Worlds - Porter Robinson

‘Worlds’ is the debut studio album from American producer, Porter Robinson. This album builds on Robinson’s increasingly impressive resumé, showing his talent for not only producing but also displaying his lyrical prowess.

After releasing his first EP ‘Spitfire’ in September 2011 - the first release on Skrillex operated label OWSLA - Robinson has offered something totally different on ‘Worlds’. 

Robinson burst onto the EDM scene with his single ‘Language’, which was released in 2012, one year after his debut EP. ‘Language’ gave listeners the chance to get to know Robinson’s sound outside of his heavier tracks that feature on the ‘Spitfire’ EP. On ‘Worlds’, Robinson continues this sound, branching out from the heavier direction he was taking on ‘Spitfire’.

Artwork for second single, 'Sad Machine'

From the very first track on the record ‘Divinity’, Robinson creates a playful, upbeat electronic track that evokes so much happiness in the listener. This vibe is continued through the next two songs ‘Sad Machine’ and ‘Years of War’. In each, although the vocals may not be trying to fill the listener with joy, the music certainly creates it. Picture driving towards the horizon, with the sun filled with an orange glow, listening to ‘Sad Machine’, singing along to the chorus as the beat drops into a simple, yet, über-catchy beat. Whilst ‘Sad Machine’ is the first track on the album that we get to hear Robinson’s vocals, it’s on ‘Years of War’ that we get to hear Robinson’s beats with a difference, containing more vocal’s than previous tracks.

Artwork for fourth single, 'Flicker'

The fourth track on the album starts to show Robinson’s Japanese influence, with a sample of Japanese words providing the lyrics and part of the beat - along with hip-hop and electronic elements - for the track ‘Flicker’. It’s from here that the album takes a heavy turn. The tracks start to rely more on the trippy-vocal samples, synth and bass. It’s until ‘Natural Light’ that the album takes another turn. On ‘Natural Light’, listeners are given a very minimal soundtrack to work with, which takes influences from, Trip-hop, garage, and glitch - think, Flume.

Artwork for third single, 'Lionhearted'

Returning to the vibe of the earlier tracks, Robinson creates yet another anthem for happiness in ‘Lionhearted’. An indie-dance track that has been a big hit on indie radio station Triple J, Robinson enlists the help of vocalist Urban Cone, to provide the anthemic lyrics that you can’t help but sing along to. This first record takes listeners on a journey through Robinson’s revelation in his music, after saying that he is taking his music in a different direction, he has done just that, with a beautiful anthem based album, filled with catchy beats and mind-grabbing lyrics.

Artwork for first single, 'Sea of Voices'

Yet it is on the last three tracks that we see yet another aspect to Robinson’s unquestionable talent. With the first single off the album, ‘Sea of Voices’ is a gorgeously ambient song that contains so many emotions and feelings, that every listener could take something different from this beautiful track. Only a track later, we enter the heavier side of Robinson, that fans have come to know. A heavy, glitchy, trippy track, ‘Fellow Feeling’ has haunting vocal samples, and an even more haunting orchestral backing, outside of the hectic trip-hop beat.

Robinson has created a gorgeous album that displays exactly what the young producer can create with the enormous amounts of talent he has at his disposal. From upbeat, vocal heavy tracks, to minimal and ambient dominated tracks, Robinson has given listeners a glimpse at what they can expect from the “new” Porter Robinson.

Porter Robinson's debut album 'Worlds' is available here and on iTunes here

Porter Robinson will also be touring Australia with the festival Stereosonic, with tickets for the two-day festival here