Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Unknown Mortal Orchestra will play the Mojo Club in Hamburg on March 20, 2026. Behind the psychedelic-tinged pop project is New Zealand-born guitarist and singer Ruban Nielson, who moved to the United States after beginning his career with The Mint Chicks in Auckland. In the early 2010s UMO emerged with tracks circulating online, defined by a lo-fi aesthetic, distorted guitars, filtered vocals and soulful rhythms. The self-titled debut (2011) laid the foundation, II (2013) sharpened the melodic edge, Multi-Love (2015) opened the door to synths, funk and R&B. In 2018 Sex & Food followed with a denser, more electric approach; that same year the instrumental IC-01 Hanoi, situated between jazz and ambient, was released—recorded in Vietnam. The double album V (2023) continues this trajectory and brings in soft-rock tones and influences from the Pacific region. Live, the band opts for a compact lineup that puts Nielson’s guitar playing at the center: groovy bass lines, tight drums, analog keys, moving between rough lo-fi edges and gentle, warm passages.