EGE BAMYASI

After the thunderous brilliance of the genre-defying 'Tago Mago' - probably Can's greatest studio effort - came this deliberate musical antidote, summing up the brazen original streak that runs through the core of this defining German outfit. Still featuring the 'classic' Can five-piece line-up of Michael Karoli(guitar), Damo Suzuki(guitar, vocals), Holger Czukay(bass, tapes), Jaki Liebezit(drums) and Irmin Schmidt(keyboards), 'Ege Bamyasi' found the group exploring softer, calmer moods as evidenced by the organic-themed - and rather jokey - album sleeve which depicts, simply, a can of okra. Gone is the electric fire-and-brimstone sonic assault of the almost dance-inflected 'Tago Mago', in come lush, bucolic sound effects(bubbling rivers, streams etc) mid-tempo bass-lines, softly-peddled haiku-style lyrics and washes of warm synthesizers. Although the same personel, this is very much a different band at work, with the reflective streak generating a new spin on the constantly-evolving Can sound. Less immediate than it's predecessor, 'Ege Bamyasi' is the come-down album after the highs of 'Tago Mago', and the pair go together almost perfectly, proving there is little in this world as refreshingly-original and daringly brilliant as Can album from the group's early-seventies peak.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012