Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Photo by Juan Ortiz Arenas)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra recently released V, their fifth studio album, via Jagjaguwar, and they are hitting the road on a tour that includes two dates at 9:30 Club!
UMO have sold out a first night at 9:30 Club but tix remain available for a second night on Wednesday, April 19.
UMO tours closely following the release of their first double album, V, led by Hawaiian-New Zealand musician Ruban Nielson and drawing from the rich traditions of West Coast AOR, classic hits, weirdo pop, and Hawaiian Hapa-haole music.
The project evokes blue skies, beachside cocktail bars, hotel pools, and the darkness that lurks below perfect, pristine surfaces as Nielson reframes the road that led to this moment during the pandemic’s early days spent in Palm Springs. It was there that the 14 singalong anthems, cinematic instrumentals, and mischievous pop songs in V were brought together with the help of his father, Chris Nielson (saxophone/flute), and longstanding UMO member Jake Portrait.
Watch the official music video for “Meshuggah” by Unknown Mortal Orchestra on YouTube:
The first double album in the UMO discography, V, makes a strong case for itself as Ruban’s sunbleached masterpiece while simultaneously recontextualizing and enriching the journey that led him to this moment. Alongside Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation, Pulp’s Different Class, and Prince’s 1999, it’s a breakthrough work from a mid-career artist in full control of his creative powers. Most of all, V is about having fun while making music and art that transcends clout and currency. In the process, Ruban effortlessly reclaims taste as a personal part of selfhood; in that reclamation, he propels UMO to breathtaking new creative heights.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
W/ Seafoam
9:30 Club
Wednesday, April 19
Doors @ 7pm
$30
All ages