Young Magic is Indonesian-American vocalist Melati Malay, and Australian-born producer Isaac Emmanuel. Both live and work in New York City.
Together, they make percussive, cinematic, experimental pop music, largely inspired by Melati’s Indonesian heritage. The New York Times describes their music as “lush and immersive…it summons an elusive mood of longing among the sonic wonderment,” and the BBC; “music that waxes and wanes and explodes; a great spirit which aims its sights on the heavens. An exquisite new breed to behold.”
The pair met in New York City in 2010 and began collaborating in a makeshift warehouse studio. Alongside original member Michael Italia, the group signed with Carpark Records (Toro Y Moi, Beach House) and over the last decade have released 3 full length albums; Melt (2012), Breathing Statues (2014) and Still Life (2016), plus countless remix EP’s and 7” singles. They’ve performed at venues around the world including Lowlands Festival (Amsterdam), The Liquid Room (Tokyo), Sugar Mountain Festival (Melbourne), Berghain Kantina (Berlin), Festival NRMAL (Mexico City) and Iceland Airwaves (Reykjavik) and collaborated with artists including Kelsey Lu, Purity Ring and Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio). In 2018, they supported UK trip-hop pioneer Tricky on his North American tour.
Young Magic are currently finishing work on album number 4, recorded between Indonesia and New York, and set to be released in early 2020.