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.
Please Won’t Please
Helado Negro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An ocean on top
Blue tie
And orange won't let go
Let me be
Please won't please
Blush now
Lifelong
History shows
That
Brown won't go
Brown just glows
And we'll light
Ourselves on fire
Just to see
Who really
Wants to believe
That it's just me
Tender
Humor in hair
Half me
With something to spare
Rhythm folds
Now go untold
Gently
My mistake
Old burn
Let it take you days
And for days now
I'll wait around
And we'll light
Our lives on fire
Just to see
If anyone will come
Rescue
What's left of me
The lyrics to Helado Negro's song "Please Won't Please" are poetic, enigmatic and hauntingly beautiful. The song seems to be about an individual who feels left out, lost and isolated in a world that is difficult to navigate. They are struggling to find their place and fit in, but they are also aware that they don't want to conform to the expectations of society. They resist the pressure to conform and want to be left alone, yet yearn for someone to rescue them.
The first verse begins with the lines "Left out, an ocean on top, blue tie and orange won't let go, let me be, please won't please." The imagery of being left out and an ocean on top suggests a feeling of drowning and being overwhelmed. The blue tie and orange that won't let go may represent the pressure to conform and assimilate, but the singer pleads for others to let them be.
The second verse introduces the color brown, which refuses to go and instead glows. This could represent the singer's individuality and uniqueness, which cannot be extinguished. The singer then declares that they will light themselves on fire just to see who really wants to believe that it's just them. This line is haunting and suggests a desperation for connection and recognition, but also a resignation to the fact that perhaps no one will truly understand them.
The final verse speaks of a tender humor in hair and a rhythm that goes untold. These lines suggest that the singer possesses qualities that are not immediately apparent or understood by others. They acknowledge their mistake and old burn, and are willing to wait around for days. The final lines speak of lighting their lives on fire to see if anyone will come to rescue what's left of them. This is a poignant and heartbreaking plea that captures the essence of the song's themes of isolation, yearning, and desperation for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Left out
Feeling excluded or ignored
An ocean on top
A heavy feeling weighing down on oneself
Blue tie
A symbol of conformity or adherence to societal norms
And orange won't let go
A contrasting color representing a desire to break free from conformity
Let me be
A plea for personal space or independence
Please won't please
Acknowledgement that one cannot always get what they desire, even when asking nicely
Blush now
Feeling embarrassed or ashamed
They can't know
Fear of being judged or misunderstood
Lifelong
An experience or condition that has lasted for one's entire existence
History shows
Past events or patterns repeating themselves
That
Referring to something or someone previously mentioned
Brown won't go
Inability to change or escape from a situation or characteristic
Brown just glows
Embracing one's unique qualities or characteristics
And we'll light
Taking drastic or extreme measures
Ourselves on fire
Putting oneself in danger or harm's way
Just to see
Curiosity or a desire to prove something
Who really
Questioning the authenticity or sincerity of others
Wants to believe
Eagerness to trust or have faith in others
That it's just me
Acknowledgment that one is alone and must rely on themselves
Tender
Vulnerability or sensitivity
Humor in hair
Finding joy or amusement in one's appearance
Half me
Feeling incomplete or lacking in some way
With something to spare
Realizing that one has more to offer than initially thought
Rhythm folds
Chaos or disruption to established routines
Now go untold
Keeping secrets or not fully expressing oneself
Gently
Softly or delicately
My mistake
Taking responsibility for one's actions or decisions
Old burn
A lingering hurt or pain
Let it take you days
Allowing oneself time to heal or recover
And for days now
Acknowledging the passage of time
I'll wait around
Patience or perseverance in waiting for something or someone
And we'll light
Taking drastic or extreme measures
Our lives on fire
Putting oneself in danger or harm's way
Just to see
Curiosity or a desire to prove something
If anyone will come
Questioning the loyalty or dependability of others
Rescue
To save or help in a time of need
What's left of me
Acknowledging that one has been through hardships or struggles, and may not be their full self anymore
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Roberto Carlos Lange
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rodrigo Juarez
I discovered this song while I was in a plane flying really far away from home , and for some reason It made me get so emotional yet so nice from inside. I kept this song on repeat for half the flight and I’ve been a fan ever since that day. I always listen to it while I’m going for a walk in the afternoon right when the sun is setting and it’s just fits the whole mood I’m the moment
Irene Pedro
Este disco me hace sentir emociones tan diferentes, se me encoge el corazón con la melodía y tu dulce voz, siento alegría pero también pena por todo lo que no volverá. Se ha converido en un albúm muy especial ❤️ Tienes un talento enorme, gracias por compartir lo que eres con nosotros.
Vivian
can't really describe how much i tend to relate to this guy's music.
azere productions
I found and fell in love with this album just last night and then heard this again on ep4 of Feel Good by Mae Martin. Good things are constellating, thanks for the music
Sir DeRANGED Psycho
Man I've been listening to your beautiful music ever since I found it on soundcloud and I've been a fan ever since.
tatiana
@Vincent H. he's one of my favorite artists. i love come be me, it's my brown skin, we don't have time for that, are i here, illumina tu voz... i could go on haha
Jorge Rondon
Excelente, simplemente brillante
Ariel Hernandez
Es maravilloso escuchar tan hermosa pieza musical que nos regala. 🍃
The Slow Music Movement
A proper, easy listening , Spanglish trip down memory lane - warm, wobbly, welcoming, wayward, acoustic synth pop, nostalgic tones & hidden depths - another one for the 2019 best of lists.
wolf songster
Love this, beautiful and heart wrenching.