I took up playing drums, producing beats, painting pictures and learning graphic design as a teenager. After that I started the band Beatenberg with my best friends Matthew Field and Ross Dorkin. In my early twenties I was DJing almost every weekend around Cape Town. I went to the University of Cape Town to major in English Literature and Interactive Media. While at university I also dabbled in Ethics, Aesthetics, Economic History, African History, Afrikaans, isiXhosa and Religious Studies. For two years I worked as a Junior Web Developer. During this period I founded a collective called glowLDB with Ross Dorkin and Mohato Lekena. We were commissioned to produce a multimedia remix project for TedxStellenbosch. Around the same time I spontaneously produced a series of paintings. Some of these works were shown and sold at a handful of galleries and independent arts spaces around Cape Town.
In 2013 I was invited to participate in the Red Bull Music Academy: Bass Camp Johannesburg. It remains one of my favourite memories. Watching Black Coffee playing to a packed crowd in Soweto was a masterclass I will never forget.
Following the release of “The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg” my band suddenly exploded into mainstream consciousness, breaking radio airplay records and winning numerous music industry awards. We proceeded to play headline performances around our home country of South Africa as well as in Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Mauritius. During this rollercoaster experience we were also invited to perform with icons of South African music history including Hugh Masekela, Ray Phiri and Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse.
Word soon spread internationally and we were very pleasantly surprised to be invited to work with Mumford & Sons, The Very Best and Baaba Maal. We found ourselves performing for vast crowds at Forest Hills Stadium (New York) and Hyde Park (London) as well as making television appearances on the Jimmy Fallon Show and Later… with Jools Holland.
From 2018-2020 I played drums on tour for Bongeziwe Mabandla. It was a joy and an amazing experience to take his music across the world.
During this time I also started producing music for other artists, often working in collaboration with Ross Dorkin. Our first effort with Manu Grace led to a Best New Female Artist nomination at the South African Music Awards. Subsequently, her second EP was debuted on by Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 show.
During the pandemic I recognised an opportunity to broaden and develop my skills. I started working with an audio post company in Berlin where I massively improved my abilities in Pro Tools and Izotope RX. Marx Audio gave me the chance to work editing and sound restoration for a number of documentaries, films and series. At the same time the studio was upgrading their 5.1 mix room to a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos setup. As early adopters I helped the company connect with new clients who were looking for Dolby Atmos solutions. I now work in a freelance project manager role with the studio.
Since 2022 Beatenberg has started releasing new music and performing globally again. We were invited by George Ezra to support him on his 2022 UK & Ireland tour as well as playing our own headline tour of Europe. In 2023 we’ve already performed at SXSW and will be playing a substantial UK & Europe tour this summer.
selected live experience:
On Television:
The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (USA)
Later… with Jools Holland (UK)
VPRO Vrije Geluiden (NL)
On Stage:
BST Hyde Park (UK)
Forest Hills Stadium (USA)
Firefly Festival (USA)
Primavera Sound (ES)
Port Fairy Folk Festival (AUS)
Lowlands (NL)
Afrovibes Festival (NL)
Womex Festival (FI)
Atlantic Music Expo (CV)
Solidays Paris (FR)
Festival Chorus (FR)
Pop Kultur Festival (DE)
Reeperbahn Festival (DE)
Open Flair Festival (DE)
Joburg Day (SA)
Oppikoppi (SA)
Rocking the Daisies (SA)
Cape Town International Jazz Festival (SA)
SXSW 2023 (USA)