Album Review: IC-02 Bogotá by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

They have released five highly-acclaimed albums, each bringing a distinctive take to a tried and tested genre, all built around multi-instrumentalist Ruban Nielson's vocals. Alongside their regular run of releases, the band also released 2018's instrumental album IC-01 Hanoi. They've followed this alternate pathway once more with IC-O2 Bogotá, with both releases take their names from the cities they were recorded in, while sonically drawing influences from the sounds of those countries.

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As its title suggests, 'IC-02 Bogotá' follows on from 2018's 'IC-01 Hanoi' as the next in a series of instrumentals, this one recorded in the Colombian capital, and is again a musical departure from Ruben Nielson's trademark soulful psych-funk into balmier territory. From the off, it's one for the crate diggers: opener 'Earth 1' is a ten-plus minute melter with flute-laden, percussion-heavy acid-jazz meeting sultry ambience. 'Earth 2' and 'Earth 3' lift off to an intergalactic party on a tropical moon paradise reminiscent of Bogotá's own Meridian Brothers, the former with hints of cumbia and funk, the latter intertwining towards space jazz and Super Nintendo-era game soundtrack.

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