U Totem - Set (2026) [Hi-Res]

There had been rumors for years that James Grigsby was in possession of a number of live recordings from the legendary LA-based U Totem. A supergroup of sorts that resulted from the merging of two other bands – 5uus and Motor Totemist Guild, led respectively by Dave Kerman and Grigsby – U Totem was ultimately in existence for maybe six years. During that period of time they recorded two rather stunning albums, including a self-titled debut that inspired an academic publication and has been on my shortlist of favorite albums for the last 35 years or so. Throughout its course, the band played music festivals, smaller venues, and dive bars, often without PR or fanfare.

Just two days ago Grigsby finally released one set of these recordings, aptly titled Set. The album combines two U Totem performances, a six-track outdoor show from the 1990 COMA Day of Music festival in Santa Barbara and three live radio selections from a 1989 edition of Carl Stone’s Imaginary Landscape show on KPFK-FM. The nine songs are from the aforementioned debut, the 5uus release Elements (which included members of Motor Totemist Guild), and the Motor Totemist Guild release Omaggio A Futi.

The music of U Totem draws from progressive rock, chamber music, jazz, modern classical, and the avant-garde in general, producing a highly composed music including abrupt changes and careful use of disorder. They even included an Easter egg or two. Set features a stripped down lineup of Emily Hay on flute and vocals, Eric Johnson-Tamai on bassoon, Sanjay Kumar on keyboards, Grigsby on bass, and Kerman on drums.

There are two aspects to note about Set. The first is that the sound quality is very clear, much better than a run-of-the-mill bootleg or audience recording. The radio station tracks sound even better. The second is that this group did a remarkable job of pulling off some rather dense technical charts. Indeed, the 15-minute One Nail Draws Another, an extremely complex piece originally recorded with seven instrumentalists and two additional vocalists, is beautifully rendered.

Archival recordings like Set are more than just nostalgia. They are valuable cultural artifacts that document American musicians influenced by the European Rock in Opposition artists. The scene here in the States was never robust but for about 20 years produced a number of important recordings, with those of U Totem being some of the finest.