Damo Suzuki

Kenji Suzuki (鈴木健二, Suzuki Kenji^?, born 16 January 1950, in Japan), universally known as Damo Suzuki (ダモ鈴木), is a singer best known for his membership in the German krautrock group Can.

Biography

As a teenager, Suzuki spent the late 1960s wandering around Europe, often busking.^[1]

When Malcolm Mooney left Can after recording their first album Monster Movie, Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit encountered Suzuki singing on a street in Munich, Germany whilst the two were sitting outside at a street café. They invited him to join the group, and he did, performing with them that evening.^[2]

Suzuki was with Can from 1970 to 1973, recording a number of well-regarded albums such as Tago Mago, Future Days and Ege Bamyasi. Suzuki's first vocal performance with Can was "Don't Turn the Light On, Leave Me Alone" from Soundtracks^[3] His freeform, often improvised lyrics, sung in no particular language^[2] gelled with Can's rolling, psychedelic sound.

Suzuki converted to the Jehovah's Witness^[2] faith when he married his German girlfriend, who was also a Jehovah's Witness, after the release of the album Future Days, and retired from music in 1974.

He returned to music in 1983, and currently leads what is known as Damo Suzuki's Network - as he tours, he performs live improvisational music with various local musicians (so-called "Sound Carriers" ^[4]) from around the world, thus building up a 'network' of musicians with whom he collaborates. As far as more recent recorded material is concerned, Damo is featured on electronic/hip-hop producer Sixtoo's album, "Chewing on Glass and Other Miracle Cures" (Ninja Tune, 2004).

Among the musicians in his live shows have been Michael Karoli and Jaki Liebezeit of Can, Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru, Dustin Donaldson of I Am Spoonbender, Cul De Sac, Passierzettel, The Early Years, The Bees, Do Make Say Think, Broken Social Scene, Airiel, Acid Mothers Temple, The Holy Soul, The Sandells, the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet (with whom he has recorded the 2007 EP Please Heat This Eventually), The Skull Defekts, AIDS Wolf, Edmondo Ammendola and Dave Williams of Augie March, Gordon J Watson & Simon Doling of Terminal Cheesecake, Stephen Mcbean from black mountain, The Prestidigitators, Gary Jeff of God, Calamalka,Karl Asa of J>A>W>, Hamish Black, tynder and many, many others.^[4]

Suzuki has been recognised by name by at least three different bands. The Fall's 1985 album This Nation's Saving Grace features a song "I Am Damo Suzuki," inspired by and dedicated to the singer.^[5] The rock band The Mooney Suzuki takes its name from Damo Suzuki and Can's earlier vocalist Malcolm Mooney.^[6] And most recently UK based psych/prog rockers Dudes Of Neptune have dedicated an entire album "Jamming For Damo" to Suzuki.^[7]

Discography

Damo Suzuki is present on the following albums:

• Can Soundtracks 1970
• Can Tago Mago 1971
• Can Ege Bamyasi 1972
• Can Future Days 1973
• Can Unlimited Edition 1976 (compilation)
• Dunkelziffer In The Night 1984
• Dunkelziffer III 1986
• Dunkelziffer Live 1985 1997
• Damo Suzuki's Network Tokyo On Air West 30.04.97 1997
• Damo Suzuki's Network Tokyo On Air West 02.05.97 1997
• Damo Suzuki's Network Osaka Muse Hall 04.05.97 1997
• Damo Suzuki Band V.E.R.N.I.S.S.A.G.E. 1998
• Damo Suzuki Band P.R.O.M.I.S.E. (7CD Box) 1998
• Damo Suzuki's Network Seattle 1999
• Damo Suzuki's Network Odyssey 2000
• Damo Suzuki's Network JPN ULTD Vol.1 2000
• Damo Suzuki's Network Metaphysical Transfer 2001
• Damo Suzuki's Network JPN ULTD Vol.2 2002
• Sixtoo Chewing On Glass and Other Miracle Cures 2004
• Damo Suzuki's Network Hollyaris 2005 (2CD)
• Damo Suzuki's Network 3 Dead People After The Performance 2005
• Damo Suzuki and Now The London Evening News 2006 (CD)
• Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Please Heat This Eventually 2007

Notes

External links

• Official Site
• Interview with Spike Magazine