Throwback Album Review: Porter Robinson’s Masterpiece, “Worlds”
When Porter Robinson’s “Worlds” was released in 2014, the dance music landscape was forever altered, reshaped by the album’s colorful mosaics of sound, soaring melodies and unique chord progressions. “Worlds” was nothing short of a modern electronic masterpiece, differentiated by a grandeur and emotiveness not heard since Daft Punk’s “Discovery.” Porter’s magnum opus was a beacon of artistic creativity, in a genre filled with formulaic EDM bangers. The album was an artist reaching the absolute pinnacle of sincerity in his work. “Worlds” blurred the lines of convention in modern dance music, pushing the boundaries of the genre, and deeply connecting with listeners in the process. This landmark album continues to be a lasting source of inspiration in the EDM community. “Worlds” is a powerful example of what musicians are capable of when normality is left behind, and true artistic freedom is embraced.
Before the release of “Worlds,” Porter Robinson’s music wasn’t nearly as unique, genre-bending or emotive. But despite this, he landed significant recognition at a very young age. When he was just 18, Robinson released the single “Say My Name,” which quickly topped the electro house charts on Beatport (Ochoa). “Say My Name” also grabbed the attention of Skrillex, resulting in Robinson joining Skrillex’s OSWLA imprint (Ochoa). From that point onward, Porter’s ascent to stardom was drastic, as he exponentially increased in popularity with each new release. His debut EP, “Spitfire,” was OWSLA’s very first release (Ochoa). Both Tiësto and Skrillex linked the EP in their Tweets, and people flocked to Beatport, anxious to hear the album (Ochoa). Porter’s success abounded during these early years, as he toured with Skrillex and Tiësto, both high profile mainstream DJs (Chow). But in spite of all his fame and success, Porter was unsure of what he represented artistically, and who he was as a musician (Chow). A driving desire to rebel against the commercial EDM dominating the scene, and to showcase true sincerity as an artist, was beginning to influence Porter Robinson’s songwriting process. After the success of “Spitfire” EP, Porter released the single “Language,” a bold new statement, and a step in the direction of “Worlds” (Ochoa). Porter’s artistic vision became more refined, as he left behind the explosive style of “Spitfire,” replacing it with melodic soundscapes and delicate piano riffs (Ochoa). When “Worlds” was finally released, the EDM community was heavily impacted (Ochoa). Porter Robinson’s creativity reached new heights on his debut album, as he painted bright fluorescent colors of sound, the album a beautifully rendered image of intricate multilayered synthesizers. Porter had finally succeeded in his artistic vision. “Worlds” was a much-needed response to the state of the modern EDM industry (Ochoa). It went against the grain of the commercially produced EDM, which was what Porter Robinson intended, and propagated a wide scale redefinition of the genre, steering dance music into uncharted territory (Ochoa).
This new and uncharted territory, explored in the vivid audio storybook of “Worlds,” is what differentiates this milestone album from others in the same genre. “Worlds” dived headlong into deep and unknown waters, paving the way for a number of modern EDM artists. Numerous indie electronic bands, such as ODESZA, and future bass artists, including Louis the Child, K?D and Whethan, formed in the wake of “Worlds” (Ochoa). Trends in the current dance music scene can be linked to the influence of this album as well (Ochoa). All of this stems back to the innovation present throughout the album. “Worlds” is a patchwork of melodic, smooth, organic, soft, loud and harsh elements, each serving their own purpose, adding to the collective eccentricity and beauty of this amazing album. All of these elements come together, forming the cohesive audio story that is “Worlds,” which like a classic book, can be revisited again and again.
“Divinity” is the first page in the “Worlds” novel. A futuristic synthesizer drives the rhythm forward in the introduction, accompanied by hard-hitting drum samples. For the average EDM listener, this isn’t significantly different from other songs in the genre. But suddenly the listener’s expectations are turned upside down. The melody and the drums come to a complete halt. A delicate harmony gently emerges, like a dying candle in an impenetrable sea of darkness. Emotions begin to ebb and flow throughout the framework of the song. “Divinity” rises and swells, building in intensity. What begins as an average EDM riff transforms into deep feelings of melancholy, sadness and longing. This instrumental part of the track also possesses a sort of mysticism and timelessness about it. The feelings of mysticism are accentuated by Amy Millan’s accompanying lyrics: “Lean into my side/Never felt alive/Call the chance and sigh/We will wait for this, we will wait for this” (Divinity). These lyrics are broad in their meaning, and open to varying interpretations. But despite this, they have a grandeur about them which is difficult to put into words. In combination with the layered synthesizers, Amy Millan’s lyrics, and her soft reflective voice, create melancholy and longing, mysticism and grandeur.
Powerful emotions also weave their way around “Sad Machine,” shining through in the lyrics and the detailed production. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact story the lyrics tell in this lead single from “Worlds.” But ultimately, this openness gives their meaning mystery, contributing to the mysticism and timelessness which resonates throughout the album. This includes lyrics such as: “I don’t know much about your life beyond these walls/The fleeting sense of love within these god-forsaken halls” (Sad Machine). The majority of these lyrics are sung by a robotic female voice. In sections of “Sad Machine,” this female voice is accompanied by Porter Robinson’s own voice. As a result of the way these lyrics are delivered, the storyline embedded in them takes on even greater meaning. The duet between Porter Robinson and the female vocaloid is also a unique facet of the album. Porter clearly was influenced by Daft Punk, who has famously used vocoders in their hit albums “Human After All” and “Discovery.” But at the same time, Robinson delved into new and uncharted territory, not only by distorting his voice to make it sound like a female robot, but by performing a duet with the robotic voice. In “Sad Machine,” he managed to draw from his influences, but also push forward, steering in a new direction, and following his own creative ideas.
After “Sad Machine” the album passes through numerous other patchworks of sound, each with their own characteristics. On “Fresh Static Snow” the robotic female voice returns, gliding above deep crunchy bass lines, crashing and blurring below. The use of distortion in this deep cut from “Worlds” is especially noticeable. Porter expertly weaves together the jagged sharp, concussive, grating bass notes, creating a melody that sounds just as epic as “Divinity,” but much more energetic and explosive in comparison. These bass notes morph throughout the song, forming the backbone of the track’s overall structure. The dichotomy between the robotic female voice and the jarring bass notes is both distinctive and futuristic. It’s the kind of music one would imagine hearing in year 3000, when robot overlords have taken over Earth, and the last rave is being held in an abandoned subway station.
As the listener exits the abandoned subway station, progressing through “Worlds,” they eventually stumble into the introspection of “Natural Light.” This track is another notable part of the album. In the middle of the song a timid bell emerges, carrying out a melody of deep longing, layers of synthesizers engulfing and surrounding it. The use of the bell stands out, giving this song an even greater depth, adding to the mysticism and timelessness of the album. The melody seems to speak of another time and another place. This is yet another dichotomy in the album, between delicate and harsh, light and dark.
Near the end of the album, “Fellow Feeling” is the absolute pinnacle of “Worlds.” The song’s structure is meandering, without an EDM build up or drop. The orchestration, which pulses and flows in great walls of sound, differentiates this song from anything being released by Porter Robinson’s contemporaries. Layer upon layer of string instruments create a beautiful yet haunting melody, the music beginning to gain momentum. As the song builds in intensity, so do the multilayered violins and cellos, inducing raw and powerful emotions in the listener. Distorted and razor sharp synthesizers add another level of intricacy to “Fellow Feeling,” complementing the strings perfectly. The interplay between the synths and the orchestration makes “Fellow Feeling” extremely unique. Another even more interesting aspect contributing to this song’s uniqueness is the use of spoken word. In the middle of this elegant piece of art, a forlorn female voice emerges, speaking in a hushed tone, as explosive electronic elements crash and blur beneath her. The voice says: “Let me explain/This ugliness, this cruelty, this repulsiveness/It will all die out/And now, I cry for all that is beautiful” (Fellow Feeling). Her tender voice adds yet another layer of depth to the song. Near the end of “Fellow Feeling,” minor piano chords lightly interrupt the distorted synthesizers. The combination of synthesizers with organic instrumental elements, such as the orchestration and piano, make this song stand out in the world of EDM.
Porter Robinson’s “Worlds” will go undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest modern EDM albums. But only one question remains. With his abounding artistic freedom, originality and sincereness of expression, where will Porter Robinson take us next?
Works Cited:
Cooper, Duncan. “Porter Robinson Conquered EDM, and Now He Wants More.” The FADER, The FADER, 30 Jan. 2015, www.thefader.com/2014/07/31/porter-robinson-conquered-edm-and-now-he-wants-more.
Chow, Andrew R. “Embracing Fantasy to Live the Dream.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Aug. 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/08/16/arts/music/porter-robinson-releases-worlds-his-first-album.html.
Ochoa, John. “10 Moments That Defined Porter Robinson.” DJMag.com, 25 Jan. 2019, djmag.com/content/10-moments-defined-porter-robinson.
Robinson, Porter. “Porter Robinson (Ft. Amy Millan) - Divinity.” Genius, 12 Aug. 2014, genius.com/Porter-robinson-divinity-lyrics.
Robinson, Porter. “Porter Robinson - Sad Machine.” Genius, 13 May 2014, genius.com/Porter-robinson-sad-machine-lyrics.
Robinson, Porter. “Porter Robinson - Fellow Feeling.” Genius, 12 Aug. 2014, genius.com/Porter-robinson-fellow-feeling-lyrics.