Beatenberg

Beatenberg is a South African group based in Cape Town. The band consists of Matthew Field and Ross Dorkin, with Robin Brink also named in earlier line-ups. Field and Dorkin study music together at the University of Cape Town, and the group draws on a wide range of musical training, including Beethoven, Debussy and John Coltrane, while presenting itself as a pop act. Its music is also described as having afrobeat, indie pop and indie rock elements.

Releases and style

The group’s first album, Farm Photos, appears in 2011 as an independently released record. It is described as tender and somewhat naïve, with sophisticated harmony, direct delivery and boyish lyrics. Beatenberg later points towards a different direction with the independently released single Echoes, which combines synth sounds with African-influenced guitar lines and stark vocals. An acoustic performance video for Scorpionfish in 2012 shows the band in a stripped-back trio format, playing its own instruments.

Live work

In 2012, Beatenberg opens for The Tallest Man On Earth at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, a performance that draws significant attention and media coverage. The band also plays Rocking the Daisies.