Underskog

Combining dream pop, trip-hop, electro, and global influences, Young Magic continues in the tradition of bands like My Bloody Valentine and Animal Collective and adds a tribal twist. The trio met in New York around 2007, sharing music interests and restless spirits.

Australian native Isaac Emmanuel spent 2010 traveling across Europe, then jumping across the pond to New York and down to Mexico, recording music along the way with whatever instruments were available. Meanwhile, bandmate and fellow Aussie Michael Italia embarked on his own travels across Europe and South America, also armed with portable recording gear, while Indonesian-born Melati Malay made her own sounds back in New York.

In early 2011, reunited in the same zipcode, the band rented a space in Brooklyn above a speakeasy and began recording together, yielding the singles “Sparkly,” “You with Air,” and “Night in the Ocean.” On the performance end, by fall Young Magic took the stages of the Airwaves Festival in Iceland and CMJ in New York as well as touring with lo-fi dream popster Youth Lagoon.

The band made its full-length debut with Melt, released in February 2011 for the Carpark label and comprised of their singles along with recordings Emmanuel and Italia made on their travels and back in Brooklyn with Malay.

The band’s sound is one that presents passing parallels with the disparate likes of Animal Collective, Baths, J Dilla, Grizzly Bear and Flying Lotus. There’s a lot happening in their mix, and it’s happening brilliantly. Melt is already a firm favourite on the office stereo (i.e., my PC and iPod), and I’m certain that its appeal will last long beyond the spring.