Porter Robinson surprised the electronic world once more this week with the release of “Sad Machine”, the next track off of his upcoming album worlds. A little more than a month ago he unveiled an entirely new sound with the ethereal monster that is “Sea of Voices”. Expertly crafted and sophisticated, this new sound was criticized by the neon-clad dubsteppers on the party buses:
“WTF BRO, YOU’RE GOING SOFT ON US!!”
These criticisms are unfounded, though. Porter’s shift in dynamic and style reflects maturity; he’s growing up, and his sound is, too. I used to call him “The Boy Wonder”, but with this new sound, I’m beginning to think that he’s grown out of that title.
“Sad Machine” is equally cinematic as “Sea of Voices”, but it’s much more upbeat and groovy. This song has all of the elements to take the summer by storm, like Calvin-Harris-pool-party-anthem status. On this track, the 21-year old showcases his singing abilities for the first time in a spacey duet with the robot girl of his dreams.
Though the abrasive, churning sound of his former hits is missing, these drops pack the same power with much more emotion than his former sonic-barrage of noise. Not that I’m knocking his former material — his Coachella 2012 set was SWEET — but this new sound is just much more respectable from a musical standpoint. After two years of work, Porter Robinson will be releasing his DEBUT album worlds on August 12th. We’re more than excited for this release, an album that is sure to not only re-define Robinson’s sound to his current fans, but define his potential for the rest of his career. These steps he is taking are monumental. This new direction exhibits talent, restraint, finesse and introspection, all qualities that seem to be lacking within the greater electronic industry. We can only keep our fingers crossed that Mr. Robinson will be kind enough to give us a few more samples before August 12th…that’s way too long to wait!
