Holger Czukay, best known as a co-founding member of Can, has reportedly died aged 79.
Czukay was found dead in his in Weilerswist home, a former cinema that is also the site of Can’s Inner Space Studio. As Cologne newspaper Express reports, construction workers working at the site had not spotted Czukay for a few days, with a neighbour eventually finding him dead in his apartment. A surgeon was called to the apartment and declared him dead, the cause of which is currently unknown.
Born in 1938 in Gdańsk, Poland, Czukay studied music under the guidance of Karlheinz Stockhausen from 1963 to 1966, going on to become a music teacher. Czukay’s interest in experimental rock music was piqued when a student of his played him The Beatles’ ‘I Am the Walrus’ with the multi-instrumentalist going on to co-found Can in 1968.
Czukay played bass guitar in the band, and also handled most recording and engineering duties while part of the group. He left the group in 1977 after contributing only tapes and sound effects to the group’s album Saw Delight, released that same year.
Czukay went on to produce a number of solo albums, experimenting with ambient music, while also collaborating with musicians such as Jah Wobble, David Sylvian and Brian Eno.
His death follows the passing of fellow Can co-founder Jaki Liebezeit earlier this year, as well as that of his wife Ursula, who passed away on July 28, her 55th birthday.
