KTU (band)

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KTU is a progressive/experimental musical 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. Trey Gunn (from King Crimson and duo TU) join forces for the double duo formation KTU (pronounced K2).

"KTU, the world's most psychedelic power trio!...KTU comes on like a hybrid of Cream and latter day King Crimson, led by a Siberian mushroom shaman" (Jussi Niemi, Aamulehti).

"Sometimes warrior sometimes mystical, between fire and ice, in an unending horse-ride through the planes of northern Europe. Convulsive, ghostly music, capable of releasing gargula from its concrete skin - scaring, slow waltzes, improvised gothic jazz, rehearsed muscular funk, and overwhelming improvisations".

Kimmo and Samuli formed Kluster in 2001 featuring accordion dynamo Kimmo and sampling guru Samuli . 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 Kronos Quartet.

Percussionist Pat Mastelotto and touch guitarist Trey Gunn have enjoyed successful careers with the band King Crimson, one of the worlds 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 Sugercubes, 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 Project 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 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 of these shows are featured on the debut record "Eight 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).