But he doesn’t withdraw into his coded world he inhabits it, rendering it and himself in exquisite detail. From the woozy production that slinks in and out of focus to his oblique, free-associative writing, he’s still an artful trickster. It’s tempting to say he’s embracing accessibility with Pray for Haiti given his reunion with indie rap standard bearers Griselda Records, the album’s widespread availability, and a handful of new interviews, but obfuscation remains his calling card. Ever since he started surfacing from rap’s underground about five years ago, Mach’s slipperiness has extended beyond his delivery and lyrics as he’s slapped exorbitant price tags on his records and mostly avoided press. His commanding voice, a subtly malleable croak, guides these cascading diversions: hardening for his deadpan punchlines, deepening when he speaks Creole, and lightening for his warm melodies. –Matthew Ismael RuizĪt different points on Pray for Haiti, Mach-Hommy is a messiah in Vetements linen, a benefactor for relatives in need of money, a blockchain, and a lothario, all while he burrows into his Haitian heritage and love of rap history. Far from shutting others out with an inward gaze, the album is an invitation into his orbit, a beacon of light beamed out into the universe, drawing you in towards its warmth. Stressing a sleek, clean-toned palette, Lange collaborated with dozens of artists who contributed strings, winds, drums, and electronics. Far In, largely conceived in the West Texas desert, is Lange’s most accessible record yet. But the success of his sixth album, 2019’s This Is How You Smile, left Lange burnt out and looking for deeper connections: with his partner, his friends, and his surroundings. The artist borrowed words from writers like Isaac Asimov and Jamaica Kincaid, solicited strings and horn tracks from friends, and recorded ambient sounds in liminal states-filtering it all and examining how the results reflected his own sense of being. For years, Roberto Carlos Lange’s music-making process was a solitary one, his songs and albums assembled alone in his apartment, like jigsaw puzzles.

Spotify wrapped 2021 glitch