Avant-garde jazz trio The Necks formed in Sydney, South Wales, Australia in 1987. Founded by Chris Abrahams (piano / Hammond organ), Tony Buck (drums, percussion, electric guitar), and Lloyd Swanton (bass guitar / double bass), the group’s musical style - long-form improvisational pieces built around repetitive motifs – was at odds with the popular music scene of the time, which made the group’s hypnotic, trance-like music stand out amongst the alternative rock and R&B genres that dominated the charts. Their mixture of jazz, experimental, and improvisational music has drawn comparisons to jazz greats as well as Krautrock icons like Faust and Can. The Necks released their debut album, Sex, in 1989 and have continued to issue a series of critically acclaimed albums ever since including Next (1990), Aquatic (1994), Hanging Gardens (1999), Chemist (2006), Vertigo (2015), Travel (2023), Bleed (2024), and Disquiet (2025). With over 25 releases – both physical and digital – the group was ranked number 49 on Rolling Stone Australia’s 50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time list in 2020.
