Live Review: Wafia, Buoy

As we enter the bandroom, red light shines through a flood of smoke to create an atmospheric setting. We hear Buoy (aka Charmian Kingston)'s ethereal vocals as she begins with a beautiful, stripped-back, keyboard-driven version of Rozalla's Everybody's Free (To Feel Good) and it feels like a completely new song.

Kingston's ambient electronic music combines looped sound effects, glitchy beats and energetic bursts of reverberating falsetto. "I came from Sydney today and it's lucky my instruments made it, because my clothes bag didn't arrive in time! I'm wearing a stinky old dress that I've been wearing all day so maybe don't get too close," she warns. We're swept away in a swirling soundscape during the evocative Exit and Kingston explains, "It's about being with someone who's not able to relax and you just want them to RELAX!"

More than 40 minutes pass before the curtains are drawn open for Wafia, probably due to the impressive vertical rig of strobe lighting that's been set up on the stage. It's the last show of her east coast tour so Wafia Al-Rikabi's pulling out all the stops. "I've got a new EP coming out soon and it explores intangibility, vulnerability and accessibility," Al-Rikabi reveals before sharing a new song from this album that's all about falling in love with a girl for the first time.

Next up, Al-Rikabi takes us on a journey through love lost and then found again with two songs from (m)edian, her collaborative EP with Ta-ku: Meet In The Middle and Love Somebody. Her soulful vocals fall effortlessly around the soothing beats, making us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Al-Rikabi slows things down as she takes a seat to perform her tender ballad Fading Through. There's a perfect stillness in the air that enhances her emotive vocals in this intimate setting.

Judging by the number of smartphones held up for 83 Days, it's a fan favourite, followed closely by a cover of Mario's R&B classic Let Me Love You. Her newest track Bodies makes for a strong finish, charging forward with personal expression and pushing production into an electro-pop direction.