Tag Archives: Ruban Nielson

UMO Brings Intimate Rock Feel to Oregon Gig

UMO Brings Intimate Rock Feel to Oregon Gig

Ruban Nielson, New Zealand-born singer and guitarist of Unknown Mortal Orchestra excitedly addressed the sold-out crowd at the WOW Hall, in Eugene, Oregon. “What’s up, Eugene? You alright?” Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) brought a…

Mind Altering Moments with Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Mind Altering Moments with Unknown Mortal Orchestra

“An hour-long set of psychedelic sonic explorations breathes fire into songs that can border on boring in their studio iterations,” the Sydney Morning Herald’s Matt Teffer writes in a review of a recent

Ruban Nielson Talks Music & NZ Artists

Ruban Nielson Talks Music & NZ Artists

Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s “lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Ruban Nielson takes influence from a diverse group of artists ranging from Stevie Wonder to punk act the Buzzcocks to musical iconoclast Frank Zappa,” writes Carlos De Loera in…

UMO Frontman Ruban Nielson on Musical Eclecticism

UMO Frontman Ruban Nielson on Musical Eclecticism

In search of a new direction after three critically acclaimed psychedelic indie rock records, 38-year-old New Zealander Ruban Nielson, frontman of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, took to the road to write and record album No…

UMO Frontman Ruban Nielson Keeps it Dumb

UMO Frontman Ruban Nielson Keeps it Dumb

On 2015’s Multi-Love, New Zealand-born Ruban Nielson, 38, frontman of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, saw his personal life laid out and analysed. Now, on the band’s fourth LP Sex & Food, he’s trying to keep…

Unknown Mortal Orchestra Begin Promotion of New LP

Unknown Mortal Orchestra Begin Promotion of New LP

The follow-up to New Zealand band Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s 2015 album Multi-Love, their fourth studio album, Sex & Food is out on 6 April. Bandleader Ruban Nielson described the impetus behind the album, saying he wanted to…

UMO’s Third Effort Has Added Whoa Factor

UMO’s Third Effort Has Added Whoa Factor

“Oregon-based New Zealander Ruban Nielson is already known for being an offbeat operator, providing psychedelic takes on 70s soul and deeply fried 60s pop on two previous albums,” Guardian reviewer Kitty Empire writes. “For UMO’s…

Nielson Family Reunion Perfect Subtext for New UMO Album

Nielson Family Reunion Perfect Subtext for New UMO Album

“Visionary” New Zealander Ruban Nielson, frontman of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, has tightened up his songwriting, “with the added bonus of synths” on the band’s latest album Multi-Love. “Nielson’s favourite new toy is apparent from the…

Kody Nielson Is Another Exciting NZ Music Offering

Kody Nielson Is Another Exciting NZ Music Offering

New Zealand’s “most exciting offerings” of late, according to the Guardian, “have been the warped psychedelia of Connan Mockasin and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Completing this trio of peculiarity is Silicon – also known as…

With Bombastic New Single UMO Channel Stately Soulful Music

With Bombastic New Single UMO Channel Stately Soulful Music

New Zealand-born Ruban Nielson’s Portland-based three-piece Unknown Mortal Orchestra makes the Guardian’s daily playlist, with their “bombastic” new single Multi-Love. “Such was the oddball beauty of Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s introverted second album II that Multi-Love…

Like a Weird Untitled Mixtape They Beguile

Like a Weird Untitled Mixtape They Beguile

The songwriting savant behind Unknown Mortal Orchestra, New Zealander Ruban Nielson, 33, spends many of his nocturnal hours locked away in the basement of his Portland, Oregon home, creating beguiling, hypnagogic psych-pop, the Guardian’s…

Gracefully Addictive San Francisco Gig

Gracefully Addictive San Francisco Gig

“The Portland-based (though one-third New Zealand-born) trio finds a delicate balance between lo-fi minimalism and swirly, disoriented pop songs heavy on themes of isolation, which they translate gracefully into a live…

Commentaries on Nationality

Commentaries on Nationality

Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson, formerly of The Mint Chicks, attributes his former anonymity and general fame-shyness to, in part, being from New Zealand. Emerging on the scene via an obscure Bandcamp profile in…