With the release of his 2014 album Worlds, Porter Robinson reshaped himself as one of dance music’s most forward thinking producers. Contrasting the DJ friendly electro style of his earlier work, Worlds featured a downtempo, dreamy quality that elevated it over the generic dance music fare of Robinson’s contemporaries, and the accompanying live show has become his primary mode of performance ever since. Fans have become so accustomed to this side of the producer that they couldn’t have expected what he had in store for them during a recent gig for Halloween.
During his set, Robinson dropped a heavy edit of “Fresh Static Snow” that will blow your expectations away. The edit opens with some discordant atmosphere and sequenced synth stabs before taking a turn into unrelenting territory. Distorted, screeching bass takes over as blistering drums pound out an intense rhythm, creating a pummelling introduction that feels totally out of character for Porter Robinson.
While the original version of “Fresh Static Snow” was one of the heaviest offerings on Worlds, it still maintained the anime-inspired vocaloid hooks and woozy synth pads that defined the album. The new Halloween edit initially strips these elements away, leaving a punishing bass heavy dance cut in its wake before returning to more melodic form as it progresses.
