Unknown Mortal Orchestra is an indie pop band originally from Auckland, New Zealand, that is led by singer and guitarist Ruban Nielson. Their music has a psychedelic edge, with an instantly recognizable sound that makes good use of reverb and a low level distortion. They capture the vintage late '60s vibe very well in their recordings and they do so with considerable clarity. The guitars sound fuzzy and jagged, but in a good way. Earlier recording saw Nielson make use of finger plucking in ways that were partly reminiscent of Alt-J, and mixes his vocals in very distinct ways that enhances the subtle psychedelic layer of their music. The drums have a choppy tone that also adds to their style. Their songs usually have an elegiac tone in their melodies, which plays nicely against their Prince-influenced soul/rock/pop hybrid style that extends to soft disco at times.
