In popular music there have been many different power trios but none of them as original and charismatic as KTU. In this project from outer space, accordion virtuoso Kimmo Pohjonen joins forces with TU duo: American musicians Trey Gunn (Warr guitar) and Pat Mastelotto (percussion) to play some unique instrumental music with progressive passages, dense textures and dark ambient. Before the imminent run of shows in Finland, we had a chat with the three musicians. Read what they have to say.

“We have a pretty large and unique sound palette and it seems that there are six musicians on stage. Sometimes I surprise myself hearing some accordion sounds that I am not playing as Pat might include some samples. And Trey can play bass and guitar sounds with his Warr guitar”. That is the complexity and beauty of KTU, pronounced K2. History says that the three musicians, along with samples master Samuli Kosminen, met at SXSW ’99, but it wasn’t until five years when the band was formed for a series of shows in Helsinki and Tokyo. The album “8 Armed Monkey” was cut from those shows and the band continued to work on and off, playing selected gigs all around the world, from Mexico to Russia.

This year, with Kosminen retreated to the role of occasional guest, KTU published “Quiver” their first album recorded in studio. “The first album was based on live improvisation whilst the new one is based on our own new compositions. Still in our shows there’s a lot of room for improvisation”, says Pohjonen.

But how these three very different characters get along? “Kimmo and I have similar sense of humour as well as we enjoy playing together on stage. We have great fun and get crazy in concerts, especially when the audience is excited also. One of the high points of our shows is when we have solo battles. That can be quite a trip!”, tells Trey Gunn. Before the upcoming gigs, the trio will spend some time in Finland rehearsing. “I am a good host”, admits Pohjonen, “there will be good drinks and substances, rehearsing and I will make them do all the extreme Finnish activities, like swimming in freezing waters”.

Due to its trio format, comparisons are always drawn with classic rock trios like Cream or The Jimi Hendrix Experience, but the accordionist rejects any tags. “Categories are too narrowing. We are just three guys doing music and I cannot see any other band related to us, so audience can decide what we are. That is why we have been invited to many different festivals. We’ve been to rock festivals, world music festivals and jazz festivals, and the crowd’s reaction has always been great”.

KTU is one of the most well-known projects in which the accordionist is involved, but you may find him playing with local farmers as part of the Earth Machine Music project or collaborating with Kronos Quartet or with art projects or even playing at the circus. “Yes, sometimes it is very stressful, but it is part of my character, I am very impatient. Having eight or nine projects in my hands makes my days very different. I am also composing music all the time, so it is very challenging to decide which is the most appropriate project for each new piece, although it usually happens very naturally. I compose something and suddenly, it clicks and I know where the new composition will fit”.

In the court the Crimson King

Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto have been Robert Fripp’s companion in King Crimson for several years, so KTU has been closely followed by prog-rock fans, even getting to play at King Crimson festivals in Moscow, but the truth is that KTU has little to do with King Crimson’s music. “Luckily, I was not very familiar with King Crimson’s music when we started”, admits Pohjonen. “That way it was easier to start playing together and develop our own sound palette. But King Crimson fans have been very receptive to our music. A great moment happened at that festival in Moscow when I decided to play a Finnish polka as the encore. It was funny to see more than 2,000 male King Crimson fans clapping to a Finnish polka”, he laughs.

Mastelotto, who is still part of Fripp’s band, explains that if there’s one similarity between KTU and King Crimson that would be that they are two bands devoted to adventure in music. “For me, being a member of both groups, it is great to have more opportunities to make challenging music. Also at the moment, KTU is more active than King Crimson so it is fun to play live with them. We just had amazing gigs in Russia and Czech Republic this summer where we had fantastic response. We are very excited about returning to Finland”, says the percussionist.

If the accordionist had to face King Crimson fans, Gunn and Mastelotto got used to the Finnish audience. “We have had great concerts in Finland and the crowds always give us a lot of energy”, the drummer politely acknowledges. “I remember in particular the Tampere Jazz Happening concert in 2005. That was a real high point. Many people who come to our concerts seem to understand what we try to do and that is basically push the limits and surprise listeners (and ourselves) as much as possible. Also many musicians come to our concerts and they seem to like the band.”

Kimmo Pohjonen thinks that the KTU project will be alive for some time. “We will continue playing gigs and creating music as long as we have fun with it”. Now it is in Finland, but it is hard to guess in which part of the world KTU will surface again, so do not miss any chance and go and see them.

Photo by Tuomo Manninen