During the mid-eighties Franklin and O'Dempsey composed environmental music for theater, exhibitions, and their own performances/installations. Later, Franklin worked with Clare and the duo played live with minimal electronic accompaniment. This period was documented on the recently re-released Invocation, initially a cassette release under the Franklin & Clare banner, since repackaged on compact disc as a TUU recording on the Italian art label Hic Sunt Leones.

As Franklin became interested in working with a third member and integrating synthesized elements into their music, he called upon O'Dempsey again. Between 1990 and 1992, the trio TUU recorded their debut One Thousand Years. Following the release of that album, Clare left to pursue an acting career. Current flautist Rebecca Lublinksi played on All Our Ancestors and Mesh. The latest addition to the TUU family is flautist Nick Parkin, who contributed to two tracks on the new recording and is set to tour with the group in the near future.

Their otherworldly, contemplative albums have garnered TUU praise in the pages of Billboard, The Wire, Mixmag, NME, and numerous other magazines. Aside from their own recordings, the trio have appeared on compilations from hip underground labels like Quango, Planet Dog, Soleilmoon, Timebase, and Relapse. Franklin recently collaborated with Nick Parkin and Eddy Sayer (Lights In A Fat City) on Maps Without Edges under the group name Stillpoint.