Skylar Spence

Ryan DeRobertis, a Brooklyn-based electronic musician, records and performs under the alias Skylar Spence. His first releases appeared in December 2012 under the name Saint Pepsi, a random handle adopted for early experiments in sampling and dismantling pop textures. A singular production approach soon emerged, generating substantial attention in underground circles through the May 2013 album Hit Vibes and a series of widely shared online remixes of improbable pop singles, among them Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” Further internet tracks appeared, among them the prominent early-2014 single “Mr. Wonderful,” whose momentum prompted Carpark Records to sign Saint Pepsi later that year and schedule album releases alongside live engagements. To sidestep possible trademark conflict with the soft-drink corporation, DeRobertis announced in early 2015 that he would thereafter record as Skylar Spence—the title of an early Saint Pepsi song itself derived from Drew Barrymore’s character in Woody Allen’s 1996 musical Everyone Says I Love You. After the lead single “Can’t You See,” a new-wavy dance-pop track, the first Skylar Spence album, Prom King, appeared in late 2015.