M Field - “Jolly Roger"

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…Vampire Weekend, Panda Bear, Beatenberg

In addition to performing with his main unit Beatenberg, South African artist M Field is showcasing as a solo artist at SXSW 2023 on the back of his latest EP Re: M Field. Percussively driven, M Field combines African drum patterns and instrumentation with delicate melodies, yielding a creative, indie pop sound. Multiple lines of instrumentation intersect in interesting ways, breaking expected patterns while tight enough to not crumble under its own complexity. Part jazz, part rock, and part Afrobeat pop, M Field’s music is catchy in weird ways, finding balance in an eclectic psych-pop space. As with many solo projects, this is an opportunity for M Field to get more experimental than the sunny, hooky songwriting with Beatenberg, stretching and twisting both rhythm and melody without losing grasp of each song’s core. To be this interesting and also this relaxing is quite a feat, one that should make for an invigorating live set even in its quieter moments. M Field opens up Leafy Outlook’s showcase on Wednesday night at Esther’s Follies before Beatenberg’s set three hours later at the same venue. (Kevin McStravick)