Top 5 Porter Robinson Songs

Porter Robinson released an album back in 2014 named "Worlds" that embodied the feeling of fiction, exploration, and creativity in a way that no other EDM producer has reached for me. It's been 3 years since that album dropped and now fresh off the Shelter tour with fellow electronic musician Madeon, Porter seems to have his sights set on finally coming out with a new record. So I figured what better way to celebrate the arrival of new music by looking back at some of the songs that inspired me the most.

5. Shelter

A new single released August 2016 in collaboration with Madeon, Shelter was a song I wasn't too fond of at first. The emphasis on Madeon's vocals paired with the repetition of the hook made it get old fast and after 4-5 listens, I was pretty much done with it. However, October 2016 brought the world an incredibly touching short film in the form of a music video for the song. The gorgeous animation coupled with an overall message about the importance of fantasy and imagination brought me right back to the initial reasons that caused me to fall in love with Worlds to begin with, making it worthy of a spot on my list.

4. Flicker

Flicker is an extremely interesting song in that it stands out like a sore thumb on Worlds as a very upbeat and playful tune. While most songs on the album tend to focus on a feeling of slow builds followed up by explosive drops, Flicker uses Japanese vocal samples mixed into a hip-hop beat to drive the song forward until it eventually leads into the chorus, which drops a massive wave of sound into the song that elevates it onto a whole other level. Along with a surprisingly funky breakdown near the midsection of the song and a gorgeous music video, Flicker definitely earns it spot on my list.

3. Fellow Feeling

By far one of the most unique electronic songs I've ever listened to, Fellow Feeling personifies the frustrations Porter has with the current EDM scene and channels those emotions into something that will definitely confuse any first time listener. It opens with an incredibly soft and tender violin section, eventually built upon by a larger orchestra of instruments and backed by a vulnerable female voice describing what seems like a relationship between two partners destined to create something new together. The orchestral instrumentation continues to build until abruptly dropping into a mess of disgusting electronic noise, churning and bashing samples violently like a maelstrom of sound until finally it calms. What happens next should be something you discover for yourself. In the words of the song's final verse, "Hear what I hear."

2. Divinity

The very first track off of Worlds and the song that I use as a means to introduce people to Porter Robinson's style of music. Divinity is loud, explosive, and evokes a sense wonder within the mind as it continues to build upon itself until finally delivering a listener with the complete package, with every verse of the song playing into a single collective section to bring it all home. It's very formulaic in its progression, with a gentle sea of sounds enveloping the track until it eventually builds into chorus, but it never really gets old simply due to how masterfully it all mixes together by the end of the tune. Divinity is one of Porter's essential songs and the aesthetic it uses in its production lays out the groundwork for the rest of the album.

1. Sad Machine

Anyone who listens to Porter Robinson is either rolling their eyes right now, or at the very least not surprised at all by this final pick, but it has to be said that Sad Machine is Porter's most successful song for a reason. It's much less explosive than the other tracks on Worlds and focuses on a very delicate, intimate relationship between a man and an android struggling to cope with her newfound emotions. It's a beautiful song that somehow manages to evoke a sense of nostalgia within people for something that never even existed, almost as if the listener is taken on a journey of reminiscing about an old memory implanted into their minds by the music itself. People instantly empathize with the concept of letting someone that depended on you to protect them and make them happy fade into obscurity. It's totally heart-wrenching, yet oddly uplifting because you leave the song knowing that from now on, you'll do a better job ensuring the people you care about are reminded of your affection. Sad Machine is simply a fantastic piece of music that is guaranteed to make any first time listener feel something within themselves.