His parents were immigrants from Ecuador, but Roberto grew up in the materialistic lifestyle of southern Florida, U.S.A. Pounding bass beats from passing cars, boom boxes bouncing down the block, and late-night parties provided a foundation for Lange’s interest in sound.
Lange has collaborated with visual and sound artist David Ellis to compose a new series of kinetic sound sculptures. These include typewriters that self-type the lyrics to Grand Master Flash's "The Message" (in rhythm to the song, none-the-less), musical owls drawn out of liquor bottles, owl costumes made out of straws, flying musical birds, motion paintings, and trashcans (full of trash) that are actually living drum machines. Lange has also worked with Paul Duncan and Bear in Heaven as well as famed music producer Guillermo Scott Herren to produce Prefuse 73 and Savath and Savalas as an active member and contributor.
Lange's other projects include ROM, Epstein, as well as Helado Negro. Epstein is Lange's “beats and loops” project, a friendly beast born of the MPC sampler. Epstein's wildly prolific output, including a series of digital releases, full-lengths, and a remix album, is a gauzy, sunny kind of dance music that references DJ mixing, summertime block parties, and mellow compositional noise.
Helado Negro began when Lange moved to New York in 2006. The early group concept grew through projects and experiments Roberto would conduct while recording himself and others in his home studio. Loops, computer synthesis, record samples, and live instruments provided the foundation for the first full-length, Awe Owe, a vibrant, shimmering, full-band Latin psyche-funk-folk epic.
After taking time to create a new series of sound sculptures, release a Helado Negro EP, score one film and begin work on another (based around his animation), Lange recently holed up in a cabin in the Connecticut woods to record the follow-up to Awe Owe. Canta Lechuza is the latest incarnation of Helado Negro and its sound may come as a surprise. Gone is the big collaborative group jam of previous work and in its place is Helado-Negro-as-intimate-solo-project. Canta Lechuza feels like the place it was recorded—its vocals and beats and synth lines coming together to craft a warm, buoyant, comforting electronic dance sound, an effortless, personal thing anchored by Lange's warm, earthy, conversational voice. Based around field recordings and live instrumentation fed through computer processing, Canta Lechuza is a thoroughly modern affair.
Junes
Helado Negro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
se confunden
cuando llegan a ti
largas vueltas
se ven
en tu mente
revuelto
acá
chica bañaras con mis palabras
alguien
quiere pensar en ti tanto
conozco
conozco bien
In "Junes," Helado Negro explores the concept of dreams and illusions. The opening lyrics suggest that nightmares have a way of confusing one’s senses and inner thoughts. However, the song seems to imply that these feelings of confusion and unease are only temporary, as it goes on to describe the ways in which one can process and ultimately overcome these emotions.
The song’s chorus, which repeats the phrase “chica bañaras con mis palabras,” speaks to the notion of using language and communication to ease one’s fears and anxieties. The words are soothing and comforting, and they provide a sense of calm in an otherwise tumultuous mind. The final line of the song, “conozco bien,” emphasizes the idea that the singer is familiar with these emotions and is capable of empathizing with the struggles of others.
Overall, "Junes" is a thoughtful and introspective exploration of the human psyche. It suggests that while our thoughts and feelings may be confusing and difficult to navigate, there is always hope and a path forward.
Line by Line Meaning
pesadillas
Frightening dreams
se confunden
They get mixed up
cuando llegan a ti
When they come to you
largas vueltas
Long turns
se ven
They are seen
en tu mente
In your mind
revuelto
Mixed up
acá
Here
formas tus ilusiones
You form your illusions
chica bañaras con mis palabras
Girl, you bathe in my words
alguien
Someone
quiere pensar en ti tanto
Wants to think about you so much
conozco
I know
conozco bien
I know well
Contributed by Caroline I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.