The Necks

The Necks are a virtually unclassifiable piano trio from Sydney, Australia. Neither jazz nor rock, this deceptive unit has toed a single line of conduct throughout its career. Pianist Chris Abrahams, bassist Lloyd Swanton, and drummer Tony Buck usually commence their shows and recording sessions by playing a single, basic, melodic, and rhythmic vamp or figure that, over an extended period of time, gradually transforms its shape without ever completely discarding it. Microscopic tonal, dynamic, electronic, and textural changes -- as well as similarly minimal harmonic variations -- are gradually introduced into the music. By the time any piece reaches its nadir, the music has evolved into something else entirely, though its root layers remain present. The Necks have drawn comparisons to groups like CAN and Faust, as well as composers such as La Monte Young, Tony Conrad and Philip Glass. But the Necks exist in a musical territory that is uniquely their own. Whether in the gentle, trance-like grooves of 'Sex,' the undulating exchange of synth and piano passages in 'Drive By', the quaking space rock of 'Hanging Gardens,' or the dark, brooding, elegantly fractured -- and occasionally explosive -- interludes on 2017's 'BODY,' the Necks never remain (quite) static; they shapeshift around and through the lineage of the piano trio format. Over the past three decades, their reputation has spread across the globe. This band only fits comfortably in its own category.