As is always the case, new music from Juan Sánchez emerges and you just know it will be something worth spending a little time with – taking those precious minutes to experience the composition in a quiet space. Beto is no exception, Sánchez has even taken the care to release three separate versions of the new journey, the original and first of which introduces these tones and notes in a raw and unfiltered fashion.
You can hear the very playing of the keys within Beto, the mildly chaotic repetition of those descending notes, accompanied and contrasted by the smooth, elongated presentation of the strings – a recognizable artist trait. What I found particularly moving about this piece though, is the way things change and evolve later on – the half-way mark brings a complete re-boost of energy, subtle but certain; you can feel a new wash of melancholy, followed intermittently by a whole new breath of hope, and this cycle continues. The final minute is approached with gentle chaos, rising intensity, before a return to the now peaceful seeming space and softness that began the experience.
Juan Sánchez is a master of emotive music, whether by means of a solo instrumental or a compilation of moments and instruments that reinforce the underlying sentiments. In this case, the solo piano version is captivating in a different way – the stages of the story are explored in a more intimate manner; no less compelling, still fit to accompany the darker scenes of an epic drama. The ambient version that finishes up the release takes a more distant, reverb-soaked and rather dreamlike approach – letting those haunting notes and that energy rain down in a slightly more all-encompassing manner. It seems like such a simple way to create, but the effect is immense, and always beautiful. Consistently a pleasure to escape into.
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