Search - Cul De Sac, SUZUKI :: Abhayamudra

Boston?s instrumental innovators Cul de Sac teamed up with infamous ex-Can vocalist Damo Suzuki for a tour of the U.S. and Europe in 2002 and 2003, respectively. A pairing for the ages to be sure, for very few bands other than Cul de Sac operate in the same heady and rhythmic sphere as Can did ? they are a perfect modern-day backdrop for Suzuki?s free-associating vocal approach. However brilliant and obvious a pairing it is, there wasn?t much forethought. Although they?d never met him, Cul de Sac received an email from Suzuki totally out of the blue, suggesting they collaborate. The one caveat: no rehearsing. Four hours after Suzuki stepped off the plane in Boston, he and Cul de Sac played their first show before an enraptured crowd at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. Everything clicked. "Instant composing" is Suzuki?s terminology for his philosophy of penning structured compositions on the spot, on stage, allowing chemistry and energy to dictate the creation of the music and the path it will follow. In keeping with Suzuki?s spirit, Cul de Sac allowed the process to flow without rehearsing any new tunes of their own, or playing anything from their repertoire. The results are nothing short of astounding. Abhayamudra is a 2XCD collection of what Cul de Sac and Damo Suzuki consider to be the best moments of the 45 dates they played together ? nearly 138 minutes of stunning psychedelic avant mayhem, performed live and composed entirely on the spot. Cul de Sac refract clusters of electronics, sorrowful violin and genre-defying surf/Middle Eastern guitar over chugging bass and astounding polyrhythms, while Suzuki concocts his vocal somersaults over the affair, manipulating the direction of the tunes like it was liquid in a vessel. Abhaymudra immortalizes some very special moments captured on stage, a musical genesis that, by its very nature, could only be conceived at its particular moment in time and can never be replicated.