At 18, Porter Robinson was a self-taught producer-DJ from North Carolina, with a serious liking for video games and Japanese culture. Six years down the line, the now 24-year old talent has gone on to become one of electronic music’s most innovative acts. While he may witnessed an exponential rise in popularity over the past couple of years courtesy his unique productions and one-of-a-kind live show, Porter witnessed a humble yet solid start to his career before exploding onto the scene in incredible fashion. As he gets ready to celebrate his 25th birthday, we’re delighted to announce Porter Robinson as our Artist of the Month for July 2017.
With some of his most early releases which landed on Glamara Records and Big Fish Recordings, his electro-heavy single ‘Say My Name’ assisted him to break onto the scene. In 2011, Porter Robinson’s debut ‘Spitfire’ EP was released via OWSLA. Coincidentally marking the Skrillex-led label’s first release, the colossal effort turned heads all over the world, and even crashed Beatport’s servers and headed straight for #1 on the overall chart where it remained for weeks. He also released several remixes during this period for some of the biggest stars of the time namely Avicii, Lady Gaga, among others.
He had also begun to fill support slots on tours with Skrillex, Tiesto and more. In addition, Porter also made his way onto the stages of Electric Daisy Carnival, Ultra Music Festival and Electric Zoo. Fast forward to 2012, his monstrous single ‘Language’ was unleashed upon the audience which also claimed the #1 overall chart position on Beatport as well as the iTunes Dance chart. The transcendental piece has not only managed to evoke a range of emotions amongst its listeners, but his stellar creation also remains to be one of modern dance music’s most iconic tunes.
As Porter Robinson’s profile continued to rise as one of dance music’s hottest upcoming talents, 2012 had bigger plans for him. With the colossal success of Zedd‘s smash hit single ‘Clarity‘ with Foxes which also featured a hefty contribution from the man himself, Porter signed off the year in grand fashion with the release of his collaboration titled ‘Easy‘ with Mat Zo.
Having set his sight on delivering his first studio album, fans had started to witness a change in the producer’s signature sounds. With the steady unveil of singles including ‘Sea Of Voices’, ‘Sad Machine’, ‘Lionhearted’ and ‘Flicker’, the release of his debut LP ‘Worlds’ was also preceded by his stunning Essential Mix in 2014. Following its release in August that year, an emotional sonic roller coaster which the 12-track effort turned out to be, his innovative work not only dismissed trends, but also marked a shift within the dance music industry. Setting himself apart from the rest as a true artist, the album acted as a gateway to Porter’s fascinating world.
Next up was the triumphant unveil of his Worlds Live show that saw Porter Robinson leave the world stunned with his unique creation. Each set of his literally took the audience into his own fictional dimension led by a visual storyline and an equally impressive soundtrack provided by the man himself. The show not only proved testament to his artistic supremacy, but also provided the fans with a wholesome, immersive experience.
Rising to the position of a headliner act, Porter Robinson had now become a staple name within the international festival circuit. With appearances at Tomorrowland, HARD Summer, Creamfields, Electric Daisy Carnival and many more which followed, the Chapel Hill-based artist also delivered a set at Coachella in 2015. Another monumental ‘Worlds Live‘ performance which drew a massive crowd at the famed Sahara Tent, Porter also took this opportunity to debut his mighty remix of Nero‘s ‘The Thrill‘.
Earlier last year, Porter blessed his passionate fans with the unveil of his highly anticipated joint effort with Madeon. Being relatively quiet on the production run for more than a year and a half, ‘Shelter’ not only came off as a single but also marked the beginning of a collaboration on a much larger scale. A spectacular, otherworldly tune showing off both the acts’ respective talents, it was later accompanied by a short anime film which also saw Porter try his hand at story writing.
A Shelter World Tour that followed soon after, it ultimately treated audiences around the world to a collaborative live show which would consist of music from both artists’ catalog reworked into one thrilling sonic fantasy for the one-off tour. Spanning over six months, the incredible tour came to an end this April after their last performance which took place at Coachella.
Having dropped small pieces of news regarding new music for 2017 earlier this year, Porter revealed how much he loves the music he has recently been working on. While he also cited “doubt and depression” as the causes which “destroyed” him in 2015, we can only hope and wish for a stronger and highly awaited comeback from Porter Robinson at this moment.
i really REALLY love the music i've been working on, i missed this passion a lot
— porter robinson (@porterrobinson) January 8, 2017
you should know that self doubt and depression destroyed me in 2015. i wish i could have been making and releasing music that whole time
— porter robinson (@porterrobinson) January 8, 2017
2016 was better because working with madeon & working on shelter the animation reminded me that i can still make stuff i'm proud of
— porter robinson (@porterrobinson) January 8, 2017
in 2017 i'm gonna do very few festivals and be working myself to death on finishing everything i started by myself last year
— porter robinson (@porterrobinson) January 8, 2017