{"title":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"blue-record-unknown-mortal-orchestra","title":"Blue Record","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"I only started playing the acoustic guitar last year. I'd always preferred the idea that the guitar converts a sound into voltage and then becomes really loud. I thought the acoustic guitar was a little bit too twee for me or something. But after being offered some opportunities to play various acoustic sessions to promote the new record, in situations where it wasn't possible to record the whole band, I decided to treat it like a challenge to try and play acoustic and not have it be lame. After all I was really into Arthur Lee's ability with an acoustic and started wondering if I could make it sound convincing. Anyway, after being somewhat forced to develop some skill on the acoustic through these various radio sessions and things like that I decided to record some songs acoustically and release them since people seemed to be liking the way I was doing it. Everything was recorded straight to tape in my basement with a one mic set up.\" - RUBAN NIELSON, UMO\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"12\" Black Vinyl","offer_id":44536157798563,"sku":"JAG246lp","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/blue-record-jagjaguwar-jag246lp.jpg?v=1776690428"},{"product_id":"ic-01-hanoi-unknown-mortal-orchestra","title":"IC-01 Hanoi","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhile recording Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s latest release, Sex \u0026amp; Food, Ruban Nielson, his longtime collaborator Jacob Portrait and his brother Kody Nielson, found themselves in the Vietnamese city of Hanoi at Phu Sa Studios.  During the recording process for Sex \u0026amp; Food the band recorded live sessions with local musician Minh Nguyen on Sáo Trúc, Đàn Môi, and Vietnamese Percussion and the Nielson's father, Chris on Flugelhorn, Saxophone and keyboards.  These sessions became IC-01 Hanoi: exploring the outer edges of the band's influences in Jazz, Krautrock, Fusion and the avant-garde.  At its core Hanoi is a record of exploration, finding its closest antecedent in Miles Davis’ experimental On The Corner – itself a record full of nods toward avant-garde composers and Jazz outsiders alike.  Hanoi finds Ruban amplifying and stretching out on lead guitar, with a blown-out and wandering fuzz tone that slinks throughout the sessions.  The rest of the group match Ruban’s melodic diversions with aplomb, mining their talents to finding as easy a role in the fusion of funk as they do in the more ambient and abstract tangents on Hanoi.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44536179064995,"sku":"JAG330cd","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP Black","offer_id":44536179097763,"sku":"JAG330lp","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Cassette","offer_id":44536179130531,"sku":"JAG330cass","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/jag330.umo.hanoi.preorder.cd-380.jpg?v=1776690007"},{"product_id":"unknown-mortal-orchestra-ii-deluxe-edition","title":"II (10th Anniversary Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e· Disc 1: II album\u003cbr\u003e· Disc 2: (A) Blue Record EP\u003cbr\u003eb\/w (B) Two Generations of Excess + Waves of Confidence\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn the year of the albums 10th Anniversary Unknown Mortal Orchestra's 'II' will be reissued on Deluxe Edition 2xLP Aluminum Vinyl.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eII builds on the break-beat, junk-shop charm the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Ruban Nielson came to be renowned for following Unknown Mortal Orchestra's self-titled 2011 debut, and signals the solidification of the band's position as an endlessly intriguing, brave psychedelic band. UMO is unafraid to dig deeper than the rest to lock into their intoxicating, opiate groove and bring rock'n'roll's exaggerated myths to life. Written during a punishing, debauched touring schedule during which Nielson feared for both his sanity and health, II illustrates the emotional turmoil of life on the road, painting surrealist, cartoonish portraits of loneliness, love and despair.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"2xLP Aluminum Anniversary Vinyl","offer_id":44536179261603,"sku":"JAG232dlx","price":33.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/jag232.umo.ii.10.anniversary.lp.mock.jpg?v=1776690008"},{"product_id":"multi-love-unknown-mortal-orchestra","title":"Multi-Love","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe threads of our past never unravel, they hover like invisible webs, occasionally glistening due to a sly angle of the sun. On Multi-Love, Unknown Mortal Orchestra frontman and multi-instrumentalist Ruban Nielson reflects on relationships: airy, humid longing, loss, the geometry of desire that occurs when three people align. Where Nielson addressed the pain of being alone on II, Multi-Love takes on the complications of being together.  Multi-Love adds dimensions to the band's already kaleidoscopic approach, with Nielson exploring a newfound appreciation for synthesizers. The new songs channel the spirit of psych innovators without ignoring the last 40 years of music, forming a flowing, cohesive whole that reflects restless creativity. Cosmic escapes and disco rhythms speak to developing new vocabulary, while Nielson's vocals reach powerful new heights. \"It felt good to be rebelling against the typical view of what an artist is today, a curator,\" he says. \"It's more about being someone who makes things happen in concrete ways. Building old synthesizers and bringing them back to life, creating sounds that aren't quite like anyone else's. I think that's much more subversive.\" While legions of artists show fidelity to the roots of psychedelia, Unknown Mortal Orchestra shares the rare quality that makes the genre's touchstones so vital: constant exploration.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"LP Black Vinyl","offer_id":44536190337187,"sku":"JAG262lp","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":44536190369955,"sku":"JAG262cd","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/multi-love-jagjaguwar-jag262.jpg?v=1776689767"},{"product_id":"phone-unknown-mortal-orchestra-silicon","title":"Phone","description":"\u003cp\u003eBrothers Ruban and Kody Nielson have been playing, recording and collaborating on music for decades. From the influences of their jazz musician father and dancer mother, Ruban and Kody have gone on to play in New Zealand's The Mint Chicks, and at its end in 2010, moved on to separate projects. Ruban formed Unknown Mortal Orchestra out of Portland, while Kody collaborated with various artists and musicians before his own solo project, SILICON, took shape. At the end of 2015, as UMO's Multi-Love and SILICON's Personal Computer made the rounds, garnering critical acclaim, Ruban and Kody (who played keyboards and drums on UMO's Multi-Love) took some time to rework tracks from each of their records. The theme of phones led to Kody working on UMO's \"Can't Keep Checking My Phone,\" changing it from a bouncy, sprite disco track to a sparser song filled with space, treated vocals and isolated drum breaks. Ruban's rework of SILICON's \"Cellphone\" is turned moody and dark, with a skittering beat and additional vocals. The limited edition Phone 7\" is available on April 1, 2016.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra \/ SILICON","offers":[{"title":"7\"","offer_id":44536197546147,"sku":"JAG274lp","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/phone-jagjaguwar-jag274lp.jpg?v=1776689647"},{"product_id":"sketchbook-cassette","title":"Sketchbook","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the full SB Series collection on cassette. This is a limited edition set of only 300 copies\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"Cassette Cassette Box Set","offer_id":44536207769763,"sku":"JAG458cass","price":68.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/umo.mock.4_5B49_5D_5B13_5D-ff24f81a5586394f73f75331a8fc0e4b.jpg?v=1776689468"},{"product_id":"swim-and-sleep-like-a-shark-bw-waves-of-confidence-unknown-mortal-orchestra","title":"Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark) b\/w Waves of Confidence","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs Unknown Mortal Orchestra, New Zealand by-way-of Portland songwriter and guitarist Ruban Nielson marries spry, nervy psychedelia with sharp R\u0026amp;B touchstones. Timeless pop hooks are produced with a soft buzzsaw edge so that the effect is akin to Stevie Wonder producing Plastic Ono Band into Nuggets-like gems. It's a one-two punch that has caught the ear of hip-hop community heavyweights (like ?uestlove, El-P) and indie-world heroes (Liars, Toro Y Moi).  With bassist Jacob Portrait and drummer Greg Rogrove, Unknown Mortal Orchestra is preparing a full-length for early 2013. Single \"Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark),\" a bittersweet power-pop romp with melodies more delicate than most approaching the genre would dare, is our first taste from the recordings. It's b-side, \"Waves of Confidence,\" is slow-grind sizzurp psych that, by its end, has built and layered to transcendent heights.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"7\"","offer_id":44536211734691,"sku":"JAG231lp","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"unknown-mortal-orchestra-v","title":"V","description":"\u003cp\u003eUnknown Mortal Orchestra 'V' \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"2xLP Rare Blue 2xLP Vinyl","offer_id":44536222679203,"sku":"JAG422lp-C2","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2xLP Black Vinyl 2xLP","offer_id":44536222711971,"sku":"JAG422lp","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":44536222744739,"sku":"JAG422cd","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Cassette","offer_id":44536222777507,"sku":"JAG422cass","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/jag422.umo.v.black.mock_6f2c1ad6-2b4a-4c2c-af96-3d6e96552d79.jpg?v=1776689170"},{"product_id":"unknown-mortal-orchestra-v-spotify-exclusive","title":"V (Spotify Fans First Exclusive)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnknown Mortal Orchestra 'V' out March 17th on Jagjaguwar is available on limited edition purple orchid vinyl, exclusive to Spotify.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCreated by the Hawaiian-New Zealand artist Ruban Nielson and a cast of close collaborators (including his father and brother, Chris and Kody Nielson), V evokes blue skies, beachside cocktail bars, hotel pools and the darkness that lurks below perfect, pristine surfaces. Recorded between the dry freeways of Palm Springs, California and lush coastlines and Hilo, Hawai’I, it draws deeply from West Coast AOR, classic hits, weirdo pop and Hawaiian Hapa-haole music. V is the first double album in the storied Unknown Mortal Orchestra discography, and joins mid-career classics like Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation, Pulp’s Different Class, and Prince’s 1999 as a breakthrough album that proves and expands the extent of the band’s creative power.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eV is about family, Nielson's interrogation of his earliest musical influences and the joy of having fun while making music. The result is a career-defining album that, song by song, recontextualizes and enriches the lifelong musical journey that has led Nielson to this watershed moment while making a case for itself as his masterpiece.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"2xLP Purple Vinyl","offer_id":44536222843043,"sku":"JAG422lp-C3","price":33.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/jag422.umo.v.orchid.mock.jpg?v=1776689169"},{"product_id":"ii-unknown-mortal-orchestra","title":"II","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e*Black LP will ship 01\/2021*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eII builds on the break-beat, junk-shop charm the 32-year-old multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Ruban Nielson came to be renowned for following Unknown Mortal Orchestra's self-titled 2011 debut, and signals the solidification of the band's position as an endlessly intriguing, brave psychedelic band. UMO is unafraid to dig deeper than the rest to lock into their intoxicating, opiate groove and bring rock'n'roll's exaggerated myths to life. Written during a punishing, debauched touring schedule during which Nielson feared for both his sanity and health, II illustrates the emotional turmoil of life on the road, painting surrealist, cartoonish portraits of loneliness, love and despair.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"LP Black Vinyl","offer_id":44673913913507,"sku":"JAG232lp","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":44673913979043,"sku":"JAG232cd","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Cassette","offer_id":44673914077347,"sku":"JAG232cass","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":45976156635299,"sku":"JAG232lp-C2","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/umo.jpg?v=1755108172"},{"product_id":"sex-and-food-unknown-mortal-orchestra","title":"Sex \u0026 Food","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"expandable-text d-none d-md-block text-justify\"\u003eWhere are we headed? What are we consuming, how is it affecting us, and why does everything feel so bad and weird sometimes? These are some of the questions posed on Ruban Nielson’s fourth album as Unknown Mortal Orchestra,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSex \u0026amp; Food\u003c\/em\u003e—a delightfully shapeshifting album that filters these real-deal serious themes through a vibrant sonic lens that spans battered drum-machine funk, doomy and thrashing rock, and pink-hued psychedelic disco. Recorded in a variety of locales from Seoul and Hanoi to Reykjavik, Mexico City, and Auckland,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSex \u0026amp; Food\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a practical musical travelogue, with local musicians from the countries that Nielson and his band visited pitching in throughout.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSex \u0026amp; Food\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ereaffirms the vitality of Nielson’s voice in today’s musical landscape, and when it comes to navigating the strange and often discouraging pathways our society’s taken, it makes for a damn fine compass, too.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44673920663715,"sku":"JAG322cd","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP Black Vinyl","offer_id":44673920696483,"sku":"JAG322lp","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Cassette Pink Shell Cassette","offer_id":44673920729251,"sku":"JAG322cass","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"JLP Japanese Edition on Pink \u0026 Clear","offer_id":44673920794787,"sku":"JAG322JLP","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP Pink Vinyl","offer_id":44673920827555,"sku":"JAG322lp-C1","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Devotional Candle","offer_id":44674107834531,"sku":"JAG322candle","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Secretly Society Black and White Split Color","offer_id":44674107867299,"sku":"JAG322lp-C4","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/jag322.umo.lp.jpg?v=1776688867"},{"product_id":"sex-food","title":"Sex \u0026 Food","description":"","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"Bundle","offer_id":46062389002403,"sku":"JAG322xbnd03","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/jag322.umo.preorder.bundle.mexcandle_956b3c51-68b5-4611-b596-0cb5563b4bf9.jpg?v=1776688686"},{"product_id":"umo-ic-02-bogota","title":"IC-02 Bogotá","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe band Unknown Mortal Orchestra sometimes enjoys making purely instrumental music. In addition to the vocal-based records they’re more well-known for, they’ve also begun to make an instrumental series called the IC where they spend time in a chosen city and improvise and collaborate on non-vocal music. Recently the band spent time in Colombia to make music and initiate their new keyboard player Christian Li. The resulting sessions have become IC-02 Bogota, a musical document of the time they spent in that exciting city and the possible background music for some strange parties and night drives in your future.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"Black Vinyl","offer_id":46133614968995,"sku":"JAG453lp","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Bundle Vinyl Bundle #1","offer_id":45814494462115,"sku":"JAG453xbnd01","price":36.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Bundle Vinyl Bundle #2","offer_id":45814494494883,"sku":"JAG453xbnd02","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Bundle Vinyl Bundle #3","offer_id":45814494527651,"sku":"JAG453xbnd03","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Bundle Vinyl Bundle #4","offer_id":45814494560419,"sku":"JAG453xbnd04","price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Bundle Vinyl Bundle #5","offer_id":45814494593187,"sku":"JAG453xbnd05","price":70.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/0038589221_36.jpg?v=1776688627"},{"product_id":"ii-society-exclusive","title":"II (Society Exclusive)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnknown Mortal Orchestra 'II' Secretly Society Exclusive re-issue on Strawberry Shortcake Splash Vinyl.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn the year of the albums 10th Anniversary Unknown Mortal Orchestra's 'II' will be re-issued. II builds on the break-beat, junk-shop charm the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Ruban Nielson came to be renowned for following Unknown Mortal Orchestra's self-titled 2011 debut, and signals the solidification of the band's position as an endlessly intriguing, brave psychedelic band. UMO is unafraid to dig deeper than the rest to lock into their intoxicating, opiate groove and bring rock'n'roll's exaggerated myths to life. Written during a punishing, debauched touring schedule during which Nielson feared for both his sanity and health, II illustrates the emotional turmoil of life on the road, painting surrealist, cartoonish portraits of loneliness, love and despair.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"LP Strawberry Shortcake Vinyl","offer_id":45954134835363,"sku":"JAG232lp-C3","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/mock.lp.1.ss.23.1.umo-_1.webp?v=1776688567"},{"product_id":"curse-ep","title":"CURSE EP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUMO’s 'CURSE' EP reflects these cursed times we find ourselves in. Taking inspiration from Italian horror films of the 1970s and 1980s, the six songs on the release are as cathartic a listen as the band has ever recorded. Featuring both abrasive, Black Sabbath inspired riffs on “BOYS WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOLVES” as well as the laid back, intricate guitar playing UMO is maybe most famous for on “DEATH COMES FROM THE SKY”, the CURSE EP is the perfect soundtrack to your next confrontation with the void.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":45954399535267,"sku":"JAG483lp","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/jag483.umo.curse.lp.mock-31c124a20152f5e9b185029e7af9b80b.webp?v=1776688567"},{"product_id":"v-boxset","title":"V Boxset","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUnknown Mortal Orchestra 'V' Boxset contains:\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'V' Rare Blue Vinyl 2xLP in Gold Foil Gatefold Jacket\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'SB-06' \/ 'SB-07' 12\" Black Vinyl\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'V' T-Shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreated between the dry freeways of Palm Springs, California and lush coastlines and Hilo, Hawai’i, V is the definitive Unknown Mortal Orchestra record. Led by Hawaiian-New Zealand artist Ruban Nielson, V draws from the rich traditions of West Coast AOR, classic hits, weirdo pop and Hawaiian Hapa-haole music. With his sharpest-ever ear for “making it UMO”, Ruban evokes blue skies, beachside cocktail bars and hotel pools without ever turning a blind eye to the darkness that lurks below perfect, pristine surfaces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe road to V began in April 2019 when UMO headed to Indio, California, to perform at Coachella. For that fortnight, Ruban booked an Airbnb in nearby Palm Springs and brought his family along. Between performances, he realized the desert resort city’s palm tree-lined streets reminded him of a childhood spent playing by white hotel swimming pools with his siblings while their entertainer parents performed in showbands across the Pacific and East Asia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA year later, Ruban started thinking about Palm Springs again as the COVID-19 pandemic loomed on the horizon. After contemplating spending lockdown at home in Portland, he purchased a house in Palm Springs. Having spent a decade touring, Ruban knew he had health issues and burnout to address. As America went into lockdown, he settled in for enforced downtime. Under the palm trees, he had the space to reflect. He felt a sense of gratitude for the lifestyle music had afforded him. The warm, dry weather cleared up his lifelong asthma issues, he found himself singing better than ever before, and new songs began to flow out of him in his home studio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen he recorded his third album Multi-Love, Ruban incorporated disco elements into the lo-fi funk-rock dreamscapes of his first two records. Coming from a punk background where the slogan “disco sucks” had been casually thrown around, he found a subversive glee in flipping the script. On V, you can hear a continuation of this impulse in the arid disco-funk of ‘Meshuggah’. “There are two kinds of musical taste, constructed and instinctual,” Ruban said. “Taste as clout is dangerous to art, in my opinion. Then, there’s music that will send a shiver down your spine. You didn’t ask for that shiver. It just happens.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the pandemic’s early days, Ruban’s brother Kody had flown from New Zealand to Palm Springs to help him with his recordings. When they talked about records that moved them in that spine-shivering manner, Ruban started thinking about the ubiquitous 70s AM radio rock and 80s pop songs he remembered hearing as a child while their parents were working as entertainers. He wanted to write his version of those records, leading to the two glorious uptempo singles UMO released in 2021, ‘Weekend Run’ and ‘That Life’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, the golden good times never last forever. As health issues began to plague one of his Hawaiian uncles, Ruban realized he was coming face to face with a sharper, more acute sense of mortality looming. Putting his recordings aside, he helped his mother and another of her brothers move home from New Zealand and Portland to Hawai’i to be with him. As they settled in, Ruban began dividing his time between Palm Springs and Hilo on the northeastern side of the big island.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe knew that part of his connection with Palm Springs came from how it evoked aspects of his childhood. For Ruban, Hawai’i had a similar association, but it also brought back faded memories of the darker side of his parents' lifestyle. On those trips, he heard those classic AM radio rock records he’d talked about with Kody everywhere. They were inextricably intertwined with the palm trees, swimming pools, and glamorized hedonism he’d internalized since childhood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's a type of music in Hawai'i called Hapa-haole (Half white). You can hear it expressed in signature UMO style through the humid guitar-led atmosphere of V's penultimate song, ‘I Killed Captain Cook’. Although the songs are presented in a traditional Hawaiian manner, they're mostly sung in English. Having been influenced by Hawaiian music since UMO’s first album, Ruban saw a space for himself within the tradition. When he reflected on his success, he realized he had the responsibility and platform to represent Hapa-haole music on the global stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter reuniting with Kody at a cousin’s wedding in Hawai’i, the brothers traveled to Palm Springs. There, with assistance from their father, Chris Nielson (saxophone\/flute) and longstanding UMO member Jake Portrait, they brought everything Ruban had been mulling over about together through the fourteen singalong anthems, cinematic instrumentals and mischievous pop songs that make up V.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In Hawaii, everything shifted off of me and my music,” Ruban said. “Suddenly, I was spending more time figuring out what others need and what my role is within my family. I also learned that things I thought were true of myself are bigger than I thought. My way of making mischief - that’s not just me - that’s my whole Polynesian side. I thought I was walking away from music to focus on family, but the two ended up connecting.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown Mortal Orchestra","offers":[{"title":"2xLP, Bonus 12\" + T-Shirt Box Set SM T-Shirt","offer_id":46219117592739,"sku":"JAG422lp-box-USM","price":79.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2xLP, Bonus 12\" + T-Shirt Box Set MD T-Shirt","offer_id":46219117625507,"sku":"JAG422lp-box-UMD","price":79.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2xLP, Bonus 12\" + T-Shirt Box Set LG T-Shirt","offer_id":46219117658275,"sku":"JAG422lp-box-ULG","price":79.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2xLP, Bonus 12\" + T-Shirt Box Set XL T-Shirt","offer_id":46219117691043,"sku":"JAG422lp-box-UXL","price":79.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2xLP, Bonus 12\" + T-Shirt Box Set XXL T-Shirt","offer_id":46219117723811,"sku":"JAG422lp-box-U2XL","price":79.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2xLP, Bonus 12\" + T-Shirt Box Set XXXL T-Shirt","offer_id":46219117756579,"sku":"JAG422lp-box-U3XL","price":79.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/6703\/2483\/files\/jag422.umo.v.box.mock.expanded_5B203115_5D.jpg?v=1776688448"}],"url":"https:\/\/secretlystore.com\/collections\/unknown-mortal-orchestra.oembed","provider":"Secretly Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}