(Translated from my original Italian text by ChatGPT and Piero Scaruffi)
Mick Karn (born Anthony Michaelides), the virtuosic bassist of Japan, had already attempted with Titles (Virgin, 1982) to carve out his own space beyond rock music.
Aware that his instrumental styleakin to Tony Levin of King Crimson and Percy Jones of Brand Xwas worth more than the bands exotic synthpop, Karn befriended jazz guitarist David Torn and, after the ill-fated Dalis Car project (with Peter Murphy), recorded Dreams Of Reason Produce Monsters (Virgin, 1987), another collection of avant-garde instrumentals.
It still took several years before he was taken seriously. His career as a respected bassist began, always under David Torns guidance, with Bestial Cluster (CMP, 1993) and The Tooth Mother (CMP, 1995), two albums that placed him firmly outside the rock world. In his tense jams, Karn displays a virtuosity that is never self-indulgent.
With former bandmates Jansen and Barbieri, he also recorded Beginning To Melt (Medium, 1994), though it resembles more the tedious works of those two than Karns own explorations.
Karn also formed
Polytown
with David Torn and Terry Bozzio.
Liquid Glass (Shadow, 2000) is a collaboration with Japanese techno musician Yoshihiro Hanno (Multiphonic Ensemble).
