UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA – SELF TITLED
Orchestral it is not. A meld of psychedelica and post-pop futuristic sound it is. The platform is the steady paced drum beat and a bass line that could easily be from a Blaxploitation sound track. The skill level of the playing seems to be basic and/or poor. Musicians listening to this will get frustrated. To compensate for the simplistic musicality of the recording, lots of effects like distortion are used. It sounds as if the levels were all too high when recording it and it’s all fuzzy. Is it the case that Unknown Mortal Orchestra can hardly play or is this like modern abstract art? Splattered paint on a canvas that to the layperson looks ridiculous and countless people could say “I could do that”. Sure you could do it but did you have the idea to do so in the first place? Putting aside the debate whether Unknown Mortal Orchestra are sonic Jackson Pollocks or inept musicians, just listening to the album is quite enjoyable. The funky rhythm is infectious and the falsetto-sung lyrics catchy. So don’t think too hard about it and just listen.
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