Cape Town based band Beatenberg burst onto the SA Music scene earlier this year and have already stolen the hearts of the people at Park Acoustics and Oppikoppi this year. Their song “Chelsea Blakemore” is one of the coolest songs that have been released in 2013. An unforgettable song, calls for an unforgettable video and Beatenberg (along with the Kope Figgins team) have put together something phenomenal.
Putting your finger on how the different elements in Beatenberg’s music give the alluringly unique, yet familiar sound they so seamlessly weave together would be akin to deconstructing what makes South Africa such an exciting place to be in 2013. Elements of African guitar melodies, touches of jazz, a unique and ethereal vocal sound, a strong pop sensibility and elements of production that hint back to the 1980’s are just parts of the sum that begin to constitute bigger whole that is Beatenberg.
According to Beatenberg’s Matthew Field “Chelsea Blakemore’ is a real girl who went out with our bassist, Ross. I wrote the song partly as a tongue-in-cheek tease, but also as kind of earnest tribute to both of them and their romance. Luckily, Chelsea liked it and was happy for us to use her poetic name. She is still good friends with all of the band.”
With a strong suburban aesthetic throughout the video, tying in elements of late 1980’s videography, the band sought to put together a visual treat that ties in with their multi-faceted sound and links in with the themes of their upcoming album “The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg”. Just check out the video below to experience some awesomeness
Thanks to a number of key festival performances and a ton of radio play, Beatenberg are continuing to carve out their own niche in the eclectic South African musical landscape. A cross-continental project, the band are currently recording their debut Major release in South Africa with the record being mixed in UK. This sounds very promising if you ask me.
So, what do you think of the video? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Feedback is appreciated and welcome here. If you’ve enjoyed listening to this song and viewing the video, feel free to share this with your friends on Facebook and Twitter to spread the word.
Watch this space for regular updates in the Music Videos category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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