ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Helado Negro 'Awe Owe' LP 2009, Asthmatic Kitty Records

This time around, something softer and less on the smashing your head side of things. The Awe Owe LP was released earlier this year and it is so good, that it makes a person who listens to heavy metal and various abrasive sounds all the time put that shit aside and let the Helado Negro sounds wash the brain. The guy behind this band is Roberto Lange, who for the past long ass time has been putting out records under the names of lots of different shit like Epstein, Boom + Birds, ROM, and he also has worked with many folks thru the years on projects like this cool one with David Ellis that was made out of trash and liquor bottles and moved and made sounds. He also has made lots of records with the dude behind Prefuse 73 in their thing Savath and Savalas, and produced shit like Paul Duncan, who rules and has great records, and tons of other soft music artists. The songs on this LP are a bit different than all this aforementioned music of his in that the singing is sort of the backbone, and many of the layered up and dreamy sounding rhythms have great singing on it, by Roberto and lots of guests on the record. In the past Roberto has been about beats and sound designing and shit but not this time, Helado Negro is a full band that includes mad shit like bells and horns and such, all together weaving up great songs that pulse and fill up rooms and generally feel good to listen to. I cannot lie, this is something rare for this record reviewer in particular, rarely do I seek out stuff like this to lighten my head and and produce some sort of relaxation but this LP is the one for that, honest songs that are good to listen to and journey with. And Awe Owe is in Spanish the whole time I think, Helado Negro=black ice cream. The fact that Roberto and I have been friends for ten years definitely enhances these listens, without a doubt. I can always count on Roberto and whatever music he makes to be pure, without ego, and strong and solid in a way that only someone who knows what they are doing can do. Without even ripping, but ripping at the same time. It is rare for all these virtues to line up and be properly on and homeboy Roberto knows the secrets. It was good to see him on his East coast tour this September, and on top of that, be happy for the mane for having all these people who love his music and love him all over the world and shit because he just keeps quality everything coming forth on all these records and in person. Being true speaks for itself. Anyways this LP is available now on Asthmatic Kitty and you should grab it because it kills, with the light side, not in the way that records normally kill on here. But also because your collection could use some flavor and some low key shit to be able to have around for when you need music for special times when you have a good attitude. Power and unity my peoples.