The Necks

The Necks have achieved a worldwide cult status with their hypnotic improvisations. These touch on all kinds of music, from minimalism and ambient to jazz and contemporary electronic music. Every set of Australian trio, made up of Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton and Tony Buck, is a slowly unfolding improvisation based on the interaction between piano, bass and percussion.

 In the late 1980s the three jazz musicians of The Necks sought an alternative to the busy chord progressions and solos of their contemporaries. The rhythm section on the album In a Silent Way by Miles Davis was an important source of inspiration. In the past 35 years they have released an impressive range of studio and live albums in the same lineup. They have also collaborated with, among others, Back to Back Theatre, Swans and Underworld.

 ‘The Australian trio stirred up a sonic ocean that ebbed and flowed and swelled into great tidal waves of sound, a pulsating wash of drums, percussion, double bass and grand piano’ (The Guardian).