written by Sam Freund
Like many, I came into the Porter Robinson fold after listening to his 2014 album Worlds. It’s themes of humanity, alienation, and change through the lens of machinery grabbed my attention immediately; I recognized them as building off the work of Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, and other artists who got me to dip my toes into dance music in the first place. Now that I’ve become fully immersed, Robinson’s upcoming sold out show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on October 4 is something I’m greatly looking forward to, to say the least.
It wasn’t until I eventually listened to his earlier EP that I noticed how much he had abandoned the harsh, grating sounds from Spitfire in favor of shiny-sweet tunes, save for certain instances of dramatic effect. Listening to Worlds was my biggest step into dance music/festival culture, something I had been on the periphery of for some time but hadn’t yet dove into. A couple years removed from the release of Worlds, whose songs and remixes still get heavy play pretty much everywhere, Robinson is touring with brand new material and collaborator/aesthetic match made in heaven Madeon. Whether this upcoming 22-date North American run will mark yet another shift in his sound remains to be seen, I but have no doubt it will be a run to remember.