Robert Sotelo‘s latest LP Celebrant comes out to the world via the good offices of Upset The Rhythm.
A keen self-interviewer and lateral-thinking artiste, Robert has taken a moment or twelve to guide the listener through each song on Celebrant, giving a personal touch to each number.
“Dear Resident”
This is unquestionably a lockdown song, but like so many products of a fad it has dated quickly! I missed my Mum, but who didn’t? It doesn’t really sound like it, but a big musical inspiration for this was the song “Dying On The Vine” by John Cale, which my friend Ross Blake played me for the first time the year before. Incidentally, Ross plays and composed all the clarinet on this track also; thanks Ross!
“Behaviour”
This is quite a weird song, which is either about disintegrating social circles or cancel culture, I am not sure which. The rhythmic section at the end really blossomed when David Maxwell (of Gift Horse and The Gymnastic Band) added his supercharged drumming and Iain McCall added his trademark sax attack onto proceedings. Originally this was going to be the first song on the album, but then I decided to add “Dear Resident”.“The Currency Is Love”
The very first song written for the album. I had purchased a Korg Poly 800 at the end of of 2019 and this was the initial fruit that came from it. I was listening to lot’s of ’00s mainstream dance indie like Metronomy and tried to write something like that, but it just ended up sounding weird, like all of my stuff.
The lyrics are easy to follow: love tops money, but I don’t have any money, so I can talk about love topping money; but keep away from me when I don’t have any money.
“Cessnock Instrumental”
I was trying to write some music to score my friend Iain McCall’s short film and this piece came about one Sunday afternoon in my flat in Cessnock; in the background at the end you can hear my wife Gemma and our friend Sian with her daughter Ramona having a laugh and it’s a nice snapshot.Ross Blake added some lovely warm clarinet. There is a longer version with even more Ross that had to be chopped down due to time restraints.
“Take Control of It”
Another attempt at a pop single, somewhat meaningless aside from trying to empower the listener out of the rut they may or may not be in. Celia Morgan plays tuba, which gives the songs a nice organic flavour in places. I struck gold when I approached Zali Krishna to make a video for this as it’s really something, as you will see…
“The Celebrant”
My favourite song on this album, for so many reasons. The spoken word part is by Celia Morgan, who plays tuba with me live (and plays it on “Take Control Of It” and “I Am Done” elsewhere on this album) and was written as a wedding gift to me and Gemma. The whole song and album was originally themed around my impending wedding, which then got cancelled a couple of times during Covid. I like all the parts and love the breakdown, and the sax from Iain coming in halfway through.All the beautiful clarinets at the end were done by Ross Blake again, originally intended for the body of the song; but we crafted it into an outro as the song was so busy already and it’s the highlight of the album, really; thanks Ross!
“This Is My House”
Another early effort that sort of nicks the chord sequence from “Hyperballad” by Björk, this is a Ballardian take on property ownership gone evil: I dare you to break into my minimal beach house on a mysterious peninsula in some half-dreamed tropical expanse; I am the king of my castle and violence is never far away.“I Am Done”
Slightly negative manifestations continue through his track. I describe having a panic attack waiting for a train in the winter, sometimes I feel depleted and my energy wains, life is occasionally difficult, but for me, luckily this is rare. So far. The anxious and jerky percussion at the end punctuates a sadder song as the panic takes grip, but it’s a strangely uplifting mania that I ultimately encounter.“Through Cycles”
I tried to make something austere, almost classical on my keyboard, but then like building a motorway though a listed enclave, threw in a krauty, extremely drum-heavy (thanks to David again) interlude that pushes its way in. This one is a bit lockdown too. The value of the outside world starts to become quantifiable when it’s suddenly less within reach.
“Influencer”
I was trying to write a synth pop song like “Small Town Boy” by Bronski Beat and came up with the plinky-plonky riff, and had it lying around for ages before I fashioned an entire song incorporating it. This is another fave of mine, I think it’s pretty accomplished. I am a limited musician, so happy to get things sounding nicely put together.
The lyrics are funny and of course it’s all about social media blah blah blah, you don’t need me to explain what you already know etc. Iain rips the sax at the end and I dig it. Also the video was 100 per cent me watching Cold Larazus again and thinking that would make a cool video, which Iain also made!
“Palermo Instrumental”
My lovely mother is South American, she lived back in Buenos Aires in the 2010s and I used to visit most years for a period. The economy in BA is often falling apart and this is based around a recording on my phone that I made during a pots and pans protest on peoples’ balconies across the city one night.My Mum’s neighbour in the adjacent flat starts talking to me and hearing it really brings back the moment. The guitar piece I made also on my phone and I just coupled the two together; and then Ross Blake came along and made it lush and beautiful with more clarinet.
“True Culmination”
I wanted a big closing synth song and I will be honest, it was “Man On The Corner” by Genesis that I referenced constantly when trying to write this. I love the finale when David Maxwell brings in the drums and Iain rides the sax; it feels cool and obviously I am all about cool. This is a love song to my wife.Links:
https://robertsotelo.bandcamp.
https://upsettherhythm.bigcart
“Influencer” video (made by Iain McCall): https://www.youtube.
“Dear Resident” video (made by Chris Hopkins): https://www.youtube.
“The Currency is Love” video (made by Robert Sotelo): https://www.youtube.
“Take Control Of It” video (made by Zali Krishna): https://youtu.be/
