Robert Sotelo – “Influencer”

Robert Sotelo’s psych pop wonderland continues to evolve and mutate as he works his way through the catalog. While his last album was an itchy exercise in post-punk fallout and avant-pop anxieties, this time around the first single wafts in on air-conditioned synths and a distinct tang of ennui. “Influencer” maintains a core element of ‘80s soundtrack ache, finding itself ensconced in the kind of music box melancholy that fed the feelings behind the scenes — Thomas Dolby, Buggles, Soft Cell, and The Human League. The synths pirouette around the hooks, burbling atop the mechanical melt of his track about algorithmic influence finding a cold disconnect until the warm bleats of sax ooze into the mix. He accompanies the song with a period appropriate video that finds Sotelo’s disembodied head delivering the hooks with Lawnmower Man-like creepiness. The new album, Celebrant, is out November 12th on Upset The Rhythm.

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