Psych-pop trio Unknown Mortal Orchestra announced they are releasing a new album, called “Multi-Love”. “Mult-Love” will be out on May 26th, 2015, via Jagjaguwar. And, the band is also hitting the road in May for a series of shows in the U.S. and U.K.
On “Multi-Love”, listeners will find Unknown Mortal Orchestra frontman and multi-instrumentalist Ruban Nielson reflecting on different feelings associated with relationships from “airy” to “humid longing”, and “loss”; and even, “the geometry of desire that occurs when three people align”, according to a press release.
It is the opposite of the album, “II”, in which Nielson addressed the pain of being alone. “Multi-Love” takes on the pain of being together.
Additionally, Multi-Love expounds upon the band’s “kaleidoscopic” sound, with Nielson finding a new love 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,” according to a press release.
“It felt good to be rebelling against the typical view of what an artist is today, a curator,” Nielson said in a press release. “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.”
And, while it might have a subversive approach, constant expansion and exploration are a necessary quality to keep music styles alive in the long run. But, Unknown Mortal Orchestra manages to expand on the sounds, while paying homage to the established tradition.
Check out the title track from “Multi-Love”:
Apart from the new album, the New Zealand trio released a new song, “SB-02”, in January. “SB-02” was a follow-up to “SB-01” that was released in December 2013.
Take a look at the band’s tour dates, cover art, and the new songs on “Multi-Love”, below.
Multi-Love (2015) Tracklisting
01. Multi-Love
02. Like Acid Rain
03. Ur Life One Night
04. Can’t Keep Checking My Phone
05. Extreme Wealth and Casual Cruelty
06. The World Is Crowded
07. Stage or Screen
08. Necessary Evil
09. Puzzles
Unknown Mortal Orchestra Tour Dates 2015
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May 07: Eugene, OR – WOW Hall
May 09: Seattle, WA – Barboza
May 10: Spokane, WA – The Bartlett
May 20: Bristol, UK – Thekla
May 21: London, UK – Islington Assembly Hall
May 22: Coventry, UK – Warwick University w/ Django Django
May 23: Liverpool, UK – Liverpool Sound City
May 25: Amsterdam, NL – Bitterzoet
May 26: Berlin, DE – Berghain Kantine
May 27: Brussels, BE – AB Club
May 28: Paris, FR – La Flèche d’Or
May 29 to May 31: Nîmes, FR – This is Not a Love Song Festival
May 30: Barcelona, ES – Primavera Sound
June 02: Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
June 03: Montreal, QC – Theatre Fairmount
June 04: Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
June 05: Pontiac, MI – Pike Room
June 06: Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
June 08: Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club
June 09: Omaha, NE – Waiting Room
June 10: St. Louis, MO – Firebird
June 11: June 14 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo
June 13: Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
June 14: Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
June 15: Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
June 16: Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle
June 17: Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle
June 19: Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw