IC02 Bogatá - Unknown Mortal Orchestra (2025)

I have a bunch of UMO tracks favorited, but every time they come up I marvel at how impenetrable it can be. Muddled arrangements, mumbled lyrics: like other bands in this newly emerging genre, it can be really hard to get into but very rewarding once you’ve adjusted.

This one is a little different. It’s all instrumental, documenting a series of jam sessions in the titular Colombian capital.

You get spacy, blissed out jams that don’t try to shake you up as much as make you want to chill in place. It gets a little noodly: these are not super-experienced jazzmen who can improvise for days and still sound composed. But it’s some very good listening music for my day.