Background
As anyone who has read my review of "Worlds" would know, Porter Robinson released "Worlds" a little over a year ago, and its reception was incredible. It was well-received by critics and fans alike, hailed as a creative genre-breaking release, and became my favorite album ever in the process. And now, a year after its release, Porter Robinson continues to bring his vision of Worlds to his fans, with this album of remixes hand-picked by Robinson himself. Not only does this add on to the World that he has created, but it also allows him to showcase some of his favorite artists. And I'd just like to mention I love the symbolism behind the one hand on "Worlds" and the two holding hands on "Worlds (Remixed)." Its an image of alone versus together; its the image of an artist who broke away from the traditional sound to create art versus the collaboration with artists who share the same vision; its an image of trust and strength; it's an image of Worlds.
Review
Listen to "Worlds (Remixed)"
With remixes hand selected to fit the "Worlds" theme, Porter Robinson breathes new life into his debut album almost a year later. And trust me, no one is complaining. "Worlds (Remixed)" is absolutely gorgeous reimagining of the original. "Every place you've ever imagined... its real," goes the iconic quote that practically defines the album, "There is a fictional city in your mind and you know every corner of it. Your mind is a world. Each of us is a place." The remixes on this record are the remixer's visions of the places Porter Robinson created. We, the listeners, can follow them as they wander down the streets, climb the skyscrapers, trudge across the deserts, and swim across the oceans that Robinson created when he created the album. The remix album is structured the same way as the original album: one for each track, with the same track list, in order. ODESZA is first with his remix of "Divinity (feat. Amy Millan) [ODESZA Remix]." One of the few tracks to be released before the album came out, ODESZA opens the album with lo-fi drums and a toybox arpeggio that build into a sweeping, sidechain-heavy chord heaven that swells and flows like a ribbon. One thing that's noticeably different from the original is that the vocals sit on beat 1 instead of beat 3, and it throws me off a little. I think, though, that as I listen to it, it'll grow on me. Speaking of future bass, in addition to ODESZA "Sad Machine (Deon Custom Remix)," "Hear the Bells (feat. Imaginary Cities) [Electric Mantis Remix]," Natural Light (San Holo Remix)," and "Sea of Voices (Galimatias Remix)" are all variations on future bass. San Holo and Deon Custom both bring the tight, supersaw chords that they're known for, while Galimatias and Electric Mantis both took a chilled, spacey, beat-driven approach. If a club beat is more your style, "Fresh Static Snow (Last Island Remix)," Polygon Dust (feat. Lemaitre) [Sleepy Tom Remix]," and "Lionhearted (feat. Urban Cone) [Point Point Remix]" have got your back, albeit each in their own style. Last Island reimagines "Fresh Static Snow" in a Nu-disco beat straight out of the eighties, and ends it with elegant chords. Sleepy Tom chooses a tech-ish house beat, and Point Point prefers an upbeat moombahton. Some of the outliers genre-wise among these remixes are "Years of War (feat. Breanne Duren & Sean Caskey) [Rob Mayth Remix]," "Flicker (Mat Zo Remix)," and "Fellow Feeling (SLUMBERJACK Remix)." Rob Mayth begins his remix with a beautiful piano and vocal duet, and while not necessarily the original chords, fit perfectly and, interestingly enough, builds to an energetic hands-up beat. Mat Zo, known for his crazy rhythmic intricacies and creative tracks, is a perfect fit for the driving "Flicker." He's done everything possible to it; chopped, cut, filtered, glitched, and its a wacked-out crazy track full of energy. SLUMBERJACK took "Fellow Feeling" and turned the song, which was already harder than the rest of the original album, into a bass heavy trap track, with an intro fit for a scary film. The humming is a nice touch, the production is tight, and overall I love the direction he took. It's certainly a fellow feeling if your fellow is a serial killer, but that's SLUMBERJACK's style and, I guess, his World too. And finally, in a fitting fashion, the remix album comes to a close with Chrome Spark's remix of "Goodbye To a World (Chrome Sparks Remix)." Structurally, it's very similar to the original, but with the strange synths and more lighthearted feel there's no doubt that it's Chrome Sparks's creation. And while the end of the end doesn't feel like as much of the closure that the original album got, Chrome Sparks's remix isn't, in a sense, the end, but opens up possibilities for the future.
It's not easy to manage a project that sticks to the original artistic idea when so many new people are introduced, but the artists that Porter Robinson chose were well picked keep the sound of "Worlds" alive. While not flashy or over-technical, these remixes do a great job of painting the corners of our imagination that we may have forgotten in our lives. Listen to "Worlds," listen to "Worlds (Remixed)," and let yourself fall away into your mind. 9/10
Sources
Broadway World | Porter Robinson Announces 'Worlds (Remixed);' Out Today
No comments:
Post a Comment