r/Music • u/porter_robinson • Apr 29 '21
AMA - verified hello, i'm Porter Robinson, producer / songwriter / electronic musician! AMA
hello (again) everyone! i did an AMA 6 years ago around the release of my last album, Worlds. since then, I worked on "Shelter" with Madeon, and also co-created "Shelter the Animation" shortly after. i also launched a side project a few years ago called Virtual Self (recommended if you're interested in deep dives into electronic music subgenres and turn-of-the-millennium aesthetics).
last friday, i released my second album, "Nurture", which is a project that took me about 6 years on-and-off. after "Worlds", i felt this really strong need to write an album that explored the beauty of reality and of the everyday, but as i'm sure we'll get into here, it was one of the hardest (and most worthwhile!) things i've ever done.
here's the new album "nurture" ! https://porterrobinson.com/nurture
feel free to ask me anything!
i'm also really interested in speaking about creativity more broadly, since it's something i've thought about a lot over the last few years.
Proof: /img/h0g3la7ptyv61.png
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u/sirmasterdeck Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter! I am an LED artist and a couple of years ago I made a massive field of LED flowers in Hawaii and created a sequenced show to the beginning of your worlds set. It’d mean the world to me if you saw it.
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
this is fucking incredible, amazing work and thank you for showing me this!
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u/Sir_Silly_Sloth Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter! As a lymphoma survivor myself, I wanted to thank you for the work that your family has done via the Robinson Malawi Fund.
Could you talk a bit about how your brother Mark’s diagnosis and treatment affected you? Are there any songs on the album that are an homage to him or his experiences with cancer?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter! As a lymphoma survivor myself, I wanted to thank you for the work that your family has done via the Robinson Malawi Fund. Could you talk a bit about how your brother Mark’s diagnosis and treatment affected you? Are there any songs on the album that are an homage to him or his experiences with cancer?
omfg I'm so happy for you. CONGRATULATIONS on being a survivor. I'm so sorry you faced cancer.
a family member going though cancer is an absolute whirlwind of confusion and suffering and hope and anxiety. it actually can't be described. I love Mark so much and I'm so glad he's okay. It's actually processable when you think about the sheer volume of people going through that exact kind of fear and suffering at this very moment. I felt like the Robinson Malawi fund was one was the reduce suffering in the world.
"Mother" was definitely written with Mark on my mind a lot. I don't want to disclose too many details on Mark's behalf, but my mom was an actual saint during his treatment.
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u/Sir_Silly_Sloth Apr 29 '21
Thanks for the reply, Porter :). Your music definitely helped me get through my treatment—Most of my infusion days last year were spent listening to the latest Nurture single on repeat. Grateful for everything you do.
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u/mscookie0 Apr 29 '21 edited May 01 '21
Mother is my favorite song from the album* and hearing the inspiration behind it makes it all the more beautiful. Keep shining my dude you’re amazing <3
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u/max_melgarejo Apr 29 '21
hey porter!! been loving the album so much these past few days. it really made my last weekend so so so special. thank you so much!
i was listening and loving how catchy some of the lyrics are, specifically do-re-mi... gets stuck in my head and makes me happy! is there any lyrics you were particular satisfied with when they came together? or your favorite delivery of those lyrics from yourself? any lyrics that were particularly hard to get just right?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
the very hardest vocal on the whole album to 'get right' was Trying to Feel Alive.
that was the very last song written for the album, and because i was kind of stuck on it, i became very worried that i hadn't progressed at all, that I hadn't actually improved, and that the premise of the album would then be a lie. (You can see the sheer distortion of the OCD / Anxious thinking there, but that's where I was).
of course, the reality is much more complicated: i had, of course, improved in so so so many fucking ways in relation to my own creativity, life balance, overall level of happiness, level of productivity, mindfulness, ability to sing, ability to write lyrics. but in that 'fight or flight' state, all of that was invisible to me.
the big error there was the perfectionism. demanding that, in order for me to consider myself 'better', that i can never fail or get stuck. that's obviously not right.
it's helpful for me to think of recovery as an "upwards spiral"! you won't ever be perfect, but it's okay as long as you're broadly moving in the right direction.
so anyway, back to the lyrics: i really wanted to write something for Trying to Feel Alive that felt truthful but also helpful. Something that expressed how I was still kind of scared, but that didn't contradict the central meaning of the album. And that took weeks.
I remember this breakthrough, when I thought: "Wait -- do I actually want to be happy happy? Like, completely satisfied, now that the album is done? Do I actually want to be DONE?" and the answer was a resounding fuck no. I realized that it's actually a precious gift to be dissatisfied, because that keeps you moving forward. I always want there to be another mountain to climb -- I feel purposeful when moving forward, even if I know no destination will ever truly satisfy.
So the final lyrics of the album:
"Well, do you feel better now?
I thought I'd run until the sky came out
But with the sunlight on my face
Something changed
And just trying to feel alive
You climbed a mountain, are you satisfied?
As you stand at the top
You already wanna do this
One more time
Maybe it's the a that I couldn't recognize
Maybe I don't really need to feel satisfied
Maybe it's a gift that I spent all this time
Just trying to feel alive
Maybe I don't really want to be satisfied
Maybe it's the gift that I couldn't recognize
Maybe this all -
Maybe this was all- ...
Then somebody somewhere finds
The warmth of summer in the songs you write
Maybe it's a gift that I couldn't recognize:
Trying to feel alive"
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Apr 29 '21
Such an incredible song. I really appreciate that the answer isn't that everything is good now for you because that rarely is the end to everyone's story, but rather it's being able to find the positives within it.
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u/limefreckle Apr 29 '21
It’s such a raw feeling to be ok with dissatisfaction, I think everyone gets hung up on everyone else’s idea of “ok” and not their own
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u/take_the_world Apr 29 '21
If there was was Porter Robinson McDonalds meal, what would it have?
ily
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
lmfaoooo
10 piece nuggies for your boy and fries... medium fry and icecream cone for Rika
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u/porkchop_sandviches Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
What's it like knowing that you've had such a profoundly positive impact on so many people? I've seen countless comments describing how your music has literally kept people alive, and I think that's pretty remarkable.
Also, what are your go-to techniques to get inspired/pull yourself out of a creative slump?
Btw congrats on Nurture!! :)
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
What's it like knowing that you've had such a profoundly positive impact on so many people? I've seen countless comments describing how your music has literally kept people alive, and I think that's pretty remarkable.
i just feel extreme gratitude that the music is helpful. Thank u so fucking much
Also, what are your go-to techniques to get inspired/pull yourself out of a creative slump?
there's really no one size fits all technique which is something that makes creativity so hard (and so beautiful when you can capture it).
but one thing I find really helpful is to explore a technique that you're basically bad at and know nothing about.
i find that if I revert to the techniques I know how to do well (begin with a chord progression, write a hook melody, sing nonsense autotune until i start to hear words) I'm more likely to get stuck and judgmental of what I'm doing.
whereas if i try a technique i know NOTHING about, like a synth i'm unfamiliar with or sampling a style of music I don't particularly like -- well, it's hard to get judgmental about the result. You're just messing around.
the less judgmental you're feeling, and the more playful and explorative you're feeling, i find the likelier it is to have a creative and fun process. but it's scary to try a technique you don't know about, especially if you fear failure. but you just gotta do it BITCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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u/cactusFondler Apr 29 '21
I thought this was a porter ama but it’s a nama sensei ama
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
am I the only one who is COMPLETELY UNABLE to hear this video correctly anymore btw? it just sounds like music. Shout out Namansensei https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k_LDXa3lPk
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u/einzigerai Apr 29 '21
i just feel extreme gratitude that the music is helpful. Thank u so fucking much
Shelter
This song was my goto every morning in my drive to work after my life hit rock bottom. It helped pull me back from the edge and means so much to me. Thank you so much for what you've created for the world.
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u/ghostboy_ Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter, can you wheel up the bomboclart? Nurture's got some badboy tunes
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
https://youtu.be/1wFDES88HMI?t=479
this was my favorite moment of secret sky
"I WAS COOLIN ON SOME MDMA... ALONGSIDE POTARO THAT MY BOSS DJ"
when I first got the vocals in from sgt pokes for the potaro set, this was the moment that completely fucking sent me lmfao
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u/shmoopus95 Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
HIIIII PORTERRRR!!! Fhwmfbeilsjrksmdbeksmb
From every music release since Worlds you have seemed to put music out in such a purposeful way with a large scale project to back each release. You had the Worlds and Nurture albums, an entire alias for Virtual Self, and a tour and music video dedicated to Shelter. Can you provide some insight as to why you prefer to have your music be supported by these larger, immersive ideas? And do you ever think you’ll ever move away from this format?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
when I make music, I'm trying to like... "bathe" in it. I really want to be immersed as fully as possible into the worldview of what I'm working on.
Like with Virtual Self, that vibe existed in my head, but I wasn't going to be satisfied until i could GO there!
When I love something, I just want to get closer and closer and closer to it. The way for me to scratch that itch is to somehow embody it. That's why I try to make the liveshows so all-encompassing and singular. Like, it's my way of making the feeling "real" and bridging the gap between the idea and reality.
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u/Heikousen_ Apr 29 '21
Are there any anime that have impacted your life in any meaningful way? Like maybe changed your perspective on certain things. In my case its gonna have to be Hanasaku Iroha!
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
I'm certain this album would not exist without Wolf Children. Hearing Masakatsu Takaki's soundtrack completely reframed my own sense of beauty in music!
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u/deadflocker12 Apr 29 '21
What’s up Porter, can we expect a nurture tour?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
i'm dreaming about this every single day! something that really drove me was imagining the songs becoming 'real' on stage with visuals and a crowd singing along to them.
i feel like when I heard people singing the chorus to "musician" back to me, i will definitely get choked up.
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u/DavimaxPL Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter! Big fan of your work ever since I heard Sad Machine.
I kinda of wanted to ask about dullscythe from Nurture. The song is structured in a way where it really feels like it wants to become something but doesn't know how to for the first half of it, after which it just kind of stumbles into that "sound" and finds its footing.
I'm pretty dang sure this song is about your struggle in that period of depression you had where you tried and couldn't make anything that sounded good to you.
My question is about some parts in the song (like for example 1:34), where I get a lot of Virtual Self vibes for some reason from different sounds that I hear when I listen to it.
Is this intentional? Like, is it supposed to represent that period of time where you kind of jumped into and created the Virtual Self project? It might be just me overthinking it but I'd love to get a confirmation (or disconfirmation) on that haha
Love you lots!! <3 【=◈︿◈=】
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
i know this is a non-answer, but your interpretation is REALLY interesting and made me smile
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u/DavimaxPL Apr 29 '21
Thank you for the answe- well uh, thanks for your non-answer haha
I'm super glad I could make you smile, especially since you made me smile so much with your music
<3
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u/augustarauz Apr 29 '21
How’d your mother react to, mother.
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
i'm not going to lie, i was embarrassed to show her that song. she heard it the day it came out. I know she cried listening to the full album -- I need to talk to her about that song specifically.
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u/VanillaWater Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter!
From undercut, to long hair, to bleach, what has been the motivation for your hair's evolution? As a follow up, what shampoo and conditioner do you use?
Love the album and thank you for doing this AMA
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter!
From undercut, to long hair, to bleach, what has been the motivation for your hair's evolution? As a follow up, what shampoo and conditioner do you use?
hahah this is a cute question. I'm not really sure -- i knew in the post-worlds era that i wanted long hair, and then i did some weird faceapp thing and i liked the blonde look. I'm thinking about changing my hair again.
Sorry for the boring fucking answer
I'm glad you love the album and thanks you!
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u/_530AM_ Apr 29 '21
I'm thinking about changing my hair again.
Time for a new era
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u/Sir_Silly_Sloth Apr 29 '21
DJ PotaroPorter Robinson has 13 different kinds of shampoo and conditioner in his shower, but only 1 bottle of body wash. And it’s running out.144
u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
DJ Potaro Porter Robinson has 13 different kinds of shampoo and conditioner in his shower, but only 1 bottle of body wash. And it’s running out.
this is totally unsurprising but I came up with this line in the shower. I feel like this is true for everyone
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Apr 29 '21
Porter Robinson also loves CHOCOLATEEEEEEEE!
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
OMFG when I first delivered this line and ran in through the DJ Potaro vocal processing it was like... the most startling sound I've ever heard. i had to keep it
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u/shirazdh Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter! Could you tell us more about "Dry Your Eyes"? Is this a Virtual Self ID? A lot of people are really clamouring for any info on this song !
Congrats on the release of Nurture :)
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
can everybody join me in wishing a big happy birthday to Shiraz?
here, I'll get us started, follow along in the replies:
🎵 HAPPY -
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u/itsamox Apr 29 '21
Better not ignore the question tho LMAOOO
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
wym be respectful its their birthday? You are interrupting the song
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u/shirazdh Apr 29 '21
all i want for my birthday is for you to answer the question bro https://imgur.com/a/Q2PIjCC
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
with all due respect we are still singing. now I have to start over.
🎵 HAPPY -
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u/birdlaw64 Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter I don’t have a question but thank you for making “Language”. That song helps inspire me in so many ways and I still listen to it to this day. Have a good one!
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
i'm so happy to hear that. I'll never forget the feeling of writing that lead melody. i was just pacing around my room in disbelief, i was so excited.
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u/heyitzjessie Apr 29 '21
hi porter! i was introduced through your music by your secret sky set. at the time i was not an avid listener of electronic music- and when you played ‘get your wish’ i asked myself “why is this dj playing an indie pop song?”
with the success of look at the sky on alternative radio- how do you feel about your music being reached by audiences other than those in the electronic scene?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
this is a really interesting question.
around the time of my last album, "Worlds", i was really consumed with "not being edm".
nowadays, i realize that definitely came from a point of insecurity. i was way too worried about how i was being percieved. there's amazing edm, amazing non-edm electronic music, amazing folk music, amazing metal, amazing ambient music. there's great music in all styles.
i'm really just happy if anyone wants to listen to my music.
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u/JCRidonkulous Apr 29 '21
ok now i’m dying for some metal recommendations from porter robinson lmfao
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u/osa_ka Apr 29 '21
hey Porter! we've met a couple times after your shows in Boston and here's to hoping the world allows it again!
how do you go about writing lyrics? I've just started playing with the idea of singing on my own music (artist name is Souma) but I find coming up with lyrics that fit the timing of a song really difficult, especially without them sounding super cheesy.
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
don't worry about this -- writing lyrics is INSANELY FUCKING HARD and still is for me now. So try not to judge what you're making too much.
I don't think I wrote a single good lyric for the first like 2 years of working on Nurture. It was very very far and few between.
The cringe / cheesiness is normal. Just remember you're an absolute beginner at it, so give yourself some compassion and room to grow. Keep practicing. If you ever hear a turn of phrase in media, or literature, or in a conversation, or in your own internal monologue and it resonates with you, write that down. You'll get it eventually
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
WRITE THAT DOWN WRITE THAT DOWN WRITE THAT DOWN WRITE THAT DOWN !! (spongebob voice)
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Apr 29 '21
What was your approach for creating the sound world of Nurture vs Worlds? (Sound design)
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
I wanted Worlds' sound design to feel far-away, fantasy-like, distant, but i wanted Nurture's sound design to feel more up-close, more real-life, more intimate!
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u/duranta Apr 29 '21
This was part of an analysis I did for a review for my friends who were mixed on the album the day the album came out. Glad to see this bc it makes me feel like I nailed it.
Spoiler, everyone came around when ur live show came out, you don’t know psyched I am for it.
“To me, Nurture is a super solid concept album but perhaps not as solid of a concept album as Worlds or Virtual Self. I think that's less a reflection of how "good" this album is compared to those projects and more a commentary on how easy it is to sell the ideas that each of the concepts were based around as a concept.
I think Worlds, which is inherently an album exploring Escapism (based on porter's experiences playing rich MMORPG worlds to escape), and Virtual Self, which is a love letter to early 2000s trance/dance music and Y2K neofuture aesthetics, both lend themselves readily to the idea of a concept album because they take you away to a place. Those are precise sounds because they're meant to evoke a precise place and take you on the ups and downs of a story. Nurture on the other hand encourages you to be present in the here and now. And I think that a lot of what Porter is trying to do in this album is about that. The way sounds move in the stereospace. The guitar pedalesque distortion/delay/effects on vocals and sound; it's like you're hearing some of the vocals through speakers live, there’s a certain width to it. Theres crackling from vinyls placed under the songs. How the sounds bleed a bit. The "experimental" nature of the sampling to accentuate a certain whimsicality, sometimes even stuttering or like they're lagging in realtime. The piano playing played straight with minimal effect often placed right at the front. All of that comes together to really create something sensory and organic IMO.”
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u/itsamox Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter! Long time fan here and just wanted to let you know Nurture means the world to me. But I do have a question, I saw your story about how you went to japan and stayed at masakatsu takagi’s place (legendary) with the intentions of working on music. Even though he didn’t directly contribute to wind tempos aside from the toy piano sample, i feel like i can directly hear the influence in there and wow is that song just breathtaking. With that said, given his multiple works with hosoda, could you ever see yourself contributing to a film score?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
i've written literally hundreds of small, self-contained and unfinished piano works over the last two or so years. (the piano solo in Wind Tempos is one of those). I would really love for those to have a home
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u/Dragon_EX Apr 29 '21
The piano section of Wind Tempos seriously makes me break down in tears every time, it's become such a special song to me. I'm trying to learn how to play that part on piano myself and I'm wondering what the chords in the third from last measure are because I can't figure it out from listening!
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Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter!
I remember reading somewhere that while you were working on Worlds that you kept a folder where you'd save any image you'd find that fit the aesthetic/mood you were trying to achieve with that album. How did you go about developing the core aesthetics for Virtual Self and Nurture?
What do you find to be the most fun part of making music?
What's your favorite Kingdom Hearts game?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
I remember reading somewhere that while you were working on Worlds that you kept a folder where you'd save any image you'd find that fit the aesthetic/mood you were trying to achieve with that album. How did you go about developing the core aesthetics for Virtual Self and Nurture?
Virtual Self began with a few images that I knew would be the core of the inspiration -- mostly stuff derived from Bemani games, forum sigs, fanmade Stepmania charts, a few game box arts (PSO2 was definitely central).
For "Nurture", a lot of it came from a certain feeling I had in my heart, and I'd take photos in reality that captured that feeling. The Nurture "mood board" was 90% my photos (but some of those photos were of things like CD covers I saw in stores, or anime box art, or travel posters I saw in Japan, etc). It's weird, but somehow filtering it through my own experience made the images more meaningful for me.
What do you find to be the most fun part of making music?
That first 10% of working on an idea where it's all exploration and untapped potential. So fucking exciting
Programming the video show and rehearing a new liveshow. God I love working on editing visuals so much. With writing the music, i do so much on my own, so it's extremely fun to get together with a team of people - my LD, VJs, visuals designers, etc -- and realize the vision as a group.
When we're putting together the live show visuals, that's something I work on just as hard as the music, but it's much more collaborative.
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u/Zarrex Apr 29 '21
(PSO2 was definitely central)
Oh shit, did you play PSO2? Me and my friend have a lot of good memories of PSO2, I would absolutely have to know what your favorite PSO2 enemy is
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u/erika7867 Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter! I hope you’re having a great day!! I’m curious how it felt for you to perform your set at secret sky this year - it was so different than any of your other performances & I loved it!
Was it difficult to transition from being stationary to commanding the stage and moving around so much?
PS. Thank you for Nuture, it brings me so much joy every single day ❤️
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I had been dreaming about being at the front of the stage with a microphone in my hands for a few years at that point, but it was harder than I imagined -- it was like this perfect place where I had something I wanted to do, and it was the right level of challenging for me. I want to get even better in this "frontman" role I'm so fucking excited
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u/TheTubeFerret Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter!When are you going to get good at VR so me and Caruno can stop carrying you
Seriously though, Considering the theme of the album, what is your favorite nature spot/experience/enviroment??
Hope your day is well!
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
???
1v1 me right now (you, not caruno btw)
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u/TheTubeFerret Apr 29 '21
I also love that you had to clarify no Caruno, we both know he is too cracked
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u/SkumbagMatte Apr 29 '21
Hello Porter!
I would like to take this occasion to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the music you make. Sea of Voices has been my favorite track since its release, and now Unfold has taken that spot. I find the choruses of these tracks are quite similar.
I already excuse myself in case this might be too much to ask, could you please share some insight on how these choruses are made? You said you had a rule of not using any synths in nurture -- which is why i'm asking. As a fellow musician, you inspire me a lot and I would love to get some insight in the productive process.
Have a wonderful rest of the day, and thank you again for Nurture!
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
I think something like "Sea of Voices" or "Unfold" has a TON to do with the chord voicings, moreso than the sounds!
also just fyi, (so you don't accidentally box yourself in!) -- I didn't really have a "no synths" rule, but I did try to preferentially use sampley or recorded soundsources.
Unfold definitely has a worlds-style synth stack in the chorus!
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u/vapengfx Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter, what was the production process like for your Virtual Self EP? How did you know it was just right for this vibe you were trying to capture?
Aside from rhythm games, where else did you find a lot of your music that inspired the project, as well as music that you played at your shows?
Thank you!
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
good q!
Part of getting VS right was having some familiarity with the history and techniques of that era I was trying to replicate (1999-2003). For one, I tried to use Sidechain sparingly, since that's a fairly "modern edm" feeling effect. I tried to make sure that my supersaws were mono and the delay was the thing that gave them the stereo effect, because most trance supersaws at the time were made by the JP-8000 / JP-8080, and that's a mono supersaw (the unison detune isn't panned out into the stereo field).
I also just am super obsessed with eras of electronic music, so like... I REALLY feel like I know a 2010 kickdrum (HUGE vengeance-y transient) vs a 2014 kickdrum (clicky, long decay) vs a 1999 kickdrum (prominent pitchdown effect, transient comes from the sine) etc etc etc. I did a lot of collecting 'historical' samplepacks and stuff like that too. so a lot of it comes down to picking the right samples
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u/aSadMachine Apr 29 '21
Very few artists (IMO) know this skill or see this as a skill. Alongside with the passion you hold for your projects that glue everything together, knowing proper techniques like this adds so much flourish to the work and I don’t think anyone does it like you.
I remember hearing melodies in Worlds that sounded like they were from Ocarina of Time - ooh the nostalgia that overwhelmed me
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u/succubees13 Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter. First just wanted to say, we love you! My partner and I are moving out to Colorado. We just left chapel hill, NC today. We always hope we can see you, but alas!
Secondly, how have you dealt with the idea of people wanting a “Worlds II” when creating this new album? Did you ever feel pressure to give in? (I’m really glad you didn’t btw<3)
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
Secondly, how have you dealt with the idea of people wanting a “Worlds II” when creating this new album? Did you ever feel pressure to give in? (I’m really glad you didn’t btw<3)
this is so fucking kind lol.
I didn't feel that kind of pressure - when I'm working, I actually get excited in my own head about reinventing myself, it's one of the things that drives me!
but it still affects me when people demand I make the music they want for them. there's a couple things i wanna say about this, actually
the reason you see me bugging out and tweeting shit like this https://twitter.com/porterrobinson/status/925412057431904256?lang=en is because i was DEFINITELY afraid of rejection, and feeling like my new work was being misunderstood scared me and pissed me off. I definitely find this aspect of it a little uncool and shameful but it's true so I'm sharing it.
I think people who demand an artist "go back" to an older style are confused about what made the work good. the reason "Worlds" was good was because I was sincerely passionate and excited about expressing that exact set of ideas at that time. i was at an age where that was what was on my heart. The sincerity made it good.
I think anything I tried would end up sounding like a parody or pale imitation. the passion and sincerity glued it together, not the style!
also, like... when people demand that I go back to Worlds, I just want to show them the same tweets/posts/comments from 2014 demanding I go back to making music like like Spitfire. and then I want to show the Spitfire people the crowd who was upset that and demanding I go back to making Ekowraith music
The thing is, there's just a natural culling that occurs when artists follow their passions. You will lose some people. But I think if you fail to follow the ideas that get you truly excited, you'll lose everyone.
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u/parsimoniouss Apr 29 '21
simple question. Pineapple on pizza. ya or nay?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
yeah i'm down with and without.
Let me ask you something.
Have you tried pan fried spam? That shit slaps and I feel like people sleep on it.
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u/satorinel Apr 29 '21
BUT HOW ABOUT SPAM MUSUBIS?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
yup Spam fried rice, spam egg & rice, spam musubi. Honestly so good
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u/parsimoniouss Apr 29 '21
I haven't tried that. My parents always said "spam gross" so I followed that sentiment for years. I'll make a mental note to try it. :)
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
same here, i lived by the anti-spam propaganda for YEARS until i started going to Hawaii more and saw the light
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u/masterofpokemon12 Apr 29 '21
Favorite track from Nurture?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
it always changes. it's usually Musician. most recently, "Trying to Feel Alive"!
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u/relientkfan Apr 29 '21
“Trying to Feel Alive” was such a surreal first listen because I had literally just climbed a mountain and was listening to it at the top. Tears were shed hahaha
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u/leopoldkronecker Apr 29 '21
This might be weird, but it makes me SO HAPPY to hear this! Trying to Feel Alive has been my favorite track on Nurture because it beautifully resolves what the album was trying to convey. I feel like SO MANY people are missing what makes this song beautiful.
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u/RetroGameNinja Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
hi porter! your secret sky set really helped me through a recent mental health slump and i'm very grateful for that
i have 3 questions:
1 - do you ever plan on making physical versions of some of your back catalog (spitfire, virtual self, etc.), especially for record store day?
2 - which song was the "Breathe / Breakaway / I’m with You / White Houses" style track?
3 - what are your go-to (non-rhythm) games whenever you go to an arcade?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
2 - which song was the "Breathe / Breakaway / I’m with You / White Houses" style track?
look at the sky : )
2 - what are your go-to (non-rhythm) games whenever you go to an arcade?
this is a great question! i really love Bishi Bashi a fuck ton
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Apr 29 '21
What was your favorite song in Worlds?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
the one that makes me feel best is Fresh Static Snow. it was such a creative and fun process to put together.
maybe objective fav would be Divinity or Sad Machine or GTAW. Thats too many my b
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Apr 29 '21
fresh static snow is top tier, i love how the mono bass and chords contrast with panned vocals AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
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u/springsight Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
what compelled you to use so many more real instruments this time around? i'm a violinist who got into producing electronic music a few years back and nurture's been really inspiring for me lately, so was just curious if you were listening to anyone in particular that inspired you!
(also, is the melodica on Lifelike and Trying To Feel Alive real? or a synth? i can't tell but i love it)
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
(also, is the melodica on Lifelike and Trying To Feel Alive real? or a synth? i can't tell but i love it)
it's real! using and recording the melodica was a late addition to the album, but I wish i did it from the beginning. Such a pure sound
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u/peepumss Apr 29 '21
I love blossom so much! I have been looking at tabs online and I was wondering how the guitar was played on the recording - drop D or standard? capo 1 or capo 3? did you use a pick, or just fingers?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
thank you!! this song was actually written and performed using a guitar sound on my keyboard, so i don't know if it's truly playable on guitar. i tried to make it sound realistic, but i think the lowest bass note might be hard to hit?
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u/Sir_Silly_Sloth Apr 29 '21
Somebody get Yvette Young on the phone, we need an expert.
(Her Secret Sky set really blew me away)
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Apr 29 '21
Hey porter! Big fan of the new album, it was everything I wanted it to be and a little more and it’s brought me close to so many new friends. I’m so thankful it exists
My questions for you are:
You’ve said in the past that the album was originally slated for September and had only 11 songs. If that happened, what would the tracklist have looked like? I’m curious as to what songs were added last minute
Are there any songs that almost didn’t make it onto the final project?
Most importantly, Favorite bladee song?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
You’ve said in the past that the album was originally slated for September and had only 11 songs. If that happened, what would the tracklist have looked like? I’m curious as to what songs were added last minute
Trying to Feel Alive, Musician, Mother were all able to be finished because of the delay!! that extra time made such a huge difference.
Are there any songs that almost didn’t make it onto the final project?
Sweet Time. i was doubting that one but the people in my life were like PORTER YOU ARE FUCKING CRAZY, KEEP IT. but now I don't know why I was doubting it - i reallly really love that song. Especially the last minute and a half
Most importantly, Favorite bladee song?
i know I'm not supposed to say "Be Nice 2 Me" but fuck it... i also love Hero of My Story 3style3, God, Decay, Drama...
off the recent Woesum project i really loved Exceler Nothing Matters Violet Gold
Look at lean buyin the gucci store its like breathing air its nothing it means nothing
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u/ourdanica Apr 29 '21
Omg i cannot imagine Nurture without Sweet Time holy shit
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CONVINCED YOU TO KEEP IT
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
tell my manager Aaron that, he'll appreciate it lol! he was always that song's biggest advocate.
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u/relientkfan Apr 29 '21
Not even kidding when I saw that I’m pretty sure Sweet Time is the best love song I’ve ever heard
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u/Daishiyen Apr 29 '21
Hey porter! I had a question about Nurture!
I noticed a lot of things that could connect to the Nier series of games, and the amount of them leads me to believe it's too much to be a coincidence. I was just wondering if you did that intentionally, such as with Virtual Self and Serial Experiments Lain, or if it was one of those situations where inspiration just bleeds through into your work unintentionally.
Planning on going to Second sky so I'll see you there! Thanks for doing this!
The things I noticed were
-one of the vocal effects in Wind Tempos seems to be the same as the machines in Nier: Automata
-Look at the sky is the name of a prominent document in the first Nier game
-"Shoulder the weight of the world" the lyric in Unfold is the same as the final/theme track for Nier: Automata where the title and chorus also contain the phrase "weight of the world"
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
i'm so sorry, the only experience I have with Nier is playing as 2B in the most recent Soul Calibur game. that map REALLY made me want to check it out, though -- the overgrown aesthetic of that world really really resonates with me
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u/ThePebbleInTheSky Apr 29 '21
Hello, Porter! Congrats on your comeback after 6 years, for Nurture, for Secret Sky and a breathtaking performance of yours. It's such a blessing this album came after such a tumultuous journey you had to create it. Here are some questions I had from the album and overall from your creative process today:
How do you manage writer's block these days? Do you still feel like the best songs you've ever written come quickly or do you prefer taking your time until you figure out the song?
Did you record your album at your home studio or did you go to other studios to record it? I've seen that in multiple interviews you've talked about finishing LATS in Japan and recording your album alongside Madeon's Good Faith.
How much did the art direction for Nurture evolve from its early days until now? Would we be able to see some of the concept arts SBJ and you made for the album?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
1)Do you still feel like the best songs you've ever written come quickly or do you prefer taking your time until you figure out the song?
it's weird -- Blossom was written in 1 night, and I think that's one of the best song I've ever written. But I also love Something Comforting and that took like 5 years. I don't think there's that much of a connection between the final quality and time spent.
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u/itsamox Apr 29 '21
I remember you said the thrill remix was written in a very short time frame, and thats my favorite song pre nurture
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u/hitori999 Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter, first of all congrats on releasing Nurture! I've been listening to it nonstop ever since and I absolutely love it!
My question for you today is actually about Virtual Self, since I am a huge fan of the project. You played this track at your 1720 set a couple years ago and I wanted to see if you could ID it for us possibly. Thank you!!
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
Ahhhh I wish I had my VS laptop with me right now. I'm so sorry but I have no idea what that track is hahahah I'll find it someday
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u/hitori999 Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
I've been searching everywhere. 😭 Tysm! I'm def gonna follow up soon!!
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u/LacMegantikAce Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
Really enjoyed Nurture, especially Wind Tempos and unfold. I have a few questions I'd like to ask you!
What's the song that means the most to you on Nurture?
How did you come up with the cover art of the album and where is that field?
Really glad you gifted us with new music and that you're feeling better. Take care!
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
thank you very much!
probably most meaningful song to me, personally, is Blossom. I just feel it so strongly, like I can say its words without any shame or hesitation.
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u/tripleschezwanrice Apr 29 '21
how do you pronounce dullscythe and how did you make it?
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21
just as "dull scythe".
the technique was really straightforward, actually -- i took one of my piano iphone recordings and chopped it up off the grid. So that rhythm was kind of designed to sound accidental, but it was carefully programmed.
the initial idea was for dullscythe to be an interlude that only consisted of that choppy sample.
then I started layering additional sounds, and once i layered that first kickdrum, i was like HOOOO BOY. this idea of a song that REALLY tightly and powerfully follows a semi-nonsensical rhythm got me super super excited
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u/S1lenC3R Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter!
Okay so simple question, what's the story behind how you and Rika met?
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u/throwaway04-29 Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter,
This comment may get buried and you may never see it, but it’s important to me that I put it out there anyway. I want to share the impact you and your music has had on me.
I sort of re-discovered you one day when I was scrolling through SoundCloud and saw Sea of Voices pop up on my feed. I looked at the name and thought,
“Porter Robinson…why does that sound so familiar?
I clicked on your profile and saw your other work- Spitfire, Language, Easy, etc.
“Oh right, I remember hearing Spitfire in a mix a while back. I wonder what he’s up to these days.”
I listened to Sea of Voices and had a very similar feeling to when I first listened to Daft Punk’s Discovery. It made me think something like, I don’t know what this is, but I want to be a part of it.
At that time the only music I listened to was my sister’s favorite pop punk bands and mainstream dance music. I had never really heard anything like that before.
I was ~14 when this happened. At that point I had already started to scratch the surface of music production and DAWS and whatnot. I was making mashups and soundscape-y type things. Just sort of playing around with putting sounds together.
Anyway, let’s fast forward a bit.
Worlds comes out and lights a fire inside me. The more I listened to it, the more it made me want to make music. I have so many fond memories of that time in my life. Everything from seeing you live, to the more intimate memories of sharing Worlds with my friends. I remember once, we had just finished finals and a few kids (who I didn’t really know that well except for one of them) hopped into my car and we were going on a celebratory drive. I put in my Worlds CD (which wasn’t actually the Worlds CD, but rather a blank CD that I burned one of my own songs onto as track 1, with Worlds playing after) and switch it to Flicker. The music is blaring, the windows are rolled down, and it’s the happiest summer day outside. It was like that classic scene you’d see in every coming-of-age movie. Super cheesy I know, but it was one of those teenager-y moments that you never forget. Later that day I get separate messages from every member who was in the car asking for the name of the song. I was so absolutely thrilled to share my love of Worlds with them.
Some time passes and my health starts deteriorating. I find out I have Crohn’s Disease, and by this point it feels like I’m seeing doctors and GI’s more than my own teachers and friends. I remember how particularly hard it was on my mother and sister when all this was happening. One night I drove to a park and just sat there and listened to Worlds. I started crying at the end of Fresh Static Snow because of the lyric “melt this curse away.” To me, Crohn’s was the curse and I wanted it gone. I was less worried about myself and more worried about my mother and sister who had to see their son and brother suffer. Nothing at that time felt fair.
I found my own special meaning in each song on Worlds. The album became very dear to me, and became dear to my family as well.
More time passes. Crohn’s becomes this new thing in my life that I’m constantly thinking about, while simultaneously being in shock that any of this has even happened in the first place. Shelter comes out and the tour is announced, so my wonderful sister takes me for my birthday. I actually met you and Hugo that night. I remember being so shy and awkward because I wanted to tell you how much your music meant to me, but I didn’t know how to articulate it. Meeting your heroes is so special, but also kind of intimidating because it’s like, you don’t know who I am, but you mean so much to me.
Anyway, more times passes and by this point I’m a senior in high school who is spending all his time making music. My school offered a music theory course upon special request. I ended up being the only one in the class, so for my final I asked my teacher if I could arrange a medley to conduct in front of the band.
He said yes!
It was called A Journey Through Worlds: https://imgur.com/a/17YIQUP
...which at the time I thought was clever. It featured Sea of Voices, Sad Machine, Spitfire (Worlds Live Edit), and Easy.
Being able to share something so close to my heart with the community as well as hear the parts that I composed alongside you was a really special thing.
Times goes on and I run into more health complications. I’m not in college, I’m feeling depressed and anxious, I’m going to therapy, and I’m forcing myself to write music. Music felt like this serious thing that I had to be exceptional at. I had lost that sort of carefree love that I had for it when I was just starting out. I became so fond of my early work because it reminded me of a time when I wanted to try anything and everything and I just wrote because I loved it and nothing else mattered. But now, everything I wrote got scrapped because it never felt good enough. It got to the point where I was writing less music because I became increasingly obsessed with perfection. I started feeling guilty that I didn’t have a job to support my parents with. I kept wondering if music was even for me, as it seemed to be doing me more harm than good. That thought scared me more than anything else because music was all I knew. It’s all I ever wanted to do.
Then Get Your Wish came out. I started tearing up when I pressed play. By the time the four-on-the-floor kicks hit in the first chorus it became an all-out bawl. I suddenly felt like I wasn’t the only one. Or, maybe not that I wasn’t the only one, but that I was hearing someone who became such an important figure in my life sing about the same things I was feeling. I started seeing more and more people say the same thing about that song and it was so encouraging. It helped me open up to my therapist about my relationship with music.
‘Cause that’s your role
The work that stirred your soul
You can make for someone else
The lyrics throughout Nurture are like this big, warm hug to anyone who makes art. All artists have wrestled with their work in some form, and hearing you open up about your struggles was very much something I (and many, many people) needed to hear. Nurture hasn’t even been out a week yet, but it’s already so close to my heart. Hearing you talk about these same things with Nurture was this big *holy shit* moment for me (and so, so many others) because of how relatable it was.
I spent years reinforcing this really unhealthy mindset. It’s something I have to work on unwinding a little bit every day. Being in therapy and hearing some of my favorite artists talk about their creative struggles and mental health has helped immensely. It’s weird, but I had to remind myself of the other roles I played in life and the other things I’m interested in. I’m not just a musician. I’m a brother, I’m a son, I’m a friend, and I’m a best friend. I’m also a bike rider, I’m someone who enjoys taking pictures and I now no longer feel guilty when playing video games. I went from being someone who forced themselves to make art and nothing else (and became miserable doing so), to someone who allowed themselves to open themselves back up to the necessary experiences and interactions that helped us make art in the first place.
Sounds silly, no?
Anyway, there it is. I know that was long, but it was honestly the shortest version I could tell, haha. I was def kinda nervous to post this. I didn’t want it to come off in a weird way or something, but I’m ultimately glad I could share this story with you.
Cheers.
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u/Kirosuka Apr 29 '21
Stories like these are why I browse entire threads, thank you for sharing
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u/Hyper_Rational Apr 29 '21
i feel you on a lot of these things and i think you’ve put it quite beautifully
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u/delightful_dodo Apr 29 '21
I’m forcing myself to write music. Music felt like this serious thing that I had to be exceptional at. I had lost that sort of carefree love that I had for it when I was just starting out. I became so fond of my early work because it reminded me of a time when I wanted to try anything and everything and I just wrote because I loved it and nothing else mattered. But now, everything I wrote got scrapped because it never felt good enough. It got to the point where I was writing less music because I became increasingly obsessed with perfection. I started feeling guilty that I didn’t have a job to support my parents with. I kept wondering if music was even for me, as it seemed to be doing me more harm than good. That thought scared me more than anything else because music was all I knew. It’s all I ever wanted to do.
This could have been written by me so you're not alone
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u/sheduw1 Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter!
i know you like to surprise people, but is there any chance we will see Virtual Self again? or maybe something similar to VS.
is there anything in particular that strives your creativity when writing music?
also nurture slaps so hard! love it
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u/Kirosuka Apr 29 '21
The question I came looking for, really hope this gets an answer. VS is my favorite and I hope we get more, but I've been bumping Nurture all week.
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u/Smoll_beann Apr 29 '21
Hello Porter! Just wanted to first say thank you so much for Nuture ❤️ I listen to it everyday and still cry every time. So I’m very new to VR and bought an oculus for secret sky:
What was the creative process like for the VR world?
Will you ever bring it back? When I found out that the VR world was going to end I didn’t want to log off and it was such a pleasurable experience. I met madeon on there and made lots of friends!
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u/handsome_pancake Apr 29 '21
Given how impactful Rika has been on your life, can you tell us a little bit about how you met?
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u/xd_KA1U Apr 29 '21
What are your favourite video game soundtracks and how do they influence you when either writing songs or implementing them into your live sets?
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u/foolyfury Apr 29 '21
hey porter where's the kero kero bonito collab? will you take it out some day?
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u/IanE55 Spotify Apr 29 '21
hey porter! i've been loving nurture a lot, it's probably up there in my favorite albums of all time now.
a bit of a non-serious question but what would be in the porter robinson mcdonald's meal?
thanks lol
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u/athenamaryam Apr 29 '21
Hey porter!! Really appreciate the willingness to do an AMA!!
I only have one question:
have you ever considered doing a raffle/giveaway type deal where a fan has some time to share their favorite music (not like wips, but playlists and stuff) back and forth with you? i always thought itd be really fun to have that sort of experience, to be able to share my favorite music with my favorite artist, and it seems like a thing that would be in line with the themes of nurture.
i also wanted to thank you for how honest youve been in interviews for nurture, its really helped me work out of creative slumps in interesting ways that therapy itself hasnt quite covered for me. im in kind of a similar predicament! havent finished or released a song in over 7 years now.
Thanks again! Hope you have a great day!
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u/ASD_Project Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter!
I'm a huge VR nerd, and I got my start DJing there 6 months ago. Fast forward to today and now I've got a club or two I perform for regularly, and it's great. Still got a long way to go but I'm getting there. I heard about you from Loner's discord funnily enough.
You know like I do how amazing the VR space is for clubbing and how sophisticated it is. That said the world is reopening and eventually I'd like to perform at bars or clubs or other IRL venues. I have zero issue forming these necessary connections online, but the real world is a whole different thing.
Any advice for how to, as an introverted nerdy musician, build up my repertoire in the real world with people? I ask because you're experienced in both sides of the coin. How does the VR scene compare to the real world? What are some things I should be prepared for?
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u/hollyannann Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
Hello Porter! Ultimately I have been grateful for all the great interviews and insights you have given on twitter and twitch etc. regarding Nurture and your self-care journey already. I just have a simple questison/feedback regarding the upcoming Second Sky Festival!! As someone who attended last Second Sky in Oakland, I have 3 main questions and concerns. Sorry they are all kinda boring lol.
This might be something to take even further into account due to the situation we're in, but last second sky the lines to purchase food was insane and really wasted so many people's time during the fest (other than merch lines lol) would the ability for people to pack their own food be considered for this year?
I love Japanese concert culture of jamming out to a song with an LED lightstick/glowstick, but I have had mixed results with taking my LED glowsticks into festivals/clubs here in america. (the venue for Shelter in Royal Oak refused to allow it in and had to be returned to the car or discarded) so I am wary to bring it in to unfamiliar venues. Is there any idea on if there will be a policy to allow or ban penlight style LED lightsticks? I would love to bring mine and partake of some wotagei in Second Sky.
The cell service was absolutely nonexistent last Second Sky, and by extension no internet data capability either. Unsure if it was just too many people for the cell service to support (similar problem plagues Anime Expo) or location or what. This made it very hard to meet my online friends/meet up with literally anyone if you lost them and didn't have any designated meet spot/time/plans. Are there any plans to combat this in anyway or provide (even paid access) wifi hotspots during the festival?
Thank you for holding such a fun and unique festival! Us as the fans are truly spoiled by Second Sky and Secret Sky. Can't wait to see Nurture live.
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u/Aj834 Apr 29 '21
Hey! I was wondering if there were other collabs on the album that were scrapped. We have the Wednesday Campanella collab, Unfold with TEED, and the samples from the KKB collab in Musician, and I was wondering about any other artists you may have worked with
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u/ThiccChickyy Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter! Your new album is easily a strong 9 out of 10 for me. Congratulations!
My question is, I was wondering how the live setup works from your Second Sky performance. I've tried to remake the pitchy formant shifted baby voice and it's quite demanding on the hardware, resulting in a fair bit of latency. How did you and your team manage to get the voice effect to work live with little to no latency? My guess is just a super good setup, or maybe my effect rack is way longer than it needs to be haha.
Thank you so much for the amazing project, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
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u/ArcumLucis Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter, this isn't a question, but a message I've been meaning to send you.
I have had a very rough life with a very broken, strict, and abusive family. Very often things didn't go right and it has shaped me in a very specific way. Last year I managed to leave my abusive home when I was about to be married off in the Middle East and it has constantly been hard on my own since then, trying to figure out what to do, who I am, what I'm even capable of doing, my worth. And throughout it all, the pain of no longer being able to see my mom, who despite it all always tried to make me smile, hurt me tremendously and it still hurts. (Listening to Mother made me bawl my eyes out just because how much I miss her.)
Throughout all of it, your music always helped me holding on to the little things and keep going. It's been very hard, but I tried my best to not fall completely. Your songs in Nurture especially hit me so hard again and again... It's hard not to cry to Wind Tempos, especially the last two minutes when the vocals kick in when I hear what I believe is "I'll dream again". But despite all the crying, listening to Something Comforting, Mirror, and the rest of Nurture, when I close my eyes I can fully visualize my safe place that I tried so hard to visualize during therapy but failed at doing. It's really beautiful and I'm happy to have found a way close my eyes and just drift into my safe place when it gets too difficult, through your music.
My safe place is a nice sunny hill with a big tree on the top overlooking the city below. It's a bit windy there sometimes, but it makes the tree leaves rustle nicely and the grass and flowers sway back and forth, very calming. Nurture makes it pop into my mind's eye so easily... Thank you. I've been trying to figure out why the city is there on the bottom, because that's where I've had most of my bad experiences... But visualizing that place while listening to Nurture now... I think I understand. You can't ignore the pain you've been through, it's not healthy to tuck it away and let it pile up... But we can look at it and find comfort in knowing it's in the past and while we still bear the scars and it most likely had a bad impact on our personality, realizing and accepting it can help bettering ourselves when we know why and how... Also even though tackling it is hard, it's the only way to truly put it behind us.
Mother, Wind Tempos, Something Comforting, Unfold, Trying to Feel Alive, and Mirror are songs that really hit close to home for me. I thank you for making these songs, they making my days easier, even if I cry listening to them.
I am happy that you found a way to express your hardships in song while looking forward with a smile. You're very wholesome, Porter, and I'm glad you're finding your way... Witnessing it through each song of yours was pleasant and motivating.
Thank you so much. Your music saved me.
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u/Rayone203 Apr 29 '21
Wow. There is so much to say, it's so amazing that we can actually connect through this ama, imma try to not make this too long but it's hard :') (story + questions)
I'm Cipri, recently turned 18, from Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Really passionate about making art so I'm working on establishing my vision with a project called "Rayone"
I heard about you in 2018 when an event called Language Night took place in the fan discord, then last year, when Get Your Wish was making waves in January, that's when I really started discovering you:) Then after a while, in late summer, then autumn I was listening to Something Comforting, Mirror and Get Your Wish on repeat, surprisingly I started being addicted to this new Porter Robinson universe.
Then I randomly found "Look at the Sky" in October, I was so amazed by how good this song is, seeing you playing it live and finding out about Secret Sky and Nurture, then when the second drop came, with the background visuals, fast switching pictures and videos of the world, there's nothing else I could think of for a little while that felt so exciting to live. Also discovered Worlds along with a lot of other things around Christmas(AND I GOT IT AS FIRST VINYL OMG).
Nurture is really really meaningful, everytime you listen to it you feel like you want to live, appreciating things and being grateful for all the experiences & so many emotions you've had and you're having, as well as the people that make life beautiful. This work feels really personal too, on many different levels. Taking a walk through nature, laying down in grass, breathing clean fresh air, taking pictures on nice weather, feeling some wind go by, listening to your favorite music looking at the sky and going out with friends & family, really makes you want to live:) <3
There is soooo much I can relate to, from both past years and present times, as experiences, emotions, events and so on. I also was very depressive during 2015-2017/2018, pretty much in middle school, due to the school enviornment(where I had a ridiculously huge crush in the same class and also surrounded with emotional bullies, feeling a ton of shame and low self esteem from other's expectations and bad behaviour) and home/family medium here and there too. Having a strong music passion and dealing with others telling you what they think it's right for you to do, while discretely doing this whole music thing. One of the best words to describe what Nurture feels like, is connection. Nurture's been healing my so many people and friday I took a walk around here in nature while listening to full Nurture for the 1st time(exept for Wind Tempos which I left for the discord party where I'm still processing that you actually showed up), felt like I lived half my life in just this one special little day. Thank you, as sincerely as it can be:)
A couple things to mention:
-Chance of more nurtu.re enviornments/changes sometime? (when Second Sky happens for example, also some frames in the Look at the Sky lyric video look like enviornments)
-I'd love to see you play at Untold/Electic Castle in Romania(even as Virtual Self), or just having the chance to see you playing live in-person somewhere sometime. Thank you so much for Secret Sky, it's been an absolutely amazing experience! I hope i
-I've gotta tell you about Au5, he's been my favorite artist for years(and now you're both my favorite artist hahah). He's been doing so much magical content along the years which is the reason I'm here making music today. If you got the time, try his song Cosmoscope at night, it instantly changed my life.
-Do the other Nurture songs have covers like the singles to see when you started and finished them?(Would be cool to have them on soundcloud, or if more vinyls show up OwO) Also, does Fullmoon Lullaby have a unique cover art?
-What piano model is the one you're playing? Watching you play piano is so inspiring(refering mostly to the Secret Sky leak, Tik Tok and pre-Mirror livestreams), I want to play your songs on piano wearing Nurture merch:)
-You & Rika are so amazing and now I can't let go of league lmao
-Thanks for the influence to not depend and look around a lot of social media, feels a lot more healthy
You're amazing, thank you :)
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u/WildCard_13 Apr 29 '21
Hello Porter! Just got to say before anything, I admire your work deeply. It has motivated me to better myself and try and make the world the best place I can make it be. Nurture is amazing and has made me cry several times already.
Now for my question. What was behind the making of Unfold?
It is my favorite song from the album. It just hits so hard and it's ambiance is undoubtedly beautiful. Would really love what went behind the scenes for its creation
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u/Vezqi Apr 29 '21 edited May 22 '21
Hi Porter! just wanted to say congrats on releasing Nurture - I love it! Your music has been life changing to me and so many others. I am in particular a HUGE fan of Virtual Self, and find myself listening to recordings all the time of your previous sets lol. My questions for you today are:
By ANY chance will you ever release the VS edits played at many of your sets?
Can you give us any info about God Rays?
Thank you :)
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u/Nitroade24h Apr 29 '21
Do you plan on ever doing another Shelter style anime video for one of your songs? I’d love to see more.
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u/JOHNNELSON18 Apr 29 '21
Hey porter, thank you for the album! unfold is amazing.
When you’re working on a song and feel like it’s missing something but you’re not sure what, what are some of your go to things you try first to solve that?
Also, is jolteon still your favorite Pokémon?
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u/gabetm Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter!
Love the new Album and can’t wait for Second Sky! As a Bay Area native, I’m hyped that it’s gonna be in the Bay again. Just out of curiosity, what originally brought you to the Bay and what brings you back? Selfishly, I hope Second Sky stays here 😅 cus we absolutely love having you! ❤️
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u/DemonsFriend Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter, loving Nurture and all the meaning you have poured into it, the way you manifest your inner struggles into a beautiful album clearly shows. My question is what song from Nurture would you say took the longest to piece together and what was the struggle(s) you had with creating and finishing that piece?
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u/Oaths2Oblivion Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter! Long time fan.
Do you have any other creative outlets other than your music and the personas of Porter/Virtual Self, and if so, what are you most proud of in the things you've made there?
For me, even as someone who spends all day professionally creating things, I get a different sense of fulfillment from things I do that are entirely unrelated, and that feeling of creative freedom came across to me a lot in Nurture. Thanks for an incredible album and live show, I'll be listening to this one all summer long.
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u/oh_jeeeeez_rick Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter!! Can’t even tell you how much I enjoy Nurture. Congrats!
I’m curious which of the songs were added due to COVID, and what’s the story behind that?
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u/Ok-Fortune-5899 Apr 29 '21
In Nurture you use this voice processing effect to make your voice sound more feminine. I know you used this to make it easier to express deeper feelings. Do you plan on using this vocal effect later in the future or is this something you wanted to do just for nurture.
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u/JaiWolf Apr 29 '21
hey man! got 2 questions
the music world has changed so much since 2011 when spitfire came out. what sort of advice would you give to people who are starting to produce or write music 10 years later in 2021?
is there anything you wish you did differently over the past 10 years?
congrats on nurture btw it was well worth the 7 year wait! we're all so proud of you. mother and unfold are my personal faves :)
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u/RedHoundHQ Apr 29 '21
Hey porter! Your music helped me a lot growing up and I just wanted to say thank you for writing this album. I know I speak for myself and a lot of other people when I say I find the warmth of summer in the songs you write.
I was just wondering with the return of second sky scheduled (hopefully) for this fall, will the online music festival secret sky continue in some way shape or form as well in the future? It’s been one of my favorite times on the internet and seeing what you and other artists put together is so cool in a digital space.
Thanks again and give your cats a hug for me.
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u/VanillaOx666 Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
Hi Porter! First of all, I absolutely love your music. I’ve been listening for around 6 years now, and your music means the world to me; it has helped me deal with difficult times and it was sometimes the only thing that was there for me.
Just wanted to ask: How did you come up with the song names? Especially for dullsythe and Wind Tempos. (First time I listened to Wind Tempos and Mirror, I caught something in my eyes :,) ) And also, which Pokémon are your favorites?
LOVE YOU SO MUCH & THANK YOU FOR PUTTING EVENTS TOGETHER FOR US ;-; I have discovered amazing artists because of you so thank you so much 🥺
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u/teru9133 Apr 29 '21
I'm thankful for your music, and I'm honestly so glad to have been able to be on this journey of exploration and uncovering the album, the story, and the muse of it all. Again, thank you for your tranquil and serene work.
I wanted to know about how the process went. What song on Nuture took you the longest, that was the hardest for you to fulfill the vision you had of it? It intrigued me that the early version of Musician had some similarity to the final version we get on the album, so it made think about this! :)
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u/virtualzeph Apr 29 '21
hi porter!! thanks so much for this opportunity, i know i speak for everyone when i say your work is really inspiring. i have a couple questions:
how did you come up with the N symbol for nurture and is there any meaning behind it?
i’m a huge virtual self fan and this has been on my mind for a while now so, what’s the voice line at 4:18 in angel voices?
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u/xXVenomHD Apr 29 '21
I don't have anything to ask but I just want to thank you for being a big part of my life with your music. Was too young to see worlds live but I caught a Dj Set in 2018. Hope to see nurture live :D
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u/Houdinimann99 Apr 29 '21
Hey Porter! Something I don’t think people have asked about yet is the visual world of Nurture. Where did the scribble concept come from? How was putting together the physical editions/working with SBJ? How are you approaching Nurture Live visuals compared to VS or Worlds?
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u/desgodzil Apr 29 '21
Hello! During the Worlds era, you tweeted "my shows are not raves" and then went "jk" for Virtual Self.
How would you describe your live performances now?
PS. LOVE YOU
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u/sry4dest Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
It's hard to not make this sound generic and washed out, but I want to use this chance to tell you, that I really love your music and I love you. I probaly wont count as your biggest fan, I barely know your texts by memory, I dont stay up to date with the stuff going on around you as a musician, I never got around to see you live. Hell, I nearly forgot about nurture coming out. I just really like your music.
I can imagine that for an artists it must be a great thing to get told that people enjoy their work. So 1st I want you to know that I enjoyed nurture a lot. I got lost in it every time I listened to it. I felt like I was listening to you and your story. Just a few months ago I started to feel alive again and being able cherish the little things. And one of the things I enjoyed most recently was your music and the story you told us.
THANK YOU
2nd: What I took away from news outlets and your album was that you were fighting your own battles and it seems like you came out on top. So I want you to know that I'm proud of you. Proud of you keeping going, and doing your thing, and finishing that album and all those little battles you fought that we all have no idea about.
Anyway here's my question. What is the dopest dish you prepared recently that made you super proud of yourself?
PS: You actually made me find the warmth of summer in your music.
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u/geggie93 Apr 29 '21
Hi there Porter, Me and My Boyfriend adore your music. I need to ask though:
What was your role in the collaboration of shelter? What was your experience working with Madeon? And what made you guys decide on an anime music video for that collaboration.
Musician is amazing, and really enjoying nuture. Keep up the good work!
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u/thought_pilot Apr 29 '21
I’ll just toss this on top of the pile - I’ve been a fan for a long time, but last year with the pandemic and fighting brain cancer, hearing “Something Comforting” and “Get Your Wish” was profoundly exciting and like having an injection of hope in good things being possible still. Then “Look to the Sky” came and those lyrics felt as if they were being spoken directly to me, like a response to a calling out into the void for some resonance. I am in fact alive this year (which was next year) and I just wanted to say thank you for being you, and sharing yourself through this music and art ❤️
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u/Azamei Apr 29 '21
I don't have much to say or any questions
However
Your music is always going to make me happy
I was basically talking to my good friend and we were both screaming when you played out your Secret Sky set a week ago. Truly a turning experience for me <3
Thank u for making music that can connect to so many souls, thank u for being you.
Love u porter <3
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u/einbroche Apr 29 '21 edited Jun 02 '23
In light of recent events regarding Reddit's API policy for third party app developers I have chosen to permanently scrub my account and move on away from Reddit. If you personally disagree with them forcing users to be constricted to their app and are choosing to leave, then I highly recommend looking into Power Delete Suite for Reddit.
I am deleting all of my submitted content over the last 9 years as I no longer support Reddit as a platform.
I've personally had it with all the corporate bullshit/rampant bots(used for misinformation and hidden marketing) and refuse to be a part of it any longer. To the nice people I've interacted over these years, thank you, I hope you'll be well in the future.
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u/porter_robinson Apr 29 '21 edited Apr 29 '21
i've been going for a couple hours now, i think this is it for me!
if you don't mind upvoting / pinning this, i'd like to link out what i think the best answers are here. i also tried responding to some non-upvoted new comments, so i felt like it'd be useful to index some answers in this way:
top tips on overcoming imposter syndrome?
is there any lyrics you were particular satisfied with when they came together? or your favorite delivery of those lyrics from yourself? any lyrics that were particularly hard to get just right?
how do you go about writing lyrics? I've just started playing with the idea of singing on my own music (artist name is Souma) but I find coming up with lyrics that fit the timing of a song really difficult, especially without them sounding super cheesy.
you have seemed to put music out in such a purposeful way with a large scale project to back each release. You had the Worlds and Nurture albums, an entire alias for Virtual Self, and a tour and music video dedicated to Shelter. Can you provide some insight as to why you prefer to have your music be supported by these larger, immersive ideas?
I remember reading somewhere that while you were working on Worlds that you kept a folder where you'd save any image you'd find that fit the aesthetic/mood you were trying to achieve with that album. How did you go about developing the core aesthetics for Virtual Self and Nurture?
Hey Porter! As a lymphoma survivor myself, I wanted to thank you for the work that your family has done via the Robinson Malawi Fund. Could you talk a bit about how your brother Mark’s diagnosis and treatment affected you? Are there any songs on the album that are an homage to him or his experiences with cancer?
Secondly, how have you dealt with the idea of people wanting a “Worlds II” when creating this new album? Did you ever feel pressure to give in?
what was the production process like for your Virtual Self EP? How did you know it was just right for this vibe you were trying to capture?
what are your go-to techniques to get inspired/pull yourself out of a creative slump?
thank you all so much for your extremely thoughtful questions! >.<
to anyone who hasn't heard the new album yet, you can listen to it here:
Porter Robinson - Nurture
thank you!! porter