Live Review: Prince Rama, Andrew Tuttle

It's always a strange feeling to walk into a venue half an hour after doors are scheduled to open and find you are virtually the only person in the room, but that's Brisbane on a Wednesday evening for you. Andrew Tuttle casts a lonely shadow on stage tonight, joined only by his laptops, synth and acoustic guitar. He starts off by producing simplistic sounds through his synth which are then looped and blended together to create lush, swirling melodies. Once his acoustic guitar is added to the equation the soundscape becomes breathtakingly beautiful; this is the stuff dreams are made of. While his set only runs for about 20 minutes, Tuttle has definitely proved himself as one to watch in the electro-ambient scene.

As the Brooklyn-based duo of sisters Prince Rama take the stage it's clear they are less than impressed by the turn out. Takara Larson comments, “So this is a fun Wednesday, huh?” and when she is met with silence and an army of folded arms, she then asks in frustration, “Do you guys speak English?” To their credit, the sisters eventually move past the fact that they are only playing to an audience of about 15, and perform with admirable positivity.

Nimai Larson is on drums, and instead of sitting down whilst annihilating her kit, she jumps and dances around with a huge grin on her face, sending a message that if no one in the crowd is willing to dance, then she will. When So Destroyed kicks in Nimai's beats are looped electronically, leaving her free to join her sister's side for a little dance, all the while showcasing her diverse vocal range. Theatrics are an integral part of the set tonight – amongst the backdrop of the Bollywood-esque grooves from tracks like Those Who Live For Love Will Live Forever, Blade Of Austerity, We Will Fall In Love Again and No Way Back, the girls continually provide obscure visual accompaniments. At one stage Nimai lays down and drapes herself in what looks like a wedding veil before Takara proceeds to lay on top of her, with both sisters screaming to each other in song. The pair then jump into the crowd to perform some choreographed dance moves, and why not? There's definitely enough room on the floor. The set ends suddenly and abruptly as the two girls run out to the smoking area of the venue, which seems confusing at first, yet is a fitting end to the performance. While the sisters have provided a stimulating set, there's an overall sense of disappointment; it would have been interesting to see what kind of energy these two could conjure with a more appropriately sized audience.