Barzo – “Talamanca (feat. NATURE)”: What You Hear Outside, You Feel Inside
The Talamanca mountain range in Costa Rica is full of life, with cloud forests, toucans, and many unique birds. Barzo, a DJ and producer from Costa Rica who runs the Lácteo Cósmico label, believes that some sounds are found rather than made.
“Talamanca (feat. NATURE)” uses field recordings from the region. The sounds of the forest appear naturally, just like a bassline or a string would in a song. For Barzo, this way of making music is familiar; he has been exploring Costa Rica’s traditional rhythms for years.
The track comes out today, on Earth Day, through Sounds Right as part of the Feat. NATURE project led by Brian Eno. With this approach, some of the royalties go straight to environmental conservation groups. Barzo joins artists like Hozier, AURORA, El Búho, Chancha Vía Circuito, and Bomba Estéreo, all musicians who see place as something real, not just a symbol.
Barzo has used this method before. His 2020 EP, Ritmos Mestizos, explored Costa Rica’s traditional rhythms and had support from the Ministry of Culture. He also worked with Guadalupe Urbina to revisit national folklore. The main idea is clear: the Central American landscape is always where he begins. What you hear outside, you feel inside. Naming a track after the mountain range where it was recorded says it all.
