The Answer Is In The Beat

Damo Suzuki & Jelly Planet: s/t (Purple Pyramid, 2018)

August 1, 2018 at 10:08 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

This album contains two lengthy improvisations by Can frontman Damo Suzuki and a group of younger musicians called Jelly Planet. “Wildschweinbraten” starts by building up a steady, energetic groove, over which Suzuki excitedly spouts a series of completely incoherent lyrics. As the rhythm gets heavier, the effects get trippier, but after a while the rhythm stops and Suzuki is left to rant over a lengthy, wavy drone, which carries the piece to a bright yet disorienting end. “Venushügel” is easily the weirder track, with more discordant tape manipulations and Suzuki’s voice approaching that of a Muppet at times. On this one, it eventually approaches the heaviness that the first track only hinted at… then it breaks down into a weird dreamy haze filled with backwards vocals. Obviously this album isn’t quite as magical as Can at their best, but it still does a good job at preserving some of Suzuki’s late-period powers in action.