Electronic music whiz kid Porter Robinson refuses to be fenced in. The 21-year-old producer – who is known for his booming electro-house anthems – has revealed a quieter, M83-style sound on his new single “Sea of Voices.” Listen below.
Robinson has been talking about his new direction since signing a deal with Astralwerks to release his debut album “Worlds.” In November, he told Billboard that he”s breaking from the style he established in 2011, when he released his “Spitfire” EP on Skrillex”s OWSLA label.
“It ['Worlds'] has a bunch of weird tempos that dance people aren”t really doing,” Robinson said. “There”s no DJ-friendly intro and outro. It”s meant to be listening music. It”s not a party record at all.”
While “Sea of Voices” is not a party, it is accomplished. Dreamy synths, ethereal bells and string samples combine into an emotionally powerful, complex electronic song.
Robinson explained his process via Twitter, revealing that he had considered writing his new music under an alias: “Years ago, I realized that I wanted to write an album that focused on beauty above all else,” he wrote. “I kept trying to write songs that both satisfied me artistically and also could 'work' in a DJ set. Nobody ever heard these songs because they sucked and made me miserable. Again and again, I found that making a track 'danceable' just meant compromising and ignoring what the song really needed.”
What do you think of Porter Robinson”s new sound?