IC-02 Bogotá is a fascinating peek into Unknown Mortal Orchestra's creative process

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. IC-01 Hanoi took influence from Miles Davis and Krautrock and was the band’s attempt at distilling more of a jazz sound into their oeuvre.

“Earth 1”, the 11-minute opener to IC-02, draws on South American sounds, with flutes ever-present and plenty of bass and keyboards. While lengthy, there is never a dull moment on the opening track, again showcasing the jazz influence on the group in a fun, creative fashion. It’s easy to see this track going down a storm during the summer months, smooth and luxuriating.

This is the first recording to feature the band’s latest recruit, keyboardist Christian Li. Li’s sound is easy to spot with the keyboards a key component of this record’s sound and a natural addition to the sonic palette of Unknown Mortal Orchestra. He is allowed to cut loose on some solos and sounds clearly at home.

“Earth 2” sounds closer to the group’s regular output with a more prominent focus on guitars. This is an interesting bridge between the more Latin American and jazz-influenced tracks and the sound of their full albums. Even with a more familiar vibe, there is an obvious funk influence. “Earth 3” meanwhile finds a sweet spot between jazz and electronic influences, more avant-garde and unpredictable with guitars and saxophone jostling for attention.

“Earth 5” is more of an out-and-out electronic track yet as with the rest of this project feels unorthodox with sound effects peppered throughout. “Heaven 7” shift’s gear towards more ambient sounds, helping to offer some variety and again show the breadth of this particular LP and the ensemble’s sound more widely.

“Underworld 1” and “Underworld 4” are short and snappy, both coming in under 2 minutes but rather than feeling like throwaways they showcase the creative process for this record. Each offers a different glimpse with 1 driven by jazz drumbeats and 4 more keyboard and synth focused.

“Underworld 6” is an epic closer coming in at 14 minutes. It is a distillation of the sounds found across the album and the array of textures the band has weaved into the eight tracks. Again there is rarely a dull moment as it shifts gears and goes in constantly intriguing and unexpected directions.

IC-O2 Bogotá is a fascinating chapter in Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s discography. As with their previous instrumental projects it showcases a love of jazz and world music, bringing these sounds into their existing sound in an exciting and offbeat fashion. It acts as a bridge to their next full release, something for fans to pour over and get lost in with a huge amount of variety and talent on display.