Helado Negro
Photo by Anna Grothe Shive
Last October Helado Negro released his album, Private Energy, which features a gentle ballad called "Young, Latin And Proud." As he told The FADER in an interview last year, it's a song that he wrote to his younger self, one that he wished he'd heard when he was growing up — but it also served as a siren to Latinx fans dealing with the weight of Trump's hateful rhetoric.
Today, New York label RVNG Intl. has announced a new version of the album titled Private Energy (Expanded), which will be available on vinyl and digitally. It was previously released on cassette.
While the official release date is May 5, a special, “private press” edition of Private Energy (Expanded) will be available for purchase this Sunday at the MoMA PS 1 and Other Music label market.
"Being asked by RVNG to release an expanded version of Private Energy was a surprise and huge honor," Helado Negro told The FADER over email. "The album only existed on cassette before the thoughtful and thorough conversation started with RVNG about how to reconsider a vinyl release. The new version was meticulously mastered by Bob Weston. I also included three new versions of songs from the original album 'Runaround (Alternate Mix),' 'Young, Latin and Proud (December Mix),' and 'Transmission Listen (Alternate Make).' In addition, we made a new visual counterpart for the artwork and packaging by way of Will Work For Good."
"The beginning of this partnership has been a really fulfilling experience," he continued. "It’s almost like we’ve worked in reverse with this release — I made this record then started performing it before rerecording it. I released a cassette, and then toured it like crazy. And now it has this new refreshing life again. The music continues to be in my life and I’m still happy with it, which isn’t usually the case with anything I make. This music has a life of its own, one that has been something thats replenishing while on the road and hearing peoples' personal stories of their relationship with the music and the meanings behind it."
Listen to a compilation of Private Energy’s four “Obras" below, set to footage compiled by the artist. And scroll down for tour dates.
Tour dates
March 29 - Guadalajara, Mexico @ Teatro Estudio Cavaret ♢
April 26 - San Francisco, CA @ San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
May 8 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada ✪
May 9 - Houston, TX @ Walter’s Downtown ✪
May 10 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk ✪
May 15 - Phoenix, AZ @ CALA Crossfade Lab - The Crescent Ballroom
September 15 - Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater ✦
September 16 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE ✦
September 17 - Detroit, MI @ The Crofoot Ballroom ✦
September 19 - Columbus, OH @ Express Live! ✦
September 20 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues ✦
September 21 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's ✦
September 22 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium ✦
September 23 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room - Old National Centre ✦
September 25 - Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note ✦
September 26 - Kansas City, MO @ CrossroadsKC ✦
September 28 - Lousville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom ✦
September 29 - Asheville, NC @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena ✦
September 30 - Pittsboro, NC @ Shakori Hills ✦
♢ Supporting Nicolas Jaar
✪ Supporting Mitski
✦ Supporting Sylvan Esso
