Helado Negro

Last updated

Helado Negro
Helado Negro ~ self portrait .png
Helado Negro in 2020
Background information
Birth nameRoberto Carlos Lange
Born1980 (age 43–44)
Florida, United States
Genres Latin, folk, experimental, electronic
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, synthesizer, DAW, sampler
Years active2009–present
Labels RVNG Intl.
Website heladonegro.com

Roberto Carlos Lange (born 1980), better known by his stage name Helado Negro, is an American musician. In 2019 he was awarded a United States Artists Fellow in Music [1] and also the recipient of a 2019 Grants to Artists award in Music from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. [2] In 2015 he received a Joyce Foundation award. [3]

Contents

Lange's songs are bilingual in English and Spanish and explore Latine identity, drawing on his upbringing in South Florida as the child of Ecuadoran immigrants. [4]

Helado Negro released his 2019 album This Is How You Smile through RVNG Intl., a Brooklyn-based music institution. This Is How You Smile [5] received an 8.5 rating and Best New Music from Pitchfork.

Early life

The son of Ecuadoran immigrants, Helado Negro (Roberto Carlos Lange) was born in South Florida in 1980. [6] He grew up in Lauderhill and Davie. [7]

As a high school student during the early 1990s, Roberto Carlos Lange would stay up late watching "Liquid Television" on MTV. Intrigued by the experimental videos and animation he saw there, he "was fascinated by the mystery of how they were made, and was curious as to how to make them." [8]

In 1999 he enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, to study Computer Art and Sound Design. His sound studies focused on installation, performance and experimental art. During his time at SCAD, he participated in experimental sound and art shows, and he began to develop his musical work by purchasing an MPC sampler to create music. [9] He graduated in 2003 with a B.F.A. in Computer Art from SCAD. [8]

Career

Helado released his first full-length album in 2009 titled Awe Owe. [10]

In 2010, Helado released an EP titled Pasajero. [11]

Helado released his second full-length album in 2011 titled Canta Lechuza. [12]

In 2012, Helado released the first of a three part EP, titled Island Universe Story – One. [13]

Helado released his third full-length album in 2013 titled Invisible Life. [14] Helado released the second Island Universe Story EP in 2013. [13] In 2014, Helado released his fourth full-length album titled Double Youth. [15] The third EP in Helado's three-part Island Universe Story series was released in 2014. [13]

In 2015, Helado released the single "Young, Latin and Proud" along with an animated-visual and lyric video. Lange describes the song as "It was as if I was singing my 6-year-old self a lullaby... It's about feeling a sense of pride and self-confidence, understanding that you're born into something and it's alright to feel good about it. Stereotypes and contradictions are built into identity and I think those are a strong current in both Latino and black identity in the U.S. today." [16]

In 2016, Helado released his fifth full-length album titled Private Energy. [17] [18] In this record, Helado exposes his vulnerabilities, stating "There's so much that is special [and] fragile about us... We're vulnerable and scared to share with people. I'm just sharing my own vulnerable shit. The hardest part is talking to somebody else about it. I'm the worst person to sum things up with words but the best [way] to sum it up is with music, you know?" [16]

In 2019 he released his sixth studio album titled This Is How You Smile. "Roberto Carlos Lange's sixth and best album as Helado Negro deepens and expands upon the imagistic nature of his lyrics and cosmic synth-folk. It is a sublime, masterful piece of music." [19]

Visual and sound art

In 2007 Lange collaborated with visual artist David Ellis to create "Trash Talk" for a Christian Marclay curated show at the ICA Philly. Sonic trash bags created by David Ellis rattled and bumped like a percussion team, put together out of garbage bags, cans, bottles, cardboard, plastic, paper, aluminum, tin, foam, wire, hardware, and electronics. The sequence was composed in collaboration with Roberto Lange. [20] Together they collaborated on works that featured at Zoo Art Fair, NADA Art Fair, and Roebling Hall. Some of these pieces included : "All Purpose Primer" (2007), [21] "Trash Talk (2007), [22] "Hell's Angel (2008), [23] and "Liberty". [24]

The duo's collaborations extended into video as well, with Lange contributing the sonic score to several of Ellis's visual motion paintings; these pieces were created on-site including a commission by the clothing retailer Theory to create new works of art. Lange would sample and manipulate sound as it was being generated acoustically from Ellis's movements and incidental sounds while painting. [25]

In 2009, Lange scored the collaborative work by Blu and Ellis called "combo". [26]

In 2011, Lange contributed a site-specific sound sculpture called "HVAC Music Box", [27] for the "Sequence of Waves" group show at Saint Cecilia's Convent in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. [28] The HVAC Music Box is a piece that uses the idea of an HVAC unit as a resonator to circulate the sound of music boxes that are activated by viewers. The composition in the music box is an original piece that is on a continuous loop that is only advanced by turning the knobs. This is a manual kinetic sculpture. The sculpture was made for a site-specific group show called Sequence of Waves that was installed at the St. Cecilia Convent in Greenpoint, NY for one day only.

Also in 2011, Lange was commissioned by Flux Projects to create a week-long site-specific installation that involved sound in a public space. The piece he created was called "Sounding Up There". [29] [30]

Notable events

In July 2017, Helado performed an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert. It is posted on the NPR Music YouTube channel, which has over 3 million subscribers. He performed four songs: "Transmission Listen", "Young, Latin and Proud", "Run Around" and "It's My Brown Skin", accompanied by a 5-piece band consisting of drums, two saxophones, violin, synthesizer, with Helado singing and playing guitar. [31]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

EPs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devendra Banhart</span> American folk singer (born 1981)

Devendra Obi Banhart is a Venezuelan singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Texas, and raised in Venezuela and California. In 2000, he dropped out of the San Francisco Art Institute to pursue a musical career. In 2002, Banhart released his debut album and is best known for his albums in the late 2000s such as Cripple Crow and Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. He has since expanded his career to incorporate his interest and training in the visual arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sufjan Stevens</span> American musician (born 1975)

Sufjan Stevens is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released ten solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nominations.

<i>Michigan</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Sufjan Stevens

Michigan is a concept album by American indie folk songwriter Sufjan Stevens, released on July 1, 2003, on Sounds Familyre, Asthmatic Kitty and Secretly Canadian in the US, and on Rough Trade in Europe. It is Stevens' third studio album and features songs referencing places, events, and persons related to the U.S. state of Michigan.

<i>Illinois</i> (Sufjan Stevens album) 2005 album by Sufjan Stevens

Illinois is a 2005 concept album by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. His fifth studio album, it features songs referencing places, events, and persons related to the U.S. state of Illinois. Illinois is Stevens' second based on a U.S. state—part of a planned series of fifty that began with the 2003 album Michigan and that Stevens has since acknowledged was a joke. It was adapted into a musical, Illinoise, in 2023 and, after playing smaller venues, opened at the St. James Theatre on Broadway in April 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asthmatic Kitty</span> American independent record label

Asthmatic Kitty Records is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by a community of musicians from Holland, Michigan led by Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather Lowell Brams. Some were Holland natives, and others had come to attend local colleges and universities. While the original Holland nucleus has dispersed across the country, the community has grown, with new artists and shared projects with other independent record labels. The Library Catalog Music Series, inaugurated in 2009, showcases instrumental music from a wide variety of musicians, with eighteen albums in print as of February 2013, and more scheduled for release. Asthmatic Kitty is now based in Lander, Wyoming, Atlanta, Georgia and Brooklyn, New York.

Castanets was the musical project of Ray Raposa, who had been signed to Asthmatic Kitty Records from 2004 until his death in 2022. Castanets was influenced by country, folk, and experimental rock, and released seven albums, the latest being Decimation Blues in 2014. Additionally, songs by Castanets appear on a number of split 7-inch singles and EPs with other bands, including Shapes and Sizes and Dirty Projectors. While Raposa was the only constant member of the band, his records and live performances featured a rotating cast of musicians. A San Diego native, Raposa lived in Brooklyn and resided in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Brightest Diamond</span> Chamber rock band of Shara Worden

My Brightest Diamond is the project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shara Nova. The band has released five studio albums and a remix album, five studio EPs and four remix EPs, and made several tours across the United States.

The Welcome Wagon is a Gospel/indie pop band from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. The group consists of Presbyterian minister Thomas Vito Aiuto and his wife, Monique. Their debut album, Welcome to the Welcome Wagon (2008), was produced by Sufjan Stevens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafter (band)</span> Musical artist

Rafter is the performing name of the American musician and producer Rafter Roberts. He also owns his own studio, Singing Serpent, in San Diego, California, United States.

<i>The Age of Adz</i> 2010 studio album by Sufjan Stevens

The Age of Adz is the sixth studio album by American singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens, released on October 12, 2010 by Asthmatic Kitty. It was Stevens' first song-based full-length album in five years, since the release of Illinois in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sufjan Stevens discography</span>

American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has released thirteen studio albums, three compilation albums, three soundtracks, two mixtapes, thirteen extended plays (EP), twenty singles, eight promotional singles, and eight music videos. Through his record label Asthmatic Kitty Records, Stevens released his first two albums A Sun Came and Enjoy Your Rabbit in 2000 and 2001, respectively. For his next two releases – Michigan (2003) and Seven Swans (2004) – the singer partnered with Sounds Familyre Records for the distribution of both releases. Seven Swans was supported by Stevens' debut single "The Dress Looks Nice on You". The same album was reissued in 2009 and included the new single "I Went Dancing with My Sister". His fifth album, Illinois, was his first release to enter record charts, where it reached the lower positions in several countries and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 500,000 copies. The Avalanche, a compilation album consisting of outtakes from Illinois, was released in 2006 and also reached various charts internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julianna Barwick</span> American musician

Julianna Barwick is an American musician who composes using electronic loops. Her first album, The Magic Place, was released in 2011.

<i>The Magic Place</i> 2011 studio album by Julianna Barwick

The Magic Place is the debut album by ambient artist Julianna Barwick. The album was released on February 21, 2011 by Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Sisyphus is a collaborative project between Serengeti, Ryan Lott and Sufjan Stevens.

<i>This Is My Hand</i> 2014 studio album by My Brightest Diamond

This Is My Hand is the fourth studio album from the American rock group My Brightest Diamond.

<i>Carrie & Lowell</i> 2015 Sufjan Stevens album

Carrie & Lowell is the seventh studio album by American musician Sufjan Stevens. It was released on March 31, 2015, by Asthmatic Kitty. It was produced by Stevens, and features guest contributions from Thomas Bartlett, Sean Carey, Casey Foubert, Ben Lester, Nedelle Torrisi, and Laura Veirs.

<i>The Greatest Gift</i> (mixtape) 2017 mixtape by Sufjan Stevens

The Greatest Gift is a mixtape by Sufjan Stevens consisting of outtakes and unreleased tracks from Stevens' 2015 release, Carrie & Lowell.

<i>This Is How You Smile</i> 2019 studio album by Helado Negro

This Is How You Smile is the sixth studio album by American musician Helado Negro. It was released in March 2019 under RVNG Intl.

Angelo De Augustine is an American musician residing in Thousand Oaks, California. He has collaborated with and opened for musician Sufjan Stevens.

<i>Phasor</i> (album) 2024 studio album by Helado Negro

Phasor is the eighth studio album by American musician Helado Negro. It was released on February 9, 2024, through 4AD. It received acclaim from critics.

References

  1. ↑ "United States Artists » Helado Negro". Unitedstatesartists.org. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Roberto Carlos Lange :: Foundation for Contemporary Arts". Foundationforcontemporaryarts.org. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  3. ↑ "2015 Joyce Awards Announced". The Joyce Foundation. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  4. ↑ "United States Artists » Helado Negro" . Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Helado Negro: This Is How You Smile". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Helado Negro and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music Series". The Joyce Foundation. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  7. ↑ Crandell, Ben (May 7, 2015). "A taste of Helado Negro". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  8. 1 2 "SCAD alumnus Roberto Carlos Lange makes distinctive visual music". Scad.edu. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  9. ↑ Chandler, Anna. "SCAD alum Roberto Carlos Lange brings the bilingual, tinsel-clad world of Helado Negro to PULSE". Connect Savannah. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  10. ↑ Reber, Rebecca. "Helado Negro: Awe Owe". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  11. ↑ Rojas, Yumber (June 18, 2013). "Helado Negro renueva el discurso de la música latina en Estados Unidos". El País . Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  12. ↑ Contreras, Felix. "First Listen: Helado Negro, 'Canta Lechuza'". NPR Music . Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 Sherburne, Philip. "Helado Negro Island Universe Story: Selected Works". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  14. ↑ Kivel, Adam (March 19, 2013). "Helado Negro – Invisible Life". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  15. ↑ Geffen, Sasha. "Helado Negro: Double Youth". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  16. 1 2 Fintoni, Laurent. "How Helado Negro Reinvented Himself By Embracing His Latino American Identity". Thefader.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  17. ↑ Exposito, Suzy (October 17, 2016). "Review: Helado Negro's 'Private Energy' Is a South Beach 'Pet Sounds'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  18. ↑ Contreras, Felix. "Review: Helado Negro, 'Private Energy'". NPR Music. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Helado Negro – Albums, Songs, and News". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Weekly Update – ICA's shows, noisy and still". Theartblog.org. September 19, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  21. ↑ "All Purpose Primer". YouTube. February 27, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  22. ↑ "David Ellis + Roberto Lange". YouTube. July 8, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Publico 2003–2008 (Part 2)". YouTube. January 30, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Wooster Collective: Liberty By David Ellis + Roberto Carlos Lange". Wooster Collective. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  25. ↑ Nelson, Karin. "PULSE; When There's No Such Thing as a Still Life". Query.nytimes.com. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  26. ↑ "COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop)". YouTube. September 13, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  27. ↑ "HVAC Music Box". YouTube. January 30, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Sequence of Waves". Rhizome.org. February 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  29. ↑ "009 : Sounding Up There". Fluxprojects.art. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Review: Roberto Carlos Lange's serene audio sculpture "Sounding Up There," the latest from Flux Projects". Artsatl.org. June 6, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Helado Negro: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR.org. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.