Where was the band Can founded?

The band Can was founded in Cologne, West Germany. Formed in 1968, Can grew from the meeting of bassist and tape editor Holger Czukay, keyboardist Irmin Schmidt, guitarist Michael Karoli, and drummer Jaki Liebezeit. The group became one of the defining acts of German experimental rock, later associated with the broader Krautrock movement.

Cologne was important to Can’s early identity because the city had a lively avant-garde art and music scene. Czukay and Schmidt had studied with influential composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, while Karoli and Liebezeit brought strong jazz and rock backgrounds. Their music combined improvisation, electronic manipulation, repetitive rhythms, and studio experimentation.

A common mix-up is confusing Can’s founding city with Schloss Nörvenich, a castle near Cologne where the group lived and recorded in its early period. The band’s first album, Monster Movie, appeared in 1969, and later records such as Tago Mago and Future Days established its international reputation. Can’s influence reached artists including David Bowie, Talking Heads, and Radiohead.