Live Review: Deradoorian, Sunbeam Sound Machine

A small but enthusiastic audience has gathered by the time Angel Deradoorian and her sister Arlene emerge dressed in all black and take their places. The pair face each other with only their instruments — two synths, a bass guitar, a floor tom and a snare drum — between them. The stage is littered with pedals and odd percussion instruments you may recognise from music class in primary school. Angel makes extensive use of a loop pedal and it is fascinating to watch these songs being built, one element at a time. Angel holds the mic in her sister's direction while Arlene pounds out a syncopated beat on her rudimentary two-piece drum kit. Angel records a series of vocal tics which combine to make a disjointed, yet oddly funky rhythm. At one point a wooden flute is played.

The set draws mostly from last year's The Expanding Flower Planet, with highlights including that album's wild title track, the single A Beautiful Woman, and the slow-burning closer, Grow. The songs are meticulously constructed but feel thrillingly alive in The Zoo tonight. The Deradoorian sisters each possess a truly remarkable voice. Many of the songs' soaring melodies are built around the Eastern scale, which, for Western ears, adds to the music's otherworldly quality. Despite their deep focus there is something distinctly playful about the sisters' approach to music-making. It is like watching two precocious and inquisitive sisters conducting chemical experiments, the outcome of which is complex, sometimes challenging, but frequently beautiful music.