COMPUTER MAGIC SXSW LIVE REVIEW FOR NME

Computer Magic
Malverde
14:00
18/03/11

Danielle Johnson may be a New York native but as Computer Magic her wistful and adorably endearing synth-pop may as well have been made for a woozy Austin afternoon a-top a breezy balcony to accompany slowly slipped margaritas in the sun.

Playing the White Iris Records party in support of her debut EP on the label Danielle took a rapt crowd through six mini-electro operas all of which could potentially be 2012’s synth anthems of love and loss.

While the Computer Magic material that has thus far been made freely available via Danz’s website has possessed a wonderful fragility at times bordering on glacial the songs took on a new life fleshed out live by a skilled band including dexterous drum accompaniment from Adam Green/Lightspeed Champion sticksman Chris Egan.

All eyes however could not help but be drawn to Danielle’s central performance, calmly eeking out melodic synth-lines from behind a petite organic while delivering powerfully understated vocals redolent of Kimya Dawson, another great observer of life’s little intricacies.

Beware Danielle’s deceptively coy and cute appearance, a monstrous talent lurks therein.