I heard Helado Negro’s ‘Please Don’t Wait’ when it was pre-released back in November last year and thought it was fairly decent but ultimately scrolled on without taking to much further notice. Fast forward a couple of months and I’m sitting here listening to the same song in disbelief that I didn’t fire it up here back then. Helado Negro is a very peculiar artist hailing from Florida via Ecuadorian heritage, he is based nowadays in Brooklyn and is producing some great experimental electronic dream beats. His new album ‘This is how you smile’ dropped this week and it is great altogether. ‘Please don’t wait’ opens the album in such a unique melancholy way – like a sedated mix of ‘The War of Drugs’ and ‘Bigott’ morphed into one. This tune was the definition of a grower, at first I wasn’t totally convinced, on second hearing, I was sold.
Another sublime tune from this release is ‘Fantasma Vaga’ which plods away in a shoe-gazing mood but is littered with superb electronic production elements. This fella has such a lazy, languid yet fluid style and ultimately feels fresh in it’s construction. I’m really impressed with ‘Fantasma Vaga’ actually and had to toss up on which of the these two tracks I preferred from the album. Lovely vocals, mellow beats, wonderful synth sounds. Low BPM train gaze tune. Really nice work Helado! You have bagged a new fan. Negro is supporting the fantastic ‘Beirut’ on their tour of Europe – with an instalment booked in on April 12th @ Eventim Apollo, London.
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