Damo Suzuki's Network

A synthetic sound evoking the rush of water opens a concert that will prove to be one of the most thrilling of the season: “Damo Suzuki's Network” is a project launched during the second half of the Nineties by Damo Suzuki himself, involving an endless series of live “performances” in various countries around the world, each time backed by local musicians. Tonight, at Milan's Centro Sociale Cox 18, the former vocalist of Can will perform alongside five members drawn from as many Italian and French independent bands.

On stage, EnEm (of A.K.A. Bondage) and Olivier Manchion (aka SunBeep, formerly of Ulan Bator and Permanent Fatal Error) on bass, Xabier Iriondo (ex-Afterhours and now with A Short Apnea), Fabrizio (r) Palumbo (of Larsen) on guitar and Roberto Bertacchini (of Starfuckers) on drums, engage in a quiet, atmospheric jam that sets the stage for the entrance of Suzuki, a genuine living legend.

Damo, in dazzling form despite his long, tousled white hair, seems unaware of the influence he exerted on dozens of artists (Mark E. Smith of the Fall even went so far as to dedicate a song to him!) and, once on stage, greets the audience shyly with a slight bow.

The warm Milanese crowd's applause serves as a prelude to the man's bizarre vocal disharmonies, evoking the glories of that “Tago Mago” which many consider the masterpiece of Can, if not of the entire kraut movement.

Suzuki's voice still possesses an almost feminine sweetness, which stands in contrast to the atonal aggressiveness of his musical approach, underpinned by an enchantingly noisy sonic magma that unfolds in long, repeated à-la This Heat digressions.

We're in the realm of avant-garde rock.

The musicians' expressiveness and technical skill help carve out atmospheres full of chills and emotion, and despite a few uncertain moments from drummer Bertacchini, the band's cohesion remains solid throughout the whole performance.

Just when the evening seems to be winding down, another bassist joins the already sizeable "ensemble": Massimo Pupillo of Zu. It's chaos: three basses, two guitars, drums and a furiously "freak" voice all contribute equally to building a wall of sound of terrifying power that stretches on for about a quarter of an hour. It had been a long time since I'd witnessed such a gripping performance. Besides the live recordings already available on the official website of the small but mighty Japanese artist, one can only hope a studio work will see the light soon, perhaps with the collaboration of all the musicians who have "backed" him around the world. A dream? Who knows...

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