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Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Album Review: Multi-Love

28 May 2015 // A review by Andrew Smit

If you’re ready for something a little different then Multi Love is ready for you, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s latest collection of dazzling tunes just oozes style, with nine tracks filled with smooth sophisticated grooves and funky rhythms. The synth laden orchestral arrangements are quirky and curious, with synthetic sound effects mixed with traditional brass elements that keep you very interested. The broad creative techno style is charming, and while at times the swirling melodies are a bit dreamy and psychedelic the music has a underlying positive feel, and so it should with its themes of love and unity at its core. The vocal work has been given a symphonic robotic treatment, and a bit of a “wet” reverb effect, that fits well with the techno sound and the tight dub style drum beats.

Each song is of a similar style but each offers a little play on the ears with clever variations of rhythm and sound effects. There are distorted electric guitars that give way to classical acoustic guitars, there are saxophones and multiple synth grinds with bursts of colourful keys. While there is a lot going on, the fluid melodies infuse and bathe around the superb dub beats surprisingly well, delivering a heavy dose of polished experimental sound that feels good.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra are a four-piece band based in Portland, Oregon, and they have produced an album with a thoughtful yet fun twist on many music styles, a captivating and interesting sound that could be described as refined chic, and that’s something you don’t hear every day, but you should.

 

About Unknown Mortal Orchestra

The new project of The Mint Chicks' Ruban Nielson – now based in Portland, Oregon.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra first appeared around a year ago, more a song than a set, more an idea than an identity. They dazzled all who heard them with sound drawing on the freedom of '60s psychedelia and swampy '70s funk, with multi-tracked, heavily treated vocals recalling the raw emotion of R&B from any era.

The songs filtered around via email then blogs, but there were no images, no bios, no lists of band members with prior projects prominent. There wasn't even a live show - which just served to focus attention on the music. And while New Zealanders who heard it instantly suspected a Mint Chicks connection, overseas the slate remained blank: "Information essentially doesn't exist, aside from it being a solo project hailing from Portland," said I Guess I'm Floating, summing up the absence.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Releases

V
Year: 2023
Type: Album
Sex & Food
Year: 2018
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape
IC-01 Hanoi
Year: 2018
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape
Multi-Love
Year: 2015
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape
II
Year: 2013
Type: Album
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Year: 2012
Type: Album

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