Artist: U Totem
Genre(s):
Other
Discography:
U Totem
Year: 1992
Tracks: 7
U Totem was formed by members of 2 bands: drummer/composer David Kerman's 5UU's and bassist/composer James Grigsby's Motor Totemist Guild. These two groups were active in the Los Angeles area start in the early 1980s. The groups recorded their have albums before collaborating on the LPs Elements and Shapuno Zoo. In 1989 Kerman and Grigsby were invited to perform at the 2nd International Art Rock Festival in Frankfurt, Germany. They enlisted Motor Totemist Guild vocalist/flautist Emily Hay and 5UU's keyboardist Sanjay Kumar for the performance, and U Totem was officially born. Eric Johnson (bassoon/soprano sax) united for the recording on the band's self-titled debut saucer, and guitar player Steve Cade joined for the transcription of Strange Attractors.
U Totem's rock candy medicine has many influences, including Renaissance concerted music, twelve-tone serial music and Indonesian gamelan. The stripe has performed with Laotian and Cambodian musicians and appeared with such diverse artists as The Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Bill Frisell and Wayne Horvitz, and Michael Nyman.
