Photos by Rebecca King
Sean Solomon
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Solomon has curated his dynamic sound while playing solo with only his voice, his guitar, a TV, a tape, and a projector. Both his music and past animation collaborations with Unknown Mortal Orchestra were unknown to me before this performance. Now on his solo path, with UMO supporting his journey, he has previously voiced his appreciation for UMO’s support as he begins to make a name for himself in the music industry.
Solomon noted during the performance that he put the TV on the stage to distract the audience from himself. His entire performance felt very personal, and his visuals beautifully supported the storytelling within his music. When he was young, he loved The Wizard of Oz, specifically the Tin Man — it was only natural that growing up emo, he loved the character with no heart. When asked to edit an old home video, he was inspired to write a song about it and use one of the visuals from the tapes for his animations. When Solomon’s parents’ family friend dressed up as the Tin Man in a home video, it left him simultaneously terrified and overjoyed — making it both the best and worst day of his young life. As Solomon was performing, he looked back at the screen to watch his edited version displayed to the audience. It felt very pure and authentic to witness live. I highly recommend checking out his work. You can find his videos under Forever Sean on YouTube.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO)
The genre-mixing, psychedelic rock, and pop band Unknown Mortal Orchestra ventured to Ventura Music Hall on their North American Spring Tour. The energy within the crowd was high as the lights revealed the New Zealand band.
The band consists of four members: Ruban Nielson, fronting the band, his brother and drummer Kody Nielson, bassist Jacob Portrait, and a rotating keyboardist. UMO started as a solo project but grew into the band they are known for today. Ruban Nielsen is a multitalented instrumentalist who is the brains behind the genre-mixing sound that they are best known for. When he anonymously posted his music on Bandcamp in 2010, it gained unexpected traction, which inspired him to give music a chance. Nielson has always had a love for music but had a distaste for the structure of the industry. By translating his musical vision into reality, he carved out a successful career in the music industry. Using Nielson’s unique perspective on recording, mixing, and learning how to curate their sound along the way. UMO released their first album in 2011 titled Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Their fanbase expanded significantly with the release of their next album, Multi-Love, in 2015.
There was limited stage decor, just themselves, their instruments, and the lights. The colors of the lights matched the emotions behind the songs that they were playing, further connecting the music to their fans. As the music played steadily, the lights maintained a solid color, flashing in time with the rhythm — whether on the upbeat, the downbeat, or every single beat, adapting to the song’s energy. Fans were completely captivated. There needed to be nothing more but the band and their fans. The audience enjoyed the music in their own way. Some waited eagerly by the barricade to get as close to UMO as possible. Others were dancing with their friends and family on the sidelines, enjoying their favorite tunes being played live. The Ventura Music Hall audience was filled with locals. There seemed to be a strong community, an unconscious respect for one another within the hall. The audience flowed together seamlessly, creating a respectful environment where everyone could find their perfect groove.
UMO had a two-person horn section join for their song “Necessary Evil,” as well as some of their other classic tunes, which was a treat. They also played “Multi-Love,” “Hunnybee,” “So Good at Being in Trouble,” “That Life,” and many more of their well-loved hits. Their music has a way of fully engulfing whoever is listening to it. Each of the members of UMO has such well-trained ears to layer and build off of their tracks that you feel almost swallowed up whole when listening to them. Combining a love for psychedelic rock with a masterful understanding of the ‘wall of sound’ techniques, UMO creates undeniably entrancing music.
Something special about UMO is their songwriting style. They like to experiment with their sound by using pedals or sending instruments through different audio effects to see if it resonates with them. By building on the influences that resonate with them and inspirations such as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, they have curated the unique sound they are known for today. Nielson has a great understanding of their equipment but loves to experiment and try new things to see how it comes out — you never know what you’ll be able to create unless you experiment and give it a chance. Having opened up about his insomnia, Nielson does his best creative work late at night in his home studio, where he can record vocals in complete privacy. In his opinion, it comes out better that way. He produces all of their work himself, as he has yet to find a producer who is the right fit for the band. There have been numerous wonderful options of producers willing to work with the band; he enjoys being the visionary behind the band; it’s a role that best suits him. With a defined sound and a passion for production, Nielsen channels his energy into bringing his musical vision to life in the studio. His approach to home recording has been heavily inspired by the DIY recording philosophy pioneered by New Zealand’s Chris Knox. He thought it was fascinating how Knox recorded in his living room with the band, and did just that, but instead of recording in his living room, he records in his basement.
Delving deeper into UMO’s catalog reveals that “Multi-Love” is not just a psychedelic pop record, but a radically vulnerable exploration of modern desire — Ruban Nielson’s relationship with polyamory. The lyrics:
“She don’t want to be a man or a woman, she wants to be your love”.
Then he further reveals the reality of the situation that he is experiencing and how he is feeling through the lyrics:
“Multi-Love has got me on my knee,
We were one, then become three,
Mama, what have you done to me?
I’m half crazy”.
How his relationship has gotten him on his knees. That he didn’t know their relationship where they felt as one would end up involving a third person, leaving him feeling like an outsider. Another poignant lyric is when he sang:
“It’s not that this song’s about her, all songs are about her.”
Ruban Nielson was able to release these tensions in his relationship through music, not knowing the traction and understanding it would receive. Many turn to music as a vessel for navigating their inner feelings, and it is an excellent way of processing emotions. Writing and releasing these tracks must have felt therapeutic, a healthy release of emotions. Initially, one may not realize the hidden meaning behind the lyrics of this tune. It took some research about him and the band to catch this detail. It is remarkable what artists and musicians can create when channeling their emotions, whether navigating sorrow or celebrating joy. It is important to express oneself and be true to oneself — especially through one’s art form. It is always refreshing to see.
As a dedicated fan of Unknown Mortal Orchestra since the release of Multi-Love in 2015, there is nothing quite like the rush of hearing those iconic tracks played live. I associate my time in high school taking the train to LA with UMO’s music, mostly because I was listening to them a lot at the time. Part of the reason was that the music video for “Hunnybee” depicts someone riding a train. Highly recommend looking up some of their past music videos. UMO delighted their fans by surprise-dropping exclusive, signed posters available for purchase. They even had their full vinyl catalog in stock, plus some T-shirts from their 2016 merchandise drop. As the concert came to a close, leaving fans to stream out of the music hall with smiling faces and arms full of merchandise.
