Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Holger Czukay - Canaxis

All you butt heads out there that think your pretty hip 'cause you know "Person Pitch" backwards and forwards are about to get your faces melted.

Holger Czukay is best know for his hot bass lines in CAN.

If you don't know CAN, get Ege Bamyasi and be done with it.

Canaxis

Canaxis (1968) at its base, is early sample work. Czukay is using tape loops to achieve what every Brooklyn band does now at the push of a button (or kick of a pedal). I find this to be most fascinating.

It's easy for me to get down on bands that use modern electronics at the core of their work. More often than not, looping now lacks the deliberate nature of albums like Canaxis. Leaving us instead with lazy loops. Loops that follow a prefixed notion of "ambience".

Canaxis must have been a pain in the ass to make. Cutting, splicing, sampling, and rarely getting the satisfaction of playing an actual "instrument", usually takes quite a toll on the emotive quality of the music. This record feels rad though. Its seething with energy.

The first track (there are only two on the original record), is called "Boat Woman Song". Is fucking incredible. As I said earlier, if you like Panda Bear, you can't help but draw a comparison. This song feels like a cross between "I'm Not" and and a Sublime Frequencies track. But alas, it was made in 1968. Eat it Panda Bear.

Get this, enjoy it.

P.S. -- It's definitely in stereo. If you don't like it, try headphones.

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