Ol’ Burger Beats’s new opus, 74: Out of Time, is a multifaceted and stunning exploration of sounds and eras. In addition to every track being produced at 74 beats per minute, the album harks back to the year 1974; particularly the music, the records, the activism, the artwork, and the aesthetics. But it’s also incredibly current, as the Out of Time portion of the title very much refers to the present. It promotes a sense of urgency in the face of current affairs such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, as well as contentious politics sweeping across the US and Europe.

Beyond those deeply resonating elements to the record, 74: Out of Time is a truly gorgeous representation of hip-hop through the lens of the Norwegian composer. Using 74bpm as his basis, he constructs sublime, jazzy instrumentals that feature some of hip-hop’s finest emcees and vocalists. And to say they all gel perfectly together is an understatement—and it would be underselling OBB’s meticulous approach here.

Each song blends seamlessly from one to the next spread across the album’s 17 tracks, with the help from a standout supporting cast that includes Fly Anakin, Awon, Quelle Chris, Pink Siifu, Yungmorpheus, Lojii, billy woods, Tha God Fahim, Vic Spencer and Vuyo, among several others.

While there’s a sense of tension to the track titles and certainly some of the lyrics, the album’s pacing of 74bpm releases and soothes that tension at the same time. “It’s quite an unusual tempo for hip-hop I think,” OBB says. “It’s both really relaxed but at the same time it can feel hard-hitting and modern if you match it with the right vocals and the right flow.” He certainly achieved that flow with this LP, which is undoubtedly his finest and most ambitious undertaking to date.

74: Out of Time is available now via Coalmine Records. The album may be streamed through all major DSPs, and can be purchased on cassette and vinyl with various merch bundles available.

• Production and mixing: Ol’ Burger Beats
• Mastering: Christian Obermayer at Strype Audio
• Design and artwork: Håvard Winther Gjelseth

Instruments:
• Flute: Pauline Neergård
• Saxophone: Guy Sion
• Trombone: Sigurd Malmedal Drågen
• Trumpet: Kristoffer Eikrem
• Scratches: DJ Chali