Totemo
Background information
Birth nameRotem Or
Born (1985-10-13) 13 October 1985
Tel Nof
GenresIndie pop, electronic, dream pop
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, electric guitar, keyboard.
Years active2008–present
Labels
Websiteimu-music.com/totemo/

Rotem Or, professionally known as Totemo, is an Israeli singer-songwriter and producer from Tel Aviv[1] signed under a German-based management company I Am You Music Group.[2] She plays the electric guitar and keyboard while performing. She has toured Israel and other countries including Uganda, Poland, (Germany), South Korea and Austria.

Musical career

Totemo live in 2016

She released her first EP titled Lightly Easily at the age of 18 under her birth name Rotem Or. The album featured seven songs. Lightly Easily was released under a Jerusalem-based label The Basement, a sub label of the Jerusalem label Fact Records.

In 2012, she released an eleven-song LP called Hard Magic which was all written, produced and recorded by herself in her home.

In 2014, Rotem Or released her Heavy as My Dreams[3] album as Totemo under BLDG5 a sub label of a Tel Aviv record label Anova Records. The lead single "Host" had widespread publicity in Israel as it was part of the daily rotation on a prominent Israeli radio station GLFLTZ FM.

Totemo went on to release another EP titled Desire Path in 2016 which she co-produced with Roey Avital from the band Garden City Movement.

Totemo has toured the world performing at festivals such as the Milege World Music Festival in Entebbe Uganda in November 2017,[4][5] the annual InDnegev festival[6] in Israel and Zandari Festa in Seoul in South Korea.

Totemo has worked with other Israel artists including Amit Erez, Alon Lotringer, Roey Avital, Mo Kolours and shared stage with a multitude of other Israeli artists.

Personal life and breast cancer

Both Rotem's parents used to work in the Israel Air Force. Rotem grew up on a military base for most of her childhood until she was 12 when her family moved to Modiin.[7]

Rotem Or did her mandatory military service after high school and went on to join the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Psychology majoring in Brain Science.

Totemo was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 but went on to tour even during her chemotherapy. Her latest album Desire Path was all written during her fight with cancer and its single "Hits" which too attracted a lot of media attention, details her journey in a video.[8] Totemo is now cured of cancer.

Discography

Albums

Lightly Easily (as Rotem Or)

  • Format: CD
  • Label: FACT Records[9]
  • Writer: Totemo
  • Producer: Totemo
  • Chart position: NA
  • Tracks: Sniff, Charges, Suzanne, La Dance, Untitled, On the move, Scream

Hard Magic[10]

  • Released: 2012
  • Format: LP
  • Writer: Totemo (As Rotem Or)
  • Writers: Totemo (As Rotem Or)
  • Producer: Totemo (As Rotem Or)
  • Tracks: This Is What You All Came For, Secret Particles, A Little Bird in Your Ear, Dear Sir, Untitled, Human Being, Covers, How I Lost Your Respect, Scholarships, A Flower For You, We Choose Future B
  • Singles: Covers

Heavy as My Dreams (EP)[11][12]

  • Released: 2014
  • Format: LP
  • Label: BLDG5
  • Writer: Totemo (As Rotem Or)
  • Writers: Totemo (As Rotem Or)
  • Producer: Totemo (As Rotem Or), Roey Avital
  • Tracks: Heavy as my dreams, Opposite of Charm, Host, Whois, Time to shine
  • Singles: Host

Desire Path[13]

  • Released: 2016
  • Format: EP
  • Writer: Totemo
  • Writers: Totemo
  • Producer: Totemo, Roey Avital
  • Tracks: Dreamit, Seesaw, Kick, Hits, Prime
  • Singles: Hits

References

  1. "Totemo Reveals Musical Memories, Dream Collaborations + More". Diffuser. 26 November 2014.
  2. "TOTEMO". IMU Music.
  3. "Totemo previews debut EP with 'Heavy As My Dreams'". Diymag. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  4. "Uganda: Milege Falls Short This Time". All Africa. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  5. Kaggwa, Andrew (24 November 2017). "Milege World Music festival is on this weekend". The Observer. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  6. "WATCH: Tel Aviv Songstress Elevates Electronic Indie-pop in English". Haaretz. Ben Shalev. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  7. "Interview: Taking the desired path". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  8. "Totemo Documents Her Chemotherapy in This Intimate Video for "Hits"". Noisey. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  9. "FACT Records". discogs. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  10. "Hard Magic Album". Bandcamo. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  11. "Heavy As My Dreams (EP) By Totemo". Spotify. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  12. Kristobak, Ryan (4 November 2014). "Totemo Just Broke All of Pop's Rules". HuffPost. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  13. "Desire Path". Bandcamp. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
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