Dodici Hertz
Beta Coupè

Today I want to talk to you about an unknown album recorded by a mysterious band that literally vanished into thin air (apart from Njj, still musically active with the project Robin Loop).

Don't worry, I won't be presenting you with the greatest hits of some obscure Moldovan singer-songwriter, but I'll stay, as they say, on familiar ground, not even crossing national borders.

Let's go back about twenty years (I have to be approximate, because information online is scarce and I have to rely on memories): Italian rap is reviving after a period of significant decline, there is ferment, events are being organized, and LPs are being released that are, all things considered, appreciable.

During that period (around 2003/2004), Beta Coupè, the debut of Dodici Hertz, was released. Due to its short length (ten tracks, some of which are brief and instrumental), it can be considered a mini-album or even an EP.

It doesn't matter, because the content of the Milanese group's first and last effort is remarkable. In fact, to exaggerate, it could be considered one of the peaks reached by tricolor rap at least in the new century.

What makes Beta Coupè interesting and, above all, what distinguishes it from other releases of the era? Firstly, it's important to highlight the distance from contemporary productions coming from the Lombard capital: while the Club Dogo were major proponents of a streetwise and "ignorant" trend, close to the classic sounds and themes of the genre, Dodici Hertz occupy a very different dimension, made of intimacy, depth, and reflection.

Some might wonder what all this has to do with aggressive African Americans solving problems with Glock bullets. The answer is simple yet not obvious, which is that rap is merely a means to describe everyday reality or to give body (or rather a voice) to one's thoughts. Just like Dodici Hertz do.

Let's go back to Beta Coupè. The merits of this self-production are numerous and concern both the musical side and the lyrics.

The beats created by Saro are refined, evocative, and besides containing a series of references (the jazz, the underground hip-hop, certain slow rhythms from the UK), they stand out for attempting to merge, in some cases, samplers and live-played instruments (as an underground fan, I appreciated the drums, powerful and gritty just the right amount).

The internationally flavored bases are absolutely suitable for the verses of DJ One-C and Njj. The two MCs have different styles, calmer and whispered, the first and more complex and verbose, the second, but they somehow manage to find the perfect synergy and coexist without clashing (metaphorically speaking).

The writing work is mostly done by Njj, undoubtedly more gifted from a technical perspective, however, it would be wrong to reduce Beta Coupè to a mere exercise in style because Dodici Hertz amaze also on the topic side and for their inclination to convey visions and sensations.

A track like "Percezioni.", placed after the atmospheric intro of "MOOCOGONOOMOROCONO." (complete with voices from space and magnificent wind instruments), is an excellent business card: melancholic base, touching violins in the chorus, and conscious rhymes, for a truly notable outcome ("Malelingue in malafede con maleparole mi depistano/Mi propongono vantaggi raggirandomi con phraseggi ben aggettivati/Gadgets, mentre il vate del gotha del mondo del vuoto/Nuota in un mare di rumore, cerco suoni e parole/Nuove").

The trio does not engage in radical experimentation and yet shows a desire to talk about different things, decisively moving away from the most boring stereotypes.

This approach leads to the considerations of "Sabato pomeriggio.", enhanced by a jazz flavored beat characterized by powerful basses, or to the social critique of the tense ".TV", where Njj doesn't think twice about telling off whoever crosses his path, much like Edward Norton in The 25th Hour.

In "Avanzi.", the gaze becomes ironic, without forgetting the usual targets, such as fake MCs ("Io no parlare tua lingua, io penna tu vanga/Tu vai bene, io ben venga tuo rap dura minga"). Noteworthy is the minimal production with DJ One-C's scratches (all the interventions on the turntables are his) and the vocal sample at the beginning, the legendary "No, so' Magnotta", taken from one of the prank calls suffered by the school janitor from Aquila.

Finally, the two interludes deserve a special mention, the trip-hop influenced "Black Boom-Bay" and the ode to turntablism "Safety Car." (they were really obsessed with cars), episodes that highlight the excellent sound quality of Beta Coupè.

There are some flaws to point out: the brevity, DJ One-C's overly whispered phrases, and the risk that the formal aspect prevails, at times, over the meaning of the texts.

Nevertheless, it's impossible not to notice the qualitative leap that separates Dodici Hertz from the rest of the scene, including the current one.

Saro, DJ One-C, and Njj are far from self-celebrations and assorted vulgarities and demonstrate it perfectly with a sophisticated work, capable of finding the right balance between education, entertainment, and healthy goofing around (in the outro "Ohh!" they raid the hilarious dialogues of a 1970s porn film).

Of course, the choice to be so different proved to be a counterproductive move, unsuccessful from a sales perspective. Moreover, it is frustrating to know that the three did not manage to create a following, to indicate an alternative path to hip-hop in Italy, falling into oblivion right from the start.

For this reason, my advice is to get in the car with our friends once again, perhaps a bit old and souped-up in a makeshift way, but undoubtedly more real than a rented Lamborghini for the video of the mediocre trapper everyone is talking about.

And at the end of the ride, I'm sure you'll want to start again.