Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen, Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn are touring and recording in Finland on January 2007 and in America March 2007. Fourth member Samuli Kosminen (samples, electronics, etc) is taking a break from the band but will be adding his contribution to the material accrued on the road later in the year.
Finnish tour dates 2007:
Jan 29: Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
Jan 30: Tampere, Finland - Klubi
Jan 31: Jyväskylä, Finland - Lutakko
North American Tour dates 2007:
March 7: Los Angeles, California - Knitting Factory
March 9: Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Canadian Music Week
March 12: NYC, NY - Knitting Factory
March 14: Austin, Texas - SXSW
March 20: Chicago (Palatine), IL – Drum Pad @ Durty Nellie’s
March 22: Mexico City, Mexico - Festival de México en el Centro Histórico
March 23: Mexico City, Mexico - Festival de México en el Centro Histórico
If you’ve never heard KTU here’s what David Fricke from Rolling Stone had to say about their debut, 8 Armed Monkey.
"KTU (pronounced K2") …. avant-accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen ……and drummer Pat Mastelotto and guitarist Trey Gunn from King Crimson. Their debut 8 Armed Monkey, recorded live in 2004, is a robust tumult of Northern Lights sparkle, white-wolf guitar wail and rolling knotted thunder. Pohjonen is a wonder unto himself: animating his wind song with pedals and processing; attacking the bellows with the ecstatic fury of Jimi Hendrix. When I saw KTU play in Europe recently, they were as powerful and transgressive as the current killer Crimson (without, of course, Robert Fripp). But I was stunned to discover, after the show, that KTU have yet to get an American gig, because, Gunn said, promoters are afraid of the word "accordion". People, look at it this way: Pohjonen plays the ultimate in air guitar. Now hit the phone."
You can read my review over at the blog. Check out their Myspace site to hear tracks from the album. The site also lists a gig in Austin, Texas for January 13th. So if you're passing by pop in and say hello.
