“In Chapel Hill (N.C.), there’s not much of an EDM culture,” says Porter Robinson. “So when I heard this music, I knew that was what I wanted to do”
A lover of dance music since the age of 11, he began creating music two years later using SONY ACID Pro to emulate sounds he’d heard in video games, until he graduated to Fruity Loops Studio and the stage name Ekowraith.
According to an interview with USA Today, Robinson hadn’t even seen a DJ in person until his first show. He admits their experienced control of the crowd’s energy was a bit intimidating at first, but it’s his inexperience that helps set him apart.
“Not knowing the conventions and tropes of being a DJ freed me up to become the artist I am now,” he said.
His hard work learning programs and techniques for making tracks paid off when Skrillex took notice of his increasing popularity and talent. His Spitfire EP was released on the OWSLA label, skyrocketing him to even further fame and success by the age of 19.
“Porter Robinson plans, produces, and plays his own music,” Deadmau5 told USA TODAY. “Being a DJ generally means being a human iPod. Porter is an authentic artist.”
In contrast with other DJs and artists, Robinson has a more-or-less structured live set made up of completely original tracks in contrast with a traditional DJ set, which could contain work from many different artists. This gives his live performances more of a “performing artist” feel than a curated playlist with original works peppered in.
Porter Robinson will kick off his first solo tour with his new album Language at Electric Daisy Carnival 2012 in Las Vegas June 10 and will finish up in Detroit July 13.
