After having been in talks with a number of labels with regard to his debut album, it now seems as though the infamous Astralwerks team has caught the interest of Porter Robinson the most. Joining the likes of Nervo, Deadmau5 and Empire of the Sun, the phenomenally talented 21 year old, apparently got connected through Virgin EMI U.K. and of course Capitol Music Group in the U.S. According to Porter, the album crosses electronic boundaries and hits more of an alternative realm, so Astralwerks’ non-EDM accreditations played a major role in deciding where he would call ‘home’. Sitting down with Billboard to further elaborate he said,
“The thing that was most critical for us in deciding which home to have was that they get the vision”. He also added, “There are a lot of labels out there that want to have the next big EDM thing and that’s totally not what the album is about at all. It kind of lives more in the alternative space than in the dance world. I needed a team of people who had experience with both worlds”.
There hasn’t been many specifics about the deal, except that it’s a “long term and multi-faceted partnership,” so we can only assume Astralwerks will have a part in his touring as well as more releases. Perhaps one of the biggest factors was that Porter still needed a free workspace environment.
“I’m not willing to have any dumb oppressive deadlines” Porter continued. “I think we’ve been super clear from the get-go that the music has to come first and it has to be done in a way that’s totally free. And whatever you want to offer us for that, great. And if you want to give us a record deal, awesome. And everyone still seemed to want to”.
The fact that this is going to be Porter’s first LP might be a bit surprising for a few, however it appears to just build up the anticipation that much more. Establishing his name as a noteworthy talent in the manner he has without a debut album is quite remarkable, and I wouldn’t lie, there already is a great amount of excitement amongst fans as to what the finished piece is going to sound like.
Astralwerks’ GM Glenn Medlinger also seemed to be just as excited as the rest of us saying, “There will be multiple singles that will excite and surprise people and touch multiple formats”. “The musical direction of this album is non-linear; it shatters pre-conceived notions of formulaic dance music and elicits a visceral response, exploring the themes of vastness, beauty and emotion. With the evolution of radio in the US, as well as the rapid growth of dance music here, the stage is set for us to bring Porter’s music to a much wider audience than what was possible even one year ago”, he added.
The album has yet to be given a name and an official release date, but we can surely expect it to be out sometime next year. Until then, wait with us impatiently and stay tuned for more music and updates from Porter Robinson!
Source: Billboard