Recording: MALOO

Artist: MALOO

Song: Fanatic Love^*

Recorded at The Music Gallery (Emergents III), February 1, 2013.

MALOO - Fanatic Love

Full review to follow. Maylee Todd has always mixed solo performances around the work with her band, but over time, the two have diverged into wholly separate musical identities. MALOO is now the outlet for Todd's solo electronic work, usually based around the awesome-to-watch tenori-on. Fronting a full funk-soul band, Todd can do joyful maximalism, but there's a sleek and controlled aesthetic at play here, with Todd and her dancers all in white. That doesn't mean she can't "go deep" and still have some off-the-cuff fun, such as on a Janet Jackson cover, but it was nice to have a chance to sit back and really appreciate the craft here.

This night was a slightly-unusual diversion for the Music Gallery's "Emergents" series, which usually focuses on classical and post-classical artists. There's more of that coming up (and these remain excellent shows for the musically adventurous and budget-minded) as well as plenty of chances to catch some avant pop sounds.

^* I had originally assumed this was called "Phonetic Love", but I am assured this is the correct title.