Roberto Carlos Lange (Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1980), stage name Helado Negro, is an American musician. In 2019, he was awarded a United States Artists Foundation Fellowship in the music category, and was also the recipient of the 2019 Grants to Artists in music from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and received an award from the Joyce Foundation in 2015.
A native of South Florida, immigrants from Ecuador, and a Brooklyn resident, his upbringing provides key elements for his compositions, including his lyrics that are consistently bilingual in English and Spanish. Lange’s music, under the pseudonym Black Ice Cream, can be characterized as avant-pop, both lyrically and personally. Through her work, Lange has developed an unconventional approach to the art of song that places her voice on an adventurous musical drive, without shying away from the familiar pop taste.
Helado Negro was founded in 2019 by Brooklyn-based music institution RVNG Intl. He released the album This Is How You Smile through This Is How You Smile4 received 8.5 points and Best New Music from Pitchfork.
killing a flying pig
The Alicante band’s first full-length album, recorded live in a cottage in the Sierra de Aitana, packs the rage, the tormented anxiety and the self-confidence of the wholehearted writer in one bowl… and even if the Shawshank Redemption à la digs with a teaspoon, it’s always looking for a way out of the tunnel. The main composer of the group, Marcos Martínez, explores the roots and embodies a glowing emotion supported by a flawless rhythm section, especially with piano accompaniment. Enthusiastic pop captivating with multi-carat songs to support the whole work: there’s the melancholy of Inocentes, We were fire, and the runaway rhythm of Los buenos momentos before it goes any further.