the UK and Germany, living money earned while busking. Can had just split with their vocalist Malcolm Mooney, and asked Suzuki to sing over tracks from their 1970 compilation album Soundtracks. Afterwards, he became their full time singer, appearing on the hugely influential albums Tago Mago (1971), Ege Bamyası (1972) and Future Days (1973), before departing in 1973.
             

Can (stylized in all caps) were a German experimental rock band formed in Cologne in 1968 by Holger

Czukay (bass, tape editing), Irmin Schmidt (keyboards), Michael Karoli (guitar), and Jaki Liebezeit (drums). The group featured several vocalists, including the American Malcolm Mooney (1968–70) and the Japanese Damo Suzuki (1970–73). They have been widely hailed as pioneers of the German krautrock scene.
              

The founding members of Can 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 had commercial success with singles such as "Spoon" (1971) and "I Want More" (1976) reaching national singles charts. Their work has influenced rock, post-punk, ambient, and electronic acts.
              

After leaving Can in 1973, Suzuki abandoned music and became a Jehovah's Witness. He returned to

music in the mid 1980s and toured widely, recording a large number of albums under different aliases, which he later grouped as the "Damo Suzuki's Network".
                   

He was first diagnosed with colon cancer when he was 33 years old; a disease that his father died of

when Suzuki was five years old. He was diagnosed with colon cancer again in 2014 and given a 10% chance of survival. He died on 9 February 2024, aged 74.  The documentary Energy explores Suzuki's battle with cancer and relationship with Morsbach.

DISCOGRAPHY

Can – Tago Mago (1971)
Can – Ege Bamyası (1972)
Can – Future Days (1973)

CAN - CANNIBALISM 1978

                                 

Can – Cannibalism
Label: United Artists Records – UDM 105/6
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 1978
Genre: Rock
Style: Krautrock, Avantgarde, Experimental

               

SIDE A.

                  

A1. Father Cannot Yell   7:05
Written-By – Can, Irmin Schmidt
A2. Soul Desert   3:46
Written-By – Can
A3. Soup   3:03
Written-By – Can
A4. Mother Sky   6:41
Written-By – Can

SIDE B.

               

B1. She Brings The Rain   4:07
Written-By – Can
B2. Mushroom   4:31
Written-By – Can
B3. One More Night   5:37
Written-By – Can
B4. Spray   2:55
Written-By – Can
B5. Outside My Door   4:11
Written-By – Can, Irmin Schmidt

Side A. + B. Flac (24bit 96khz) Size: 889 MB

SIDE C.

                  

C1. Chain Reaction   5:38
Written-By – Can
C2. Halleluwah   5:39
Written-By – Can
C3. Aumgn   7:18
Written-By – Can
C4. Dizzy Dizzy   3:30
Written-By – Can, Fallowell

SIDE D.

                       

D. Yoo Doo Right
Written-By – Can, Irmin Schmidt   20:20

Side C. + D. Flac (24bit 96khz) Size: 861 MB

NOTES

                     

Father Cannot Yell - (From Can - Monstermovie)  1969
Soul Desert - (From Can - Soundtracks)  1974
Soup - (Re-edited from Can - Ege Bamyasi)  1972
Mother Sky - (Re-edited from Can - Soundtracks)  1974
She Brings The Rain - (From Can - Soundtracks)  1974
Mushroom - (From Can - Tago Mago)  1972
One More Night - (From Can - Ege Bamyasi)  1972
Spray - (Re-edited from Can - Future Days)
Outside My Door - (From Can - Monstermovie)  1969
Chain Reaction - (Re-edited from Can - Soon Over Babaluma)  1974
Halleluwah - (Re-edited from Can - Tago Mago) 1971
Aumgn - (Re-edited from Can - Tago Mago)  1971
Dizzy Dizzy - (From Can - Soon Over Babaluma)  1974
Yoo Doo Right - (From Can - Monstermovie)  1969

Can (5 Albums) on Urban Aspirines HERE