can – ‘flow motion’ (1976)

can was an experimental rock band formed in cologne, west germany in 1968

later labeled as one of the first “krautrock” groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music

they constructed their music largely through collective spontaneous composition – which the band differentiated from improvisation in the jazz sense – sampling themselves in the studio and editing down the results

bassist/chief engineer holger czukay referred to Can’s live and studio performances as “instant compositions”

the band used the names “inner space” and “the can” before finally settling on can

the roots of can can be traced back to irmin schmidt and a trip that he made to new york city in 1968. while schmidt initially spent his time with avant-garde musicians such as steve reich, la monte young and terry riley, he was also eventually exposed to the world of andy warhol, hotel chelsea and, perhaps most importantly, the velvet underground

in his own words, the trip “corrupted” him, sparking a fascination with the possibilities of rock music

this track is the title track from their 8th studio album (of 12), recorded in 1976