Chicago’s Very Own EDM Festival: Porter Robinson [SAMF Artist Spotlight]

Born: July 15, 1992 (Wow, we feel old)
From: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Genres: Electro and Progressive House, Dubstep, Complextro
Labels: Anjunabeats/Ministry of Sound, Big Beat Records, Big Fish Recordings
Upcoming Shows:  BonnarooCreamfieldsMysterylandElectric Daisy Carnival (Las Vegas, NYC, and London), Wireless FestivalGlobal GatheringTomorrowWorld, and Fuji Rock Festival.
Spring Awakening Music Festival Info: Sunday (June 16), 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM on Da Main Stage 1.

Porter RobinsonPorter Robinson landed at #40 on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs List for 2012. Robinson is currently working on his new album, with the release date yet to be determined.

He began producing at the age of 13, using Sony ACID Pro and creating songs based on different video game sounds inspired by games like Dance Dance Revolution. Nowadays, his DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) of choice is FL Studio (formerly Fruity Loops) as well as plugins like Sylenth1, Massive, 3xOsc, and Sytrus. For those readers out there that have no idea what any of the previous sentence means, a DAW is an electronic system designed to record, edit, and play back digital audio through a software program running on a computer using an audio interface hardware.

Producers choose their systems for many different reasons based on past experience, artistic creativity, touring feasibility, and general preference based on what kind of music each artist is trying to produce.

It takes years for an artist to craft an identifiable sound of their own. It’s the breaking point for anyone trying to produce music, and it’s virtually the only way to make it in such a demanding and expanding career. So take it from Porter: if your music is good, people will listen, and only want more.

And if they don’t, maybe it’s time to head back to the drawing board. If you need proof, check out this 20 minute documentary profiling Porter, Mat Zo, and The M Machine on their latest North American tour. If this doesn’t inspire you, then maybe you’re not in the right field after all.

Or maybe you should’ve just stuck to becoming an astronaut.

Weirder is Better: Datsik – Release Me (MUST DIE! Remix)[HEAVY][Forthcoming FIREPOWER]

We’ve talked a lot about MUST DIE! in April. But that’s only because Lee Bates keeps giving us a reason to. And not bad press either, like going to jail, spitting gum on the sidewalk, or wearing a real shabby pair of slacks in public.

While our respective elders may not approve of his stage name, little do they know that MUST DIE! inflicts nothing but happiness. The DJ from Atlanta has been turning plenty of notable heads, landing releases on Ultra, Firepower. Dim Mak, Subhuman, Play Me, Mad Decent and Atlantic Records. Chucking out wild tunes left and right, his latest remix of  ‘Release Me’ is an absolute stunner. You might hear plenty of it at this summer’s heavier-hitting galas, as this addicting spin already has a heavy-hitting name on the track – an artist by the name of Datsik. Who also created Firepower Records. Oh I seeee what’s going on here.

Since this this young DJ is drawing so much attention, you have to wonder if he’ll be offered a slot in the TomorrowWorld lineup. After all, the enormous event will take place in his own backyard. Not literally, that’s just an idiom. Anyways, something tells you funky folks will be coming back for a second listen to this one. And if you like it, also check out another fresh track from this jolly ole’ fellow, his remix of  ‘I’m Alive’ by Bourke & Vegas.

So go forth, be merry, and get weird.