It’s a strange sensation: outside, the snow is finally melting, the sun is slowly gathering its strength, but in my headphones — there’s the sound of rain. Yesterday, the label Sphere of Hip-Hop released “The Old Country” by Italian producer b e r t h and Spaniard Beteulan. It became that perfect puzzle piece of extra warmth my mood was missing. Even though the music is completely drenched in autumnal gloom, it fits this spring thaw perfectly.
The main hook here is the rhythm. You know that state where everything around you feels just a little bit late? That’s the swing — or simply put, “uncombed” drums. The thick bass and a beat that intentionally misses the perfect click create a sense of living breath. It doesn’t sound like a sterile computer loop. Rather, it’s a real, intentional jazz sloppiness. What’s most interesting is how the piano joins the game: it accompanies while also carrying on a dialogue with the drums, where everyone has the right to a pause or a subtle rhythmic stumble.
Somewhere in the middle, a trumpet appears. Probably a genius move. I think without it, the track could’ve stayed as just a solid piano lo-fi piece, but the trumpet adds some “spice.” To me, this sound is like a bright red telephone booth in the middle of the gray streets of a foggy London. It pulls you out of the rain’s monotony and adds a layer of comfort.
It’s funny that people from sunny Valencia and Palermo worked on this, yet they delivered something with an entirely “British” vibe. Beteulan, who moved from heavy hip-hop to cozy lo-fi, and the Italian b e r t h have created something so comfortable that the title “The Old Country” feels like coming home.
Should we wait for autumn to listen to this kind of music? Probably not. The sun won’t shine every day, and the cold sometimes gets under your skin even on the warmest days. This work is like your favorite old windbreaker. It might hang in the closet for a long time, but you always know where it is to throw it over your shoulders and warm up when it suddenly gets too windy inside.
P.S. If you enjoy music that brings comfort to the urban chaos, be sure to check out our piece on an evening stroll through NYC — Evening Stroll: New York City Cafe Review.
Rate this post along with 0 others
