Damo Suzuki is an experimental rock, krautrock, psychedelic rock and rock singer from Kobe, Germany, born in 1950 and active until his death in 2024. He is best known for his work with the German group Can, and for later improvised performance projects with local musicians.

Career

Born Kenji Suzuki, he performs under the name Damo Suzuki and is also known by the Japanese form of his name, Suzuki Kenji. In the late 1960s he travels around Europe, often busking, while still a teenager. During this period, Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit of Can hear him singing on a street in Munich and invite him to join the group. He performs with Can that evening and remains in the band from 1970 to 1973.

With Can, Suzuki records a series of albums that include Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi and Future Days. His vocal style is often freeform and improvised, and he sings in no single language, which fits the band’s rolling psychedelic sound. His work with Can follows the departure of Malcolm Mooney after the first Can album, Monster Movie.

After Future Days, Suzuki converts to Jehovah’s Witnesses and retires from music in 1974. He returns to music in 1983.

Damo Suzuki’s Network

From his return to music onward, Suzuki leads Damo Suzuki’s Network, a touring project in which he performs live improvised music with different local musicians, referred to as “Sound Carriers”. The project builds a network of collaborators from many places around the world. He is also associated with Dunkelziffer and DAMO SUZUKI BAND, and releases music on the Damo's Net Work label.