By Christiana Bartolini | September 16th, 2011
What do you get when a New Zealander by the name of Ruban Nielson transplants to Portland, Oregon with an ambition to reach a new musical dimension? The answer is Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Their debut, self-titled LP is enveloping and so easy to lose yourself in. You should definitely give this band a listen; they’re onto something beautifully psychedelic and hypnotizing.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s LP was produced in Ruban’s home studio with the help of local Portland producer Jake Portrait (also on bass) and teenage drum prodigy, Julien Ehrlich. Together, this trio has created a form of alien beatnik pop that encapsulates 60s psychedelia, krautrock minimalism, and a soft weirdness that unexpectedly blends together quite fanastically. You can take one listen to this album and either be instantly hooked or just be too straight-laced to let it all sink in. I’m guessing you shufflers will experience the former.
Ruban Nielson had this to add about what drove him to write this record:
“I had a real desire to make this psych record for myself. Whether anyone heard it or not wasn’t important. I knew the way I wanted the record to make me feel. I wanted to put all my favorite things in there.”- deadjournalist.com
This album has been released just in time to support a nationwide tour that UMO is currently embarking on. They’ll be playing shows with Toro Y Moi, Little Dragon, The Submarines, Times New Viking, Woven Bones, Blouse, & Man/Miracle. Quite the roster, huh?