Album Notes

"Under Peace Rising" is the CD that emerged squeaky fresh from the techno-savvy poetry lather at the Washrock espresso laundry in Santa Cruz the last weekend of Black History month.

Even feature poet Merilene Murphy of the globally electric Telepoetics circuit did not expect co-feature Aaron Yamaguchi to press a CD from the jam session on February 27, 1998 and have it out of xStudios' Chico labs before March 20, but that's what these techno-savvy poets do.

One night they're jamming sentiments and rhythm at a 24-hour espresso bar laundry with people washing clothes during the party set and then they're pressing CDs.

Under Peace Rising is an earthy one world washdown, a shift of local voices and visitors at vortexes of virtual realities and vocal be-bops.

Peace Rising is Totem (Yamaguchi, Ray Dacanay and Patrick Pape with guest Javier Dura on electric fretless bass) -- Australian didjeridu, Tibetan golden bowls, Native American and South American flutes, African/Latino/Filipino percussion -- and poet Murphy in a spontaneous sound frenzy.

From first to last drop, Under Peace Rising is the totally unrehearsed, surprise dubbing of a Santa Cruz jam session, that captures 99 percent pure the passions of techno-savvy poets and floats their message, one world, on CD.

~ Merilene Live at the Washrock with Totem: Under Peace Rising ~
~ Review by A. Rita Gaines, The LA Watts Times, May 1998 ~