KTU (band)
Encyclopedia
KTU is a progressive
/experimental
music
al supergroup. In 2004 Trey Gunn
and Pat Mastelotto
started collaborating with Kimmo Pohjonen
and Samuli Kosminen, forming KTU out of their respective duos TU
and Kluster.
Percussionist Pat Mastelotto and touch guitarist Trey Gunn have enjoyed successful careers with the band King Crimson, one of the world's most dynamic, skillful and innovative bands. The two met at Peter Gabriel
's Real World Studios before touring with David Sylvian
& Robert Fripp
and separately they have worked with John Paul Jones, XTC, Toni Childs, The Rembrandts, Cock Robin, Robyn Hitchcock, Trail of the Dead, Julia Fordham, Vernon Reid
, Hall & Oats, The Sugarcubes, Mathew Sweet, Jude Cole, Steve Hackett and countless others. Their new duo known as TU explores and highlights the well-known Gunn and Mastelotto edge, energy, humor, imagination, phenomenal playing skills and dynamism in an improvisational setting. The first TU album was released in early 2004 followed by April appearances in Moscow.
Seeds for KTU took root at SXSW in Austin, Texas in March 1999, when Kimmo Pohjonen shared a billing with Mastelotto/Gunn/Robert Fripp's ProjeKct Three at the Electric Lounge. Plans for the quartet took shape over the next five years. KTU's aim is to combine the creative energies, edge, imagination and other elements of the four players to make something new, different and musically explosive. Surround sound design and effects are handled by Heikki Iso-Ahola.
KTU rehearsals and the World Premiere concert took place in Helsinki at the venue Nosturi in April 2004, followed by four concerts in Tokyo at Eggman; recordings from these shows comprise the debut record 8 Armed Monkey released in 2005. Live concerts continued in 2005 with headlining festival appearances in Germany at the Moers festival, Kulturzelt an der Drahtbracke Kassel, Kulturarena in Jena, as well as FMM festival in Sines, Portugal. More recent shows include Moscow, Tallinn, Estonia and the Tampere Jazz Happening festival in Finland. In 2007 KTU debuted its live show in the US and Mexico as a trio (missing Kosminen; he still contributes when schedules permit, but could not continue committing to being a full-time member).
The group's second album Quiver was released in February/March 2009.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
/experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al supergroup. In 2004 Trey Gunn
Trey Gunn
Trey Gunn is an American musician, known for his membership in progressive rock band King Crimson from 1994 to 2003, playing Warr Guitar and Chapman Stick.-Biography:...
and Pat Mastelotto
Pat Mastelotto
Pat Mastelotto is a rock drummer who has worked with Mr. Mister and King Crimson, amongst others. For King Crimson he initially formed part of the "double trio" lineup, joining Bill Bruford on drums...
started collaborating with Kimmo Pohjonen
Kimmo Pohjonen
Kimmo Pohjonen is a Finnish accordionist who is involved in a number of projects.- Uniko :Kluster meets Kronos Quartet in the Uniko project featuring music composed by Pohjonen and Samuli Kosminen, commissioned by Kronos. Concerts in Helsinki, Moscow and Molde Jazz Festival were major successes...
and Samuli Kosminen, forming KTU out of their respective duos TU
TU (band)
TU is a band formed by Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto. They released one eponymous album in 2003.They opened for Tool on its 10,000 days tour on a few dates.-Track listing:#"Untamed Chicken"#"Absinthe & a Cracker"#"The NOOOSE"#"XTCU2"...
and Kluster.
History
Kimmo and Samuli formed Kluster in 2001. Both award-winning musicians are known as adventurers in their respective fields and their partnership takes accordion music to new and unexplored territory. On stage, Kosminen reproduces samples of Pohjonen's accordion and voice percussively by way of electronic drum pads. Samuli also drums with Icelandic band MUM, and other recent Kluster collaborations include Uniko and the Kronos Quartet.Percussionist Pat Mastelotto and touch guitarist Trey Gunn have enjoyed successful careers with the band King Crimson, one of the world's most dynamic, skillful and innovative bands. The two met at Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
's Real World Studios before touring with David Sylvian
David Sylvian
David Sylvian is an English singer-songwriter and musician who came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and main songwriter in the group Japan...
& Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
and separately they have worked with John Paul Jones, XTC, Toni Childs, The Rembrandts, Cock Robin, Robyn Hitchcock, Trail of the Dead, Julia Fordham, Vernon Reid
Vernon Reid
Vernon Reid is an English-born American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and bandleader. Best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Living Colour, Reid was named #66 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.Critic Steve Huey writes, "[Reid's]...
, Hall & Oats, The Sugarcubes, Mathew Sweet, Jude Cole, Steve Hackett and countless others. Their new duo known as TU explores and highlights the well-known Gunn and Mastelotto edge, energy, humor, imagination, phenomenal playing skills and dynamism in an improvisational setting. The first TU album was released in early 2004 followed by April appearances in Moscow.
Seeds for KTU took root at SXSW in Austin, Texas in March 1999, when Kimmo Pohjonen shared a billing with Mastelotto/Gunn/Robert Fripp's ProjeKct Three at the Electric Lounge. Plans for the quartet took shape over the next five years. KTU's aim is to combine the creative energies, edge, imagination and other elements of the four players to make something new, different and musically explosive. Surround sound design and effects are handled by Heikki Iso-Ahola.
KTU rehearsals and the World Premiere concert took place in Helsinki at the venue Nosturi in April 2004, followed by four concerts in Tokyo at Eggman; recordings from these shows comprise the debut record 8 Armed Monkey released in 2005. Live concerts continued in 2005 with headlining festival appearances in Germany at the Moers festival, Kulturzelt an der Drahtbracke Kassel, Kulturarena in Jena, as well as FMM festival in Sines, Portugal. More recent shows include Moscow, Tallinn, Estonia and the Tampere Jazz Happening festival in Finland. In 2007 KTU debuted its live show in the US and Mexico as a trio (missing Kosminen; he still contributes when schedules permit, but could not continue committing to being a full-time member).
The group's second album Quiver was released in February/March 2009.
Current line-up
- Trey GunnTrey GunnTrey Gunn is an American musician, known for his membership in progressive rock band King Crimson from 1994 to 2003, playing Warr Guitar and Chapman Stick.-Biography:...
(Warr guitar) - Pat MastelottoPat MastelottoPat Mastelotto is a rock drummer who has worked with Mr. Mister and King Crimson, amongst others. For King Crimson he initially formed part of the "double trio" lineup, joining Bill Bruford on drums...
(percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
) - Kimmo PohjonenKimmo PohjonenKimmo Pohjonen is a Finnish accordionist who is involved in a number of projects.- Uniko :Kluster meets Kronos Quartet in the Uniko project featuring music composed by Pohjonen and Samuli Kosminen, commissioned by Kronos. Concerts in Helsinki, Moscow and Molde Jazz Festival were major successes...
(Chromatic button accordionChromatic button accordionA chromatic button accordion is a type of button accordion where the melody-side keyboard consists of rows of buttons arranged chromatically. The bass-side keyboard is usually the Stradella system or one of the various free-bass systems. Included among chromatic button accordions are the Russian...
, voice)