First impressions can be deceptive. ‘Save Me’, the ambient track from Majik, initially sounds like a lush, celebratory slice of electro-pop, designed for that period when night becomes day. Listen closer to the lyrics, though, and a darker hue comes into view: ‘Won’t you save me from me,” the narrator begs. It’s this kind of contrariness that makes the Leeds/London duo (they met in the northern city and later relocated to the capital) such a compelling new act.

It’s also precisely why Majik was asked to perform at UltraLounge, the multidiscipline arts space in London department store Selfridges (the absolute first of its kind). The memorable show was part of Music Matters, a series of shows intended to raise awareness of the fact that, according to the Music Venue Trust, 40% of the UK’s grass-roots venues have closed in the past 10 years. Over the course of three months, this 360-degree stage, replete with screens and projections that bring a truly immersive atmosphere to gigs, is host to acts as varied as indie band Ten Fé, south London drill collective 67 and rising Mancunian R&B star IAMDDB. Better still, 20% of profits from the UltraLounge shows goes directly to the Music Venue Trust, meaning the campaign is helping to foster the bands, rappers and singers that will come up through the charts in the near future.

New musicians rely on small venues to get started, and Majk are exactly the type of emerging talent that the Music Matters seeks to help. The video above sees the Ultralounge venue come into its own, the tense nature of the track reflected in the glitchy visuals that swirl around the screens before the duo as neon lights flicker up and down the 360-degree stage. It’s a special performance, in a unique space, from an exciting new band.

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