“Roberto Carlos Lange eases back into the groove with a gorgeous, delicately rendered album. It’s got space-age synths, wistful romance, and the breeziest vibe in town.” – Pitchfork (Best New Music)
“Buoyant, big-hearted avant-pop… His most infectiously joyous songs to date.” – Uncut (9/10)
“One of the richest listening experiences I’ve had for years; Helado Negro’s PHASOR is a triumph.” – Loud & Quiet (9/10)
“Warm, hopeful chugs that fuse electronica, folk and chamber pop to harness his light, intoxicating vocals… rendered with a delicate, impressionistic touch.” – MOJO (4/5)
“Helado Negro’s heavy-lidded dream-pop is fine-tuned to the languid luxury of a ceaseless, carefree summer afternoon.” – DJ Mag
Today, Helado Negro (aka Roberto Carlos Lange) releases his self-directed original music video for the single ‘Colores Del Mar’. The song is taken from his latest album, PHASOR, which is available now.
Official Video Directed By Roberto Carlos Lange
‘Colores Del Mar’, colours of the sea, is about disappearing on a walk or swim; there are the complexities of wanting to disappear, but to also be found, escaping by coming closer. “’Colores Del Mar’ is, technically speaking, a song filled with hidden details,” Lange explains. “It was maybe one of the most fun I had mixing and shaping. I embedded a lot of pride in this song. I tried to peacock it, to show off but also hoped it was a magic trick, maybe real magic, like something would happen when it’s finished.”
+ Order PHASOR on exclusive translucent green vinyl, black vinyl, and CD via the 4AD Store +
+ Purchase from all stores
Lange’s eighth full-length Helado Negro album, Phasor is his tightest collection – deep, atmospheric, meticulously executed. It’s aligned with 2019’s This Is How You Smile which found him incorporating more upfront drums and bass and focused grooves. His 2021 album, Far In, focused on being in quarantine – talking to your mother through Zoom instead of across a room. Phasor, in turn, is a homage to going outside again. It’s a returning-to-life record, remembering what the sun feels like and letting it warm your skin.
Some of the seeds for Phasor were planted in 2019 on Lange’s 39th birthday after a 5-hour visit to Salvatore Matirano’s SAL MAR machine at the University of Illinois. A complex synthesizer that creates music generatively with a vintage super computer brain and analog oscillators, it can create an infinite amount of possibilities in sound sequences. The SAL MAR experience became the bedrock for Phasor. It taught Lange more about himself and became central to his creative process.
Helado Negro Tour Dates
April
21st – Eulogy, Asheville NC, US
22nd – Cats Cradle, Chapel Hill NC, US
23rd – The Atlantis, Washington DC, US
24th – Webster Hall, New York NY, US
26th – TBA, Boston MA, US
28th – Underground Arts, Philadelphia PA, US
30th – Thalia Hall, Chicago IL, US
May
1st – Turf Club, Minneapolis MN, US
3rd – Globe Hall, Denver CO, US
4th – The Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City UT, US