Sea of Voices

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"Sea of Voices"
Single by Porter Robinson
from the album Worlds
ReleasedMarch 3, 2014
Recorded2014
GenreDream pop, synth-pop, ambient[1]
Length4:58
LabelAstralwerks
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Porter Robinson
Porter Robinson singles chronology
"Easy"
(2013) 		"Sea of Voices"
(2014) 		"Sad Machine"
(2014)

"Sea of Voices" is a song recorded by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson. It was released on March 3, 2014 as the first single from his debut studio album Worlds (2014). The track revealed the tone of Worlds as emotional and nostalgic, as opposed to his older complextro dance music style.[1] The song features uncredited vocals from Breanne Düren. The song was a hit on the American Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Background and composition[edit]

Further information: Worlds (Porter Robinson album) § Background and development, and Porter Robinson § Career

Years ago, I realized that I wanted to write an album that focused on beauty above all else. [...] I kept trying to write songs that both satisfied me artistically and also could "work" in a DJ set. Nobody ever heard these songs because they sucked and made me miserable. Again and again, I found that making a track "danceable" just meant compromising and ignoring what the song really needed. [...] The fucking watershed moment in writing Worlds was when I realized that I didn't have to write songs for DJs. I realized that my need to be honest with myself and with you was greater than my need to be famous or whatever.

—Porter Robinson[2]

Porter Robinson was initially known for his electro and complextro music, such as the 2010 single "Say My Name" and the 2011 extended play Spitfire.[3][4] Across 2012, Robinson performed at major electronic dance music (EDM) festivals,[5] but gradually became dissatisfied with the genre. He reported experiencing "four or five fully-blown anxiety attacks onstage" that year, yelling "dance music is terrible" at one of his shows.[6] Following the release of his single "Language" (2012), Robinson set out to write an album he felt was "beautiful and emotional".[7]

Robinson felt that "Sea of Voices" was a song he "worked really hard on" and created several revisions for as a result. Beginning with a trance-adjacent production, he eventually pivoted to a sound he felt was more "touching" and "pretty" after writing lyrics for the song. Robinson stated that he gravitated towards "sweeter, cuter, [and] more feminine" voices when writing Worlds (2014), originally using the Vocaloid voice Avanna but eventually bringing on singer Breanne Düren for the song's final version.[8][9]

Release and promotion[edit]

"Sea of Voices" was released on March 2, 2014, as the first single in anticipation of Robinson's debut album Worlds.[9] Robinson stated that his record label Astralwerks intended to release "Shepherdess"[a] as the first single, but Robinson declined. He wanted to do the exact opposite, and release the track that reminded him the least of dance music. He decided to release "Sea of Voices" first, to inspire conversation among his fans about his change in style, and released "Shepherdess" as the bonus track on the vinyl version of his album.[11]

Reception and aftermath[edit]

"Sea of Voices"
A short sample of "Sea of Voices".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Sea of Voices" was well received by critics. Elissa Stolman praised Robinson on the track by saying "This was the first track I heard from Worlds, and it blew me away. I've blabbed about it to my snob friends and gushed about how he's crafted the first ambient EDM track I've ever heard. A beat kicks in later, but the first few minutes pit slow-moving big room synths against ... nothing. No drums."[12] In his mixed review of Worlds, Derek Staples of Consequence of Sound stated that "Sea of Voices" was "a few months too late for inclusion on the Divergent soundtrack."[13] Allmusic journalist Andy Kellman said of "Sea of Voices" that, "For over three minutes, it's nothing but softly swelling strings, wind chimes, and Breanne Düren's distantly cooing voice, and then a trudging beat enters and disappears in time for Düren to sing, lullaby-like, something vague about the world falling apart."[14]

In April 2021, prior to the release of his album Nurture, Robinson released the single "Unfold" in collaboration with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Speaking about the composition of the song, Robinson acknowledged they had taken influences from "Sea of Voices", particularly in the sound design. As a result, the song took on a more maximalist tone, which Robinson felt was "epic" and an apt "end-of-album-moment".[15][16]

Charts[edit]

Chart (2014) Peak
position
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[17] 40

Release history[edit]

Version Region Date Format(s) Label
Original Worldwide March 3, 2014
Astralwerks
RAC Remix March 18, 2014
Galimatias Remix[b] September 18, 2015

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Shepherdess" does not appear on Worlds but on the B-side of the "Lionhearted" 7-inch single, which was included in the album's limited edition box set.[10] See Worlds (Porter Robinson album) § Track listing.
  2. ^ Released on the album Worlds Remixed.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Porter Robinson changes it up with his new single 'Sea of Voices'". Vice. March 5, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  2. ^ Mason, Kerri (March 2, 2014). "Porter Robinson drops dreamy, non-EDM single 'Sea of Voices'". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  3. ^ Moen, Matt (August 24, 2021). "Let Porter Robinson Nurture you". Paper. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  4. ^ Ochoa, John (January 22, 2019). "10 moments that defined Porter Robinson". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  5. ^ Brown, Harley (June 30, 2014). "'I expected a backlash': Porter Robinson talks 'virtual' music, denouncing EDM, and online games". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Cooper, Duncan (July 31, 2014). "Porter Robinson conquered EDM, and now he wants more". The Fader. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  7. ^ Porter Robinson Interview: 'EDM is entertainment, it's not art'. NME. June 5, 2014. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Pizzo, Mike "DJ" (October 5, 2015). "Porter Robinson reflects on Worlds, one year later". Cuepoint. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  9. ^ a b McCarthy, Zel (March 28, 2014). "Porter Robinson's tired of 'electro bangers', will switch things up on Worlds debut album". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  10. ^ "Porter Robinson Worlds box set + remix EP = Happy Machine". Vice. July 16, 2014. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  11. ^ Greene, Scott (October 31, 2014). "Your EDM exclusive interview: Porter Robinson on Worlds". Your EDM. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  12. ^ Stolman, Elissa (August 5, 2014). "Beat by beat review: Porter Robinson – Worlds". Vice. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  13. ^ Staples, Derek (August 12, 2014). "Porter Robinson – Worlds". Consequence. Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  14. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Worlds – Porter Robinson". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  15. ^ Meadow, Matthew (April 22, 2021). "Porter Robinson releases one last single, with TEED, before album release tomorrow". YourEDM. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  16. ^ "Nurture by Porter Robinson on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  17. ^ "Porter Robinson Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
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