‘Awe Owe’ is going to be the summer album of 2009 for all of you who are looking or something fresh. Helado Negro mix Latin with Dub and New York avantgarde. A truly addictive cocktail.

Helado Negro was started by Brooklyn based artist Roberto Carlos Lange in 2006 as a vehicle to combine the music of his Ecuadorean roots with the sounds of the city he lives in. Roberto namechecks Ecuadorean ballad singer Julio Jaramillo and New York avantgarde composer-turned-disco-maverick Arthur Russell among his big influences.

Lange is also a fan of the techy UK dub sound pioneered by Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound label in the early 80’s. The result is a take on Latin music unlike anything you’ve possibly heard before. Dubbed out, dreamy Latin pop with a touch of minimalist composers like Steve Reich. Players on the album include Guillermo Scott Herren, aka Prefuse 73, one of the most ‘out there’ experimental artists on the scene.

‘Awe Owe’ avoids all the cliches associated with Latin. Instead, you hear mournful horns on ‘Dahum’ and ‘Awe’, a touch of Sigur Ros on ‘Espuma Negra’ and dreamy melancholy on ‘Ver A Ver’.

The two highlights are the opener ‘Venceremos’, the definitive Latin Dub track for my money, and ‘I Wish’ with its hypnotic Krautrock drums that make me think of Can at their dancey best.

Lange’s love of Latin ballads shines through on ‘Deja’ and ‘Playas’, where he combines classic South American pop feeling with a soulful delivery on a similar wavelength to Robert Wyatt. On that note, if you liked Wyatt’s recent ‘Comic Opera’ you need to check out ‘Awe Owe’.

The album is due to be released on 4th August 2009 on US indie Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Tuneraker brings you a free preview MP3 of the album track ‘Deja’. Click on the player below or select our RSS feed to download the track.

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