EGE BAMYASI

Although CAN had been active since 1968, the German band that blended together avant-garde jazz, psychedelic rock, funk and experimental noise techniques had mostly been an underground act that while having been cited as a major influence by future generations was still largely unknown to the German public. However that all changed after the band's third album 'Tago Mago' when CAN released the single 'Spoon' which proved to be a major hit that peaked at #6 on the German singles charts due to the fact it was used as the theme of the German TV series called 'Das Messer' (The Knife). The single sold over 300,000 units and in the process CAN was able to upgrade its situation to a much better recording studio where they commenced to record the band's fourth album EGE BAMYASI, which is Turkish for 'Aegeon Okra,' an odd title that was adopted spontaneously after a quick glimpse on the shelf.

While the band's studio was state of the art and ready for recording, the band was going through a creative slump and it took considerable effort to record enough material to release a followup album. The lack of material also mean that the supposed non-album single 'Spoon' was attached to the end of the album. Musically CAN followed in the footsteps of 'Tago Mago' minus the most tripped out parts as heard on 'Aumgn' and 'Peking O' but instead excelled in crafting the unique hybrids that deconstructed rock and roll and infiltrated the rock energy with various styles of ethnic music. Bassist Holgar Czukay was always fascinated by Vietnamese music and the rest of the band members were equally enthralled with Middle Eastern percussion as well as music from Morocco and Bali. The results were a unique sound that continued in the making of EGE BAMYASI.

Like much of 'Tago Mago,' EGE BAMYASI's focus is on the varied percussive styles of drummer Jaki Liebezeit whose techniques corrupted the jazz world and teased them into hypnotic groove driven loops that allowed the guitar, bass and keyboards to free float around. Once again vocalist Damo Suzuki delivers a deranged lead performance with mostly unintelligible lyrics that add to the mystique as well as insinuate exorcisms on tape. The final moments of 'Soup' for example exemplify his most erratic behavior where he screams and delivers vocal anguish in the first degree. For the most part EGE BAMYASI is a more even keel release than its predecessors with a constant percussive drive leading the way and other instruments and vocals going along for the ride. The rhythms are beefier as are the diverse percussive grooves. The bass remains in a psychedelic funk mode and the guitar and keys are implemented to provide musical textures rather than develop intricate melodies.

The band also performed free concerts in order to raise awareness of its music which was met with critical acclaim and delivered the promised results. The album while not as experimental and daring as 'Tago Mago' nonetheless delivers a ceaseless supply of hypnotic Krautrock that provided danceable funk grooves that also offered the perfect psychedelic respite from the status quo of blues based rock of the era. 'Vitamin C' is an interesting track as Suzuki has moments where he screams 'Hey You' that sounds a lot like what Pink Floyd would shout out on future albums like 'The Wall.' It seems that CAN has been one of the most influential Kraut bands in all of Germany. The indie rock band Spoon took its name from the CAN single and countless artists such as Public Image Limited, Sonic Youth and even Portishead learned a thing or two from EGE BAMYASI. The album has also been a rich source of sampling.

Initially i was disappointed by EGE BAMYASI as it wasn't as freaky as 'Tago Mago' but after several listens over the years my appreciation has grown although i prefer the albums that sandwich this release. While not the most innovative CAN release, it certainly is consistent in its delivery and offers its most psychedelic deviancy in the form of the multi-part 'Soup' which offers a break from the groovy beats at key moments. The single 'Spoon' actually works quite well as the most accessible track on the end as it allows a nice comedown from the frenetic percussive rich tracks that precede it. Overall, EGE BAMYASI is a solid CAN release that may take a few spins to sink in but once it finds its foothold, it's actually quite infectious.