Cul de Sac/Damo Suzuki

Damo Suzuki + TBA. That is how the former Can vocalist’s tour schedule lists his accompaniment, or in his terminology "sound carriers” on upcoming dates. Boston’s Cul de Sac prove themselves to be versatile and masterful sound carriers. Four hours after landing in Massachusetts, with no prior rehearsal or even meeting, Damo and the band were playing their first show in Cambridge. Abhayamudra is a two-disc set of their improvised collaborations on tour in 2002 and 2003. Unlike most jazz improv or rock jam scenarios Cul de Sac draw upon an innate repertoire of classic psychedelic and prog-rock structures to create full fledged songs. Suzuki’s vocals are wordless but lingual, with surprisingly evocative sound repetitions and occasional manic gloss. Disc one features more driving, rhythmic experiments with drummer Jon Proudman verging on motorik patterns a la Can. The second disc is more psychedelic and woozy, with Glenn Jones’ guitar either droning or oriental and Robin Amos’ synth etherised. Suzuki is a rare artist who draws untapped energy out of his collaborators without forcing predetermined ideas upon them. Abhayamudra is rare and egoless.