Recommended music: 'Occult Architecture Vol. 1' by Moon Duo

2017 will see the release of Moon Duo's fourth album 'Occult Architecture', split across two volumes, the first of which is out on February 3rd. Celebration the hidden patterns and connections embedded into life, having two separate volumes signifies the light/dark, day/night and yin/yang of everything.

So what do we get on Volume 1? You may already have heard the driving, pounding riffs on lead single 'Cold Fear', a track that gnaws at your bones like some psychedlic horror-trip soundtrack.


This album spreads its wings wider than that. There's the fast-paced, electro-riffing of 'Cross-Town Fade' which reminds me A LOT of 'Love Missile F1-11' by Sigue Sigue Sputnik - the video for that is below in case you've never heard it.



'Cult of Moloch' is a glam-rock stomp through child sacrifice, while 'Will of the Devil' is a much more open and straightforward 80s type of track. Closer 'White Rose' is the album's epic Krautrock moment, complete with motorik drum beat and phased guitars, and gives you a full ten and a half minutes to lose yourself in an alternative musicverse.

It will be interesting to see how 'Volume 2' differs when it's released later in the year, but for now this is a suitably dark and wintry half of the story.

Live review and pictures: Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Silicon and Moon King, Islington Assembly Hall, London 21st May 2015

A brilliant evening at the Islington Assembly Hall kicked off with Toronto band Moon King. Lead singer and driving force Daniel has a great voice and is a powerful frontman. At times they rocked out pretty hard and at others they mellowed out a bit, but overall they had a lot of energy, and anyone who claims that their 2 favourite songs are 'Halcyon and On and On' by Orbital and 'Harvest Moon' by Neil Young is alright by me.

Moon King live at Islington Assembly Hall, London

Next up was Silicon. Fronted by Ruban UMO's brother Kody, this was a performance and a half that enthralled and mystified the audience in equal measure. After spending the first song onstage Kody very quickly jumped into the audience and spent most of his set there. Dancing, prowling, posing, walking along the edge of the balcony and even stroking some hipster beards, he packed his set full of spiky energy. He even performed a cover of UMO's 'Can't Keep Checking My Phone' while Ruban watched and sang along from the side.Personally I loved it and I'll be watching out for them next time they're on town.

Silicon on stage at Islington Assembly Hall

And so to headliners Unknown Mortal Orchestra. From Ruban Neilson's solo project UMO have evolved into one of the tightest and together live bands I've seen for a while. Ruban is a brilliant guitarist and a thoroughly engaging frontman and together with the rest of the band he plays a brand of soulful and funky indie music that doesn't really exist anywhere else.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra live at Islington Assembly Hall, London 21/5/15

New and old songs mixed together well and were given the chance to breathe, expanding through some great flourishes and solos. No need to pick out highlights as the whole set was one big smile on my face from beginning to end. I can only imagine how great this stuff is going to sound on sunsetting stages through the festival season.

Ruban Nielson, Unknown Mortal Orchestra live 21/5/15

Unknown Mortal Orchestra are back in the UK in October for another tour and you really should go and see them, because they're ace.

Recommended music: 'Multi-Love' by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

The third album from Ruban Nielson may well just be the summer soundtrack you've been looking for. From the opening bars of the now somewhat notorious title track you can tell that you're in for a full on blast of shimmering grooves and good vibes. There's been a lot of salacious talk about the subject matter - Ruban & his wife both fell in love with the same girl, she moved in but then the whole thing sort of fell apart - but to focus on that is is to do the rest of the album a disservice. As Ruban has said "there are more references to holograms than polyamory" on the record, so my advice is just to accept the song for what it is, don't judge the story or the storyteller, and move on.

If you do you'll get to the brief blast of power pop that is 'Like Acid Rain' and then the funkier, almost Prince-like rhythms of 'UR Life One Night'. Most recent single 'Can't Keep Checking My Phone', a disco-driven beast of a tune with a brilliantly catchy chorus. It's followed by 'Extreme Wealth and Casual Cruelty' which feels like the most downbeat song on the album, although it has an unexpected and soulful saxophone solo in the middle that really brings the song alive. A minute before the end it steps up a gear with a dramatic instrumental passage, which then gives way to 'The World Is Crowded - a super smooth groove that's made for relaxing by the pool on your holidays.

As we move towards the end of the record 'Stage or Screen' probably sounds most like older UMO tracks, full of phase and a bit more lo-fi, while 'Necessary Evil' is a darker, moodier slice of funk with some great guitar pieces.

Album closer 'Puzzles' is an epic track that somehow manages to meld The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and George Clinton into seven minutes of epicness.

I can't really think of anyone else treading the same path as UMO right now; their brand of soulful, funky indie really is in a class of its own. I'm pretty sure this'll end up in the end of year 'best of' lists from many people, especially me.

'Multi-Love' is out on May 25th on Jagjaguwar Records.