Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Based in Portland, Oregon, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) is a psychedelic-rock band led by New Zealand native singer-songwriter and guitarist Ruban Nielson. ∙ UMO’s 2010 debut single, “Ffunny Ffriends,” was praised by influential music blogs, and their 2011 self-titled debut LP won the Taite Music Prize, awarded to the best album from New Zealand. ∙ They recorded “Satanic Planet” with noted outsider artist Daniel Johnston for 2012’s Space Ducks (Soundtrack from the Game), a compilation based on Johnston’s comic book. ∙ In 2013, their sophomore LP, II, won Best Alternative Album at the New Zealand Music Awards. ∙ Multi-Love—which delved into the polyamorous relationship between Nielson, his wife, and another woman—rose to No. 7 on Billboard’s US Independent Albums chart in 2015. ∙ Recorded in the titular Vietnamese city, the experimental-jazz release IC-01 Hanoi was UMO’s second album of 2018, after Sex & Food, and its first instrumental LP.