The façade of unity conceals an insidious truth: control. Society often encourages compliance under the guise of collective harmony, suggesting that resistance is not only futile but dangerous. Those who resist, even in minor ways, are framed as enemies of progress, as disruptions to an otherwise orderly world. Resistance, in this context, is met with swift and often brutal consequences—ostracism, punishment, or worse.
Behind slogans of fairness lurks a rigid hierarchy, where the ruling class maintains its power by enforcing conformity. Submission is seen as a virtue, a sign of cooperation and social responsibility, while individual dissent is cast as a threat to stability. People are conditioned to believe that to challenge authority is to disrupt the fragile balance of society. Yet this balance is illusory, built on the subjugation of free will and the suppression of independent thought. In such a world, resistance becomes not just an act of defiance, but a moral imperative, even if the cost is severe. The true battle lies in recognizing the control for what it is and refusing to succumb to it under the pretense of equality.
Robots In Love tackles this with their epic anthem, The Sequel. At the helm of Robots In Love is Elenor Rayner, who leads a formidable lineup featuring Alex Burchell on drums and electronics, Pierre Higbee on guitar, and Tony Lumsden on bass.
The Sequel envisions a dystopian world where control is masked as equality. Survivors of a past war establish dominance over a new land, enforcing conformity under the guise of unity. The imagery of hunting prey suggests a predatory leadership, where dissent is punished and obedience is demanded. Despite calls for harmony, the tone is one of submission, with consequences for those who resist. Musically, The Sequel channels the intensity of Bring Me The Horizon and Nine Inch Nails, blending heavy guitars, industrial beats, and impassioned vocals, while carving out a unique space between dark rock and darkwave.
“With The Sequel we started with a driving electronic base and Orwellian lyrics and then wondered what it would sound like with metal guitars, and that was a game-changer,” says Rayner. “The result is pretty much everything we love in music.”
The video, directed by Stephen Hillman and Elenor Rayner, opens with a provocative question—whether one is human or not—immediately sparking reflection on the blurred boundaries between machine and nature. This visual duality plays out as mechanical precision clashes with organic beauty, leaving the viewer questioning where the line is drawn. Stark, stripped-down shots evoke an eerie stillness, underscored by the quiet tension of modern life’s mechanization. The contrast between technology and nature isn’t merely an aesthetic choice; it’s a philosophical meditation on existence in an increasingly automated world. The result is a haunting exploration of identity, perception, and the essence of humanity.
Watch the video for “The Sequel” below:
Listen to The Sequel below, and order here.
Elenor Rayner has been a force to reckon with. She began playing the Australian pub circuit as a bassist when she was just 14 before switching to producing music on an Atari computer, “which opened up a universe of creating sounds and moulding them into rhythms and melodies until they evoke the exact feeling I need.”
Her prolific career boasts hundreds of tracks, over 50 CD releases, and countless global performances with Soulscraper, Sobriquet (alias Sobriquet Nation), Snog, and The Crystalline Effect. After relocating to New Zealand around 2015, she embraced the Robots In Love identity in 2017. The band has played 70 shows in New Zealand and Australia, released 3 EPs and several tracks on international compilations.
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