IC-02 Bogotá

IC-02 Bogotá is the second installment in Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s 'Improvisation/Collaboration' series, following 2018’s IC-01 Hanoi. Recorded entirely in Bogotá, Colombia, the album represents a sharp pivot from the polished, disco-inflected psych-pop of their 2023 release, V. The project is led by Ruban Nielson alongside his brother Kody Nielson and longtime bassist Jacob Portrait, featuring significant contributions from Colombian percussionist Jose David Infante. The album is structured into three thematic movements - Earth, Heaven, and Underworld - with track lengths varying from brief interludes to sprawling fourteen-minute epics. Critics from Pitchfork and AllMusic noted the album's shift toward free-form jazz and krautrock influences, praising its atmospheric depth while acknowledging its challenging, non-linear nature. It serves as a vital document of the band's technical prowess and their ability to absorb local musical environments into their signature tape-saturated aesthetic.