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Helado Negro
Helado Negro
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Key Information

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]

Lange's songs are bilingual in English and Spanish and explore Latino 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
  • Awe Owe (2009, Asthmatic Kitty)
  • Canta Lechuza (2011, Asthmatic Kitty)
  • Invisible Life (2013, Asthmatic Kitty)
  • Double Youth (2014, Asthmatic Kitty)
  • Private Energy (2016, Asthmatic Kitty)
  • Private Energy Expanded Edition (2017, RVNG Intl)
  • This Is How You Smile (2019, RVNGIntl)
  • Far In (2021, 4AD)
  • Phasor (2024, 4AD)

Live albums

[edit]
  • Live at KCRW (2019, RVNGIntl)

EPs

[edit]
  • Pasajero (2010, self-released)
  • Island Universe Story – One (2012, Asthmatic Kitty)
  • Island Universe Story – Two (2013, Asthmatic Kitty)
  • Island Universe Story – Three (2014, Asthmatic Kitty)
  • Island Universe Story – Four (2018, RVNGIntl)
  • The Last Sound on Earth (2025)

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia

Helado Negro is the stage name of Roberto Carlos Lange (born 1980), an American musician, composer, and visual artist specializing in experimental electronic music with elements of pop, ambient, and Latin influences. Born in to Ecuadorian immigrant parents, Lange draws from his multicultural upbringing in crafting introspective works that blend multilingual vocals, synthesizers, and field recordings to explore themes of identity, tenderness, and human connection. His discography includes notable albums such as Private Energy (2016), an affirmation of ; This Is How You Smile (2019), praised for its soulful introspection; and Far In (2021), which evokes cosmic and spiritual dimensions. In recognition of his contributions, Lange received a 2019 Artists Fellowship in Music and a Grants to Artists award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Beyond recording, he engages in multimedia projects, including installations and scores, expanding his practice across genres and media.

Early Life and Background

Childhood and Family Origins

Roberto Carlos Lange, professionally known as Helado Negro, was born in 1980 in to Ecuadorian parents who had immigrated to the , initially settling in New York before relocating to . His family exemplified a working-class immigrant experience, with his mother employed as a secretary and his father as a , which involved navigating economic challenges common to such households in the region's diverse Latino communities. This background exposed Lange from an early age to the resilience required in adapting to a new cultural and economic environment, a dynamic later reflected in his music's exploration of familial assimilation without overt romanticization. Lange grew up in areas like Fort Lauderdale and Davie amid South Florida's humid, multicultural soundscape, where ambient urban noises and natural humidity blended with the eclectic audio environment of immigrant enclaves. His early sensory palette was shaped by frequent exposure to Spanish-language music, including Latin American pop and boleros played at home due to his parents' Ecuadorian roots, fostering an intuitive familiarity with melodic structures that informed his experimental tendencies. Family gatherings often featured him singing traditional Latin American ballads, encouraging self-taught creative expression within a household that prioritized cultural continuity over formal training. Beginning around age eight in 1988, Lange made regular trips to to visit extended family, immersing him in rural and urban soundscapes distinct from Florida's, such as Andean folk elements and everyday ambient rhythms that contrasted with the synth-heavy influences nearby. These experiences, combined with the bilingual household dynamics, cultivated a hybrid cultural sensitivity evident in his later work's layering of organic and synthetic sounds, though direct causal links remain interpretive based on his retrospective accounts.

Education and Initial Artistic Pursuits

Roberto Carlos Lange, known professionally as Helado Negro, pursued formal education in the at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia, enrolling in 1999 and earning a in and in 2003. At SCAD, an institution emphasizing interdisciplinary creative practice, Lange began to engage more seriously with alongside his visual training, utilizing computer-based tools for sound experimentation within the art school's curriculum. Prior to and during his college years, Lange conducted self-directed explorations in electronics and recording, initially rooted in South Florida's cultural milieu and transitioning from visual media—such as animation and video—to sonic composition by his late teens and early twenties. This shift reflected practical application of his computing skills, honed through informal tinkering with digital tools rather than structured musical instruction, marking his entry into multimedia artistic pursuits. Following graduation, Lange relocated from Savannah to before settling in , New York, around the mid-2000s, a move driven by access to denser urban networks for collaborative and experimental work in emerging electronic scenes. This transition provided practical exposure to New York's diverse artistic infrastructure, facilitating his integration of visual and auditory elements in early projects without reliance on institutional affiliations beyond his prior training.

Musical Career

Formative Years and Early Releases (2009–2015)

Helado Negro, the recording project of Lange, debuted with the full-length album Awe Owe on August 25, 2009, through . The release comprised experimental electronic tracks blending synth-driven abstractions with folk and Latin influences, characterized by scratchy beats, warm homemade production, and explorations of personal, psych-folk-inspired soundscapes. Self-produced by Lange, the album established his foundational approach to genre fusion, drawing from his prior beat-making under aliases like . In October 2010, Lange followed with the eight-track EP Pasajero, offered as a free digital download via . This mini-album extended the abstract electronic style of his debut, incorporating versions and rhythmic pieces that maintained a focus on mood over vocals. The 2011 full-length Canta Lechuza, also on , introduced a rustic electro-folk dimension with Latin-tinged rhythms, marking an early pivot toward more textured, worldly compositions while retaining experimental sparsity. By 2013, Invisible Life—released March 5 via —reflected a maturation in Lange's sound, featuring sultry elements, hip-hop-inflected beats, Latin percussion, and subtle pop structures for a dreamy, intimate effect. Preceding this, Lange issued ambient, mood-oriented EPs in the Island Universe Story series, including the first installment around , emphasizing impetuous instrumental sketches as a to his album work. These releases, alongside the 2014 EP Island Universe Story Three, underscored his parallel exploration of cassette-limited, atmospheric electronics. The period culminated with Double Youth on September 2, 2014, again self-recorded in Lange's home studio using simple percussive tools and loop-based techniques. This album emphasized beats, motion, and bilingual vocals—making Lange's voice more foregrounded—while blending synths with structured forms, signaling a gradual shift from purely abstract electronics toward vocal-driven accessibility. Throughout 2009–2015, these outputs received niche praise in outlets like for their innovative intimacy, fostering a dedicated underground audience without mainstream breakthrough.

Establishment and Key Albums (2016–2020)

In 2016, Helado Negro released Private Energy, an album that incorporated bilingual lyrics and themes of Latinx identity, including the track "Young, Latin and Proud," which addressed personal and cultural pride amid rising anti-immigrant sentiments in the U.S. during that year's cycle. The record, initially composed in 2014 during periods of heightened media coverage of police brutality and racial tensions, marked a shift toward more explicit explorations of expressivity in intense emotional states, released on October 7 via digital platforms. Building on this, This Is How You Smile arrived on March 8, 2019, via RVNG Intl., featuring collaborations with artists such as members of and Downtown Boys, alongside vocal samples that expanded its sonic palette of synth-folk and electronic elements. The album's themes centered on subtle self-discovery and ephemeral moments, reflecting a maturation in Lange's approach to imagistic songwriting. This period saw increased touring activity, including a 2019 support slot on Beirut's European dates followed by headline shows across the U.S., such as at Elsewhere in , alongside venue performances in cities like and in prior years. These efforts consolidated Helado Negro's presence in indie and experimental circuits, bridging earlier releases with broader live engagements.

Recent Developments and Output (2021–Present)

In October 2021, Helado Negro released the double album Far In on , featuring tracks like "Wake Up Tomorrow" with and emphasizing optimistic, eclectic electronic compositions. This marked his label debut with following prior releases on RVNG Intl. On February 9, 2024, he issued , an eighth studio album on characterized by atmospheric synths and meticulous production, including songs such as "LFO (Lupe Finds Oliveros)" and "I Just Want To Wake Up With You." To support the release, Lange conducted a West Coast tour with collaborator June McDoom, featuring sold-out shows at venues including in Pioneertown and dates in , , and . In September 2025, Helado Negro announced The Last Sound On Earth, a five-track EP scheduled for November 7 release on Big Dada—his first with the label—comprising "More," "Protector," "Sender Receiver," "Zenith," and "Don't Give It Up Now," with pre-orders available and "More" as the incorporating as a core device. The EP draws on themes of , , and resilience, extending his practice of blending techniques into song structures.

Artistic Style and Influences

Core Musical Elements and Techniques

Helado Negro's compositions rest on a and indietronica foundation, augmented by neo-psychedelic textural layers achieved through self-directed electronic production. He programs drum beats, sequences synthesizers, and manages engineering and mixing to construct immersive sonic environments, drawing from his background in and for precise digital manipulation. Field recordings and sampling from mundane surroundings form a core technique, informed by deep listening to everyday acoustics, such as ambient noises that evoke sensory phenomena like sunlight in his 2024 release PHASOR. These elements integrate with analogue tools, including the SAL-MAR Construction synthesizer—a 1969 device functioning as a self-generating compositional machine—to produce evolving, generative patterns without scripted repetition. Rhythms and chord progressions emerge variably per track, sourced through exploratory workflows that fuse electronic precision with folk-inflected structures, yielding midtempo grooves and pulsating synth chords as practical outcomes of iterative experimentation rather than fixed genre templates. Vocal treatments, such as echo effects layered to harness feedback rhythms, further enhance this fluidity, prioritizing sonic innovation over categorical adherence.

Key Influences and Evolution

Roberto Carlos Lange, performing as Helado Negro, drew initial musical inspiration from his upbringing in , where his Ecuadorian immigrant parents exposed him to Latin American pop and ballads, shaping his early engagement with rhythmic and melodic traditions. Frequent family trips to reinforced these cultural elements, fostering a blend of traditional forms with the ambient sounds of his Fort Lauderdale environment. Self-taught on guitar from a young age, Lange extended his explorations into electronic music through independent experimentation with technology, synthesizing exotica-tinged influences—rooted in mid-20th-century appropriations of global sounds—with centuries-old Latin art forms. This foundation evolved in Lange's early releases (2009–2015), where electronic abstraction dominated, prioritizing synthesized textures over explicit cultural markers, as he honed a voice-centered approach that treated the human voice as an unconventional instrument amid ambient and experimental frameworks. By 2015, tracks like "Young, Latin and Proud" marked a pivot toward integrating personal identity and heritage more directly, bridging his Florida-Ecuadorian roots with bilingual lyricism and subtle rhythmic nods to traditional Latin structures, without abandoning electronic . Post-2020 works reflect a contemplative maturation, resonant with themes of aging and , as Lange revisited childhood sonic memories to infuse albums like Far In (2021) with joyful, cosmic expanses that prioritize and deep listening over earlier . In Phasor (2024), this progression incorporates looped, phaser-driven electronics inspired by natural and improvisational processes, evolving from curiosity-driven roots into intentional explorations of ecosystems and spiritual resonance, while maintaining a synthesis of traditional Latin pulses with modern synthetic forms.

Visual and Multimedia Work

Sound Design and Collaborations

Roberto Carlos Lange, performing as Helado Negro, has contributed to sound design for film and television, drawing on his background in foley recording and experimental audio techniques to create immersive auditory environments. His work in this area includes sound department credits for the independent drama Frozen River (2008), where he handled foley elements to enhance the film's tense, naturalistic atmosphere, and the science fiction film Swan Song (2021), incorporating synthesized and manipulated sounds aligned with his electronic palette of ambient textures and subtle distortions. These contributions reflect Lange's expertise in capturing and layering everyday noises—such as footsteps or environmental hums—into eclectic mixes that support narrative tension without overpowering dialogue, a skill honed through professional foley sessions for animation and live-action projects. Beyond solo musical output, Lange has engaged in collaborative sound projects that blend his electronic sensibilities with other media forms. A notable example is Kite (2020), developed with visual Kristi , which integrates custom-composed soundscapes with impressionistic audio variations evoking the expansive skies of . Commissioned by Ballroom Marfa, the project resulted in the EP Kite , Four Variations, featuring contributions from musicians Rob Mazurek and Jeanann Dara, and emphasizes non-linear through field recordings, synthesizers, and elements to foster listener immersion in abstract, site-specific environments. Earlier, Lange collaborated with David Ellis on the sound Enriquetas, a time-based installation merging manipulated audio loops with physical forms to explore kinetic and resonant interactions. These efforts highlight Lange's approach to sound as a collaborative medium, prioritizing causal layering of frequencies and textures over conventional scoring.

Visual Art Productions

Roberto Carlos Lange, performing as Helado Negro, has produced visual art through collaborative installations and sculptural elements, often partnering with visual artist Kristi Sword. A primary example is Kite Symphony (2020–2022), a multidisciplinary installation co-created with Sword and first exhibited at Ballroom Marfa in , from January 22 to May 7, 2022. The work includes a commissioned impressionistic documenting interactions of wind and light with kites, mylar instruments, found objects, and native plant materials across landscapes. Additional components feature hand-made animations titled Star Scores, depicting orbiting, multiplying, and expanding galaxies inspired by regional ; a series of ink drawings known as Radio Telescope with rhythmic, repetitive brush marks portraying a dynamic, moving landscape; and outdoor sculptures including two large-scale suspended kites that transform the exhibition space into an immersive environment. The installation has been presented at additional venues, such as the UT Downtown Gallery and during the Big Ears Festival in 2025. Earlier, Lange contributed to Mammals (initiated circa 2014), a sculptural project involving eight full-body costumes constructed from shimmering tinsel materials, designed by to evoke surreal, animal-like forms. These costumes function as wearable sculptures, integrated into contexts to create visual extensions of thematic ideas, with documentation available via Lange's project site since at least 2015. The forms emphasize reflective, textured surfaces that interact with light, producing mesmerizing, otherworldly effects.

Discography

Studio Albums

Helado Negro's studio albums span experimental electronic and , beginning with releases on and later shifting to RVNG Intl. and .
AlbumRelease DateLabel
Awe OweAugust 4, 2009Asthmatic Kitty
Canta LechuzaMay 10, 2011Asthmatic Kitty
Invisible LifeMarch 5, 2013Asthmatic Kitty
Double YouthSeptember 2, 2014Asthmatic Kitty
Private EnergyMarch 4, 2016RVNG Intl.
This Is How You SmileMarch 8, 2019RVNG Intl.
Far InOctober 22, 20214AD
PhasorFebruary 9, 20244AD
The transition to 4AD with Far In marked a label shift following prior RVNG Intl. releases, emphasizing expanded production and collaborations.

EPs and Other Releases

Helado Negro released the Island Universe Story series of EPs on Asthmatic Kitty Records, starting with Island Universe Story One in 2012, which featured six tracks of experimental electronic compositions. Island Universe Story Two followed in 2013 with tracks including "Stop Living Dead" and "Las Preguntas," emphasizing ambient textures and looping structures. The series continued with Island Universe Story Three in 2014 and Island Universe Story Four later that decade, maintaining a focus on abstract soundscapes. Among standalone singles, "Lechuzita" appeared in 2011, followed by "Dance Ghost" in 2012, both highlighting early synth-driven . In 2015, "Young, Latin and Proud" was issued as a single, addressing themes of cultural identity through bilingual lyrics and rhythmic electronics. Later singles include the 2020 cover "Lotta Love" featuring Flock of Dimes on , reinterpreting Neil Young's original with layered vocals and percussion. In September 2025, Helado Negro announced the five-track EP The Last Sound on Earth, released on November 7 via Big Dada, with "More" showcasing introspective production and vulnerability. The EP draws from apocalyptic inspirations but prioritizes concise, arrangements over full-length .

Reception and Impact

Critical Response

Helado Negro's albums have garnered progressively stronger critical praise, transitioning from niche appreciation in his early releases to widespread acclaim in later works. His 2013 album Invisible Life was commended for its sultry and dreamy electronic qualities, marking a clearer evolution in his sound. By 2016's Private Energy, reviewers highlighted its melodic production and introspective focus on identity, signaling a shift toward more accessible electronic pop. Subsequent releases solidified this trajectory. This Is How You Smile (2019) achieved a Metascore of 81/100 across nine reviews and an 8.5/10 from , which praised its expansion of imagistic lyrics and cosmic synth-folk elements. Far In (2021) received similarly high marks, including an 83/100 aggregate critic score, with noting its mellow, comforting grooves and emphasizing funk-tinged celebrations of love amid intimate synth-folk. Critics described the album's inherent kindness and serene simplicity, attributing its appeal to steady, empathetic soundscapes that evoke relief and joy. (2024) continued this positive reception, earning an 81/100 critic score and acclaim for its delicately rendered, breezy space-age synths and wistful romance. This evolution reflects a move from underground experimentalism to broader recognition post-2016, as Private Energy and onward drew attention to Helado Negro's genre-blending accessibility without diluting his introspective core. Earlier works like Double Youth (2014) were seen as bold but intricate, while later albums balanced emotional depth with inviting production, fostering consistent praise for their comforting, humane resonance.

Cultural and Artistic Legacy

Helado Negro's integration of Ecuadorian folk motifs with electronic and ambient structures has advanced genre-blending in experimental music, fostering a hybrid aesthetic that prioritizes introspective sound design over conventional categorization. His 2021 album Far In, released on 4AD, exemplifies this through downtempo Spanish folk layered with house-tinged electronica and cosmic basslines, drawing from visual arts training to conceptualize audio as textured environments. This approach, rooted in first-hand Ecuadorian immigrant experiences, has modeled causal links between heritage rhythms and modern production techniques for subsequent artists in indie and electronic circuits. In representing Ecuadorian-American perspectives, Helado Negro's bilingual lyrics and thematic explorations of duality—such as in This Is How You Smile (2019)—provide empirical articulations of diaspora identity, synthesizing humid tropical with Latin instruments absent in mainstream . The track "Young, Latin & Proud" (2015) emerged as a anthem for evolving , resonating in indie playlists and challenging commodified ethnic narratives by emphasizing personal ethos over performative . His 2019 United States Artists Fellowship underscores institutional acknowledgment of these contributions to cultural documentation via music. By 2025, Helado Negro's output, including the 2024 album and the forthcoming EP The Last Sound On Earth on experimental label Big Dada, maintains traction in niche scenes through dynamic synthesis of prior eras and deep-listening practices like environmental sampling. This persistence evidences an artistic framework designed for longitudinal engagement, prioritizing enduring sonic architectures over transient trends.

References

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