Beatenberg Interview

They first hit SA charts with Pluto ft Dj Clock and well we found out that these boy’s have their own unique sound apart from the sound we heard in Pluto. Another of their hits that’s on allll the charts lately is Rafael, you’d be lying if you said you haven’t heard it, I mean we already know all the lyrics in the office,thanks to KasiLyrics – Beatenberg_Rafael. You can also get Rafael on your phone from iTunes.

Well here’s our interview with the 3 handsome boys…enjoy!

YV: Who is Beatenberg?

BB:  Matthew Field, Ross Dorkin and Robin Brink.

YV: Do all 3 of you write the songs that you perform and record or do you have a designated writer?

BB: Matthew writes the songs. We record, produce and perform them together.

YV: How did the collaboration with Dj Clock come about?

BB: We’ve been big fans of DJ Clock for years, especially for his “3rd Tick” album which was full of hits. Our label (Universal) heard we were SA house fans and asked if we might be keen to do a collaboration, so we jumped at the chance to meet the legend DJ Clock!

YV: Why title the song “Pluto”?

BB: When we were working on it, Kholile (DJ Clock) said something like “This song takes you far away, to another planet” – so we had the idea to call it Pluto, after the most distant planet.

YV: What was the thought process behind “Rafael”?

BB: Matt is a huge tennis fan, the song refers to both Rafael Nadal the athlete and Raphael the renaissance artist. In some ways the song illustrates the parallels between sporting triumph and artistic achivement.

YV: Explain the concept of the music? Where do you draw your inspiration from?

BB: We’re really big fans of Jazz and Classical music, as well as “World music” from South America and the rest of our African continent. These influences form a real part of our music.

YV: If you were given the opportunity to collaborate with one of the greatest classically trained artists in the world, who would it be and why?

BB: Matt would probably want to write with Mozart!

YV: With so many trio male bands out there, what makes Beatenberg’s sound different from all the others?

BB: Not many bands in the Pop/Rock/Indie sphere are interested in music outside of their own genre. We’re mainly interested in Jazz/Classical and “World” music. These influences bleed into the music we produce and perform, and this – amongst other things – sets us apart.

YV: What inspired the title of your mixtape “OkayAfrica”?

BB: OkayAfrica is actually a New York based online magazine founded by the Roots drummer Questlove. They’re very supportive of African music, and they run a mixtape series called “Africa in Your Earbuds”. We were invited to compile a guest mixtape for them, so we curated an expansive selection of the African music that inspires us.

YV: What’s the weirdest thing a fan has ever done to you or for you?

Rob: At a recent gig I met an American girl who had never seen us before and who had become instantly a fan. At the bar later that night she offered to “crack my back” in a sort of heimlich manoeuvre “for fun”. She was half my height, so that was an “unusual band experience” for me.

YV: Who is Chelsea Blakemore and why write a song about?

BB: Chelsea is a mystery girl, let’s keep people guessing!

YV: What should we look forward to the most on your upcoming album “The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg”?

BB: People should look forward to the diversity of our music. We have a broad mix of styles and sounds on the album.

YV: What are “The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg”? What inspired the title?

BB: All the songs on the album add up to describe a place which we might call “The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg”.

YV: With the acoustic take of “Scorpionfish” being so beautiful, would you ever consider releasing an acoustic album for your fans?

BB: Yes, we would love to.

YV: Who’s the pretty boy of the group?

BB: All of us.

YV: Beatenberg as a group has such a cool dress sense, where do you draw your fashion inspiration from?

BB: We draw style ideas from international street fashion, from old films and from local styles like those in in Joburg.

YV: How can your fans reach you?

BB: On Twitter – @beatenberg_band
On Facebook – Beatenberg

YV: Any words of wisdom for the youth of South Africa?

BB: Learn, learn and learn!

YV: What advice do you have for aspiring pop music bands or artists?

BB: It takes a lot of uphill to get to the top.

YV: If you had to collaborate with a female vocalist who would it be and why?

BB: We would like to meet Ramona Lisa from New York.

I hope you’ve learned something new and interesting about the talented trio. Don’t forget to get Rafael on iTunes now!