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Music

Krautrock Legend Jaki Liebezeit Has Died Aged 78

The Can drummer leaves behind an astounding musical legacy.

The music world's mourning the loss of another iconic figure this morning. Reports have surfaced in the last few hours that Jaki Liebezeit, the drummer for hugely influential German group Can, has died from pneumonia at the age of 78.

The Dresden-born percussionist helped reshape the sound of rock music in the 1970s and beyond. His distinctive playing style—a metronomic thud that laid the foundations for every record you've seen described as having "Motorik" tendencies—was elemental in the emergence of what we know think of as Krautrock.

In addition to his pioneering work with Can, Liebezeit recorded and released music with the likes of Michael Rother, Brian Eno, and the Eurythmics. His last album was 2016's I Still Have this Dream, a low-key jazzy affair that saw him teaming up with guitarist Robert Coyne.

Why not celebrate the man's astounding talents by tucking into this exciting, exhilarating, and downright excoriating live rendition of Can's luminous and legendary "Halleluwah."

RIP Jaki Liebezeit, 1938-2017