Throughout the set, the projector displayed various eerie clips: Arabian princesses, desert landscapes, cult-like dancers. The wildly diverse cultural images alongside the band’s eclectic sound made for an intriguing spectacle. Although now living in Brooklyn, Isaac found inspiration for the band’s debut album Melt while traveling the world. His foreign experiences seem to come to life on stage in Young Magic’s performance.
Young Magic’s genre can be hard to define, because it clearly is the product of several influences. It is dream pop with a unique tribal edge; it is psychedelic trip hop; it is experimental electro. Call it what you want - either way, their live performance was impressive.
Although missing their third member, Isaac and Melati worked well as a duo, accenting each other nicely: her sweet-sounding guitar alongside his rambling percussion and her feminine cooing alongside his MC-like vocals. Their music creates a distinct ambiance with its layers of airy sound, droning vocals and dynamic rhythm.
The sensuality of their music was tangible during their set. Young Magic’s music is sexy. At one point, Melati stole the spotlight (sans guitar); as she swayed and sang, “I can give a lovin’,” the projector fittingly displayed a Jasmine-like character flirtatiously seducing a giant serpent. And while many songs have an undeniable sexy air to them, others just simply make you want to let go, give into the rhythm and dance – which the crowd did.
Young Magic created an atmosphere in Great Scott – one that transcended your average Sunday night show. And as the set came to an end, visions of the ocean reeled as the two sang, “Love is all around.”
-Brittany Bosacker
Photo Credit: Ellie Molitor
