Electric Fields is an Australian electronic music duo made up of vocalist Zaachariaha Fielding and keyboard player and producer Michael Ross. Electric Fields combine modern electric-soul music with Aboriginal culture and sing in Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and English. The duo have released an EP and several singles.
Career
2011–2020: Formation and Inma
At the Lion Arts Factory in Adelaide during the "2000 and Whatever" tour, July 2019Fielding sings "Nina" at an Electric Fields concert in Adelaide
In June 2016, the duo released their debut EP Inma (which derives its name from the cultural ceremony of Aṉangu women known as inma[2]). Daniel Browning, a presenter and producer of ABC Radio National said "Co-creating music that is as exciting as it is emotionally moving – the beauty and sheer power of their musicality is breathtaking. Often featuring Zaachariaha's traditional languages of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara people, Electric Fields music ranges from pop to epic-scale electronic works, through to intensely intimate story-songs."[3] Their music was played at the Spirit Festival 2016 and Adelaide Fashion Festival 2016 and on Triple J.[4]
In 2016, the duo won the Emily Burrows Award, an award given to recognise and further the professional development of original South Australian music artists or bands.[5]
The duo won Best New Talent of the Year at the 2017 National Indigenous Music Awards.[6] The duo was nominated for Artist of the Year at the 2018 National Indigenous Music Awards.[7]
In December 2018, the duo was announced as one of the entrants in Eurovision - Australia Decides in an attempt to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.[6] Electric Fields performed at the competition with their song "2000 and Whatever" on 9 February 2019 and came second in both Jury and Audience vote, and second overall.[8] In May 2019, the duo announced the Australian jury votes at the Eurovision Song Contest final.[9] Later that year, Electric Fields toured with "2000 and Whatever" around Australia.[10]
In August 2020, they performed three acoustic sets at the Ukaria Cultural Centre in Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills, in a collaboration with online streaming platform Sunny Side Uploads.[15]
In December 2020, Electric Fields headlined one of the shows in the queer talent-seeking series "Express Yourself - Queer Discovery", which was run by APRA AMCOS and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.[17][18]
In February 2023, Electric Fields released "We the People" as the official WorldPride theme song. They performed their song to a crowd of 20,000 people at the festival's opening concert in Sydney's Domain on 24 February 2023, saying "Pride is not just about acceptance, but feeling at home in your own individuality".[23]
Members
Identity
Electric Fields' band motto is "bypass the barriers", and Fielding and Ross describe themselves as "two feminine brothers", embracing their queer identity and affectionately referring to each other as Mala (Fielding, the "younger sibling") and Tjutja (Ross, the "older brother"). They are very close friends but not romantically involved. They embrace their feminine identity, saying that it makes them stronger.[24] They are 10 years and one day apart in age.[25]
Before joining Electric Fields Ross was a contestant on the X Factor Australia in 2013.[36][24]
In film
Electric Fields are the subject of a SBS/NITV documentary, "Voice From The Desert", screened nationally from 10 December 2018. The film was part of the Our Stories series, featuring emerging Indigenous Australian creatives, and directed by Daniel Clarke and Amy Pysden. The doco shows duo performing at the 2017 National Indigenous Music Awards in Darwin, as well as covering Fielding visiting Mimili, and examining his early life experiences growing up in remote South Australia and his artistic and personal growth. There are also interviews with his parents Kaye Lowah and Robert Fielding.[37]
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual award ceremony event celebrating the Australian music industry. Electric Fields have been nominated for one award.[51]
The National Dreamtime Awards is an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in sport, arts, academic and community and commenced in 2017. Electric Fields have won one award.[52][53]
The National Indigenous Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises the achievements of Indigenous Australians in music. The award ceremony commenced in 2004. Electric Fields have won one award from four nominations.
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia. They paused between 2021 and 2022 due to Covid-19
The South Australian Music Awards (previously known as the Fowler's Live Music Awards) are annual awards that exist to recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary music industry. They commenced in 2012.[67]
^ abcFielding, Zaachariaha; Ross, Michael (9 July 2021). "NAIDOC Week: Electric Fields". DNA (Interview). Interviewed by Andrews, Marc. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
