Unknown Mortal Orchestra, formed in 2010 by Ruban Nielson, is a psychedelic and lo-fi rock band, hailing from Portland, Oregon, U.S. and Auckland, New Zealand.
Formerly of the New Zealand band the Mint Chicks, band leader Ruban Nielson, after disbanding the group, wanted to leave the music world behind and take up a day job. As a side project Neilson began playing around with samples and he anonymously uploaded the track “Ffunny Ffriends” to his Bandcamp page in 2010. It wasn’t long before bloggers were trying to hunt down the song’s craftsman and it was revealed to be Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who subsequently signed with Fat Possum Records.
The band, consisting of Nielson, bassist Jake Portrait, and drummer Riley Geare, released their eponymously-titled debut album in June 2011. The album instantly earned critical acclaim for the impressive lo-fi psychedelic nature, won the 2012 Taite Music Prize, and Nielson went on to win the award for Best Male Artist at the year’s New Zealand Music Awards.
After signing with Jagjaguwar towards the tail-end of 2012, the label issued Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s sophomore album, the simply named “II” in February 2013. The album was led by the single “Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)” and again earned much the same praise as the band’s debut, later winning the award for Best Alternative Album at the New Zealand Music Awards. In support of the album the band embarked on a worldwide tour including dates in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America.
Following a series of acoustic sessions, the band saw an opportunity to expand their sound and released the acoustically psychedelic “Blue Record” in 2013. The short album, recorded on one mike in Nielson’s basement, features three acoustic covers of songs from “II” and covers of Dirty Projectors and Beck.
Benson Boone
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