Background[]
“I wanted something that felt distantly sad, a little cute, surreal, hopeful, and maybe somehow evocative of fiction?”
—Porter Robinson FADER[1]
"Sad Machine" is the second single and second song on Porter Robinson's album Worlds, released by the label Astralwerks. It features a duet between him (marking his vocal debut) and the Vocaloid AVANNA, making "Sad Machine" one of the first times a notable producer outside the Vocaloid community used a Vocaloid for more than just sound effects. Robinson based the song off the idea of a duet between a lonely robot girl and a human boy who finds her.[1] The song was the last one written for the album, the release date of which was announced by newsletter subsequent to the song's release.[2]
"Sad Machine" received mostly positive reviews from the media. Dancing Astronaut summed up the track as "a mirthful indie dance song with a fantastical atmosphere", claiming that "by the time the fleeting arps and pads descend into silence, we’re left breathless and starry-eyed by the beauty of the composition.".[3] LessThan3 described it as "a soft, dreamy affair".[4] Daily Beat felt the single was overhyped and couldn't live up to the unreal expectations surrounding it, but nevertheless arrived at the conclusion that "Sad Machine is a beautiful tune, with a simplistic catchy drop and includes cool/eery vocaloid generated vocals."[5]
In a podcast, Porter Robinson described his intention with AVANNA as being to try to make her sound as robotic as possible, using Melodyne and other editing techniques.[6]
On May 27, 2014, the SoundCloud upload of "Sad Machine" reached one million views. It was the first original song prominently featuring an English-language Vocaloid, on any media host, to achieve the feat.
During a virtual music festival hosted on May 9, 2020, "Tell Your World" was featured as a mashup in a set by kz with Porter Robinson's "Sad Machine". The event was called "Secret Sky" and had various EDM producers raising money for charity.[7]
Succeeding versions[]
![[yt]](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/vocaloid/images/1/16/Favicon-yt.png/revision/latest?cb=20221005233455){kind=small}
| Featuring | AVANNA, Porter Robinson
|
|---|---|
| Producers | Porter Robinson
|
| Categories | Lyrics Video |
| Description | This version is about 1:32 shorter than the SoundCloud upload.
|
Lyrics[]
| Singer + Color | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porter | Both | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AVANNA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Is anyone there?
Oh, hi!
♬
Who survived? Somebody new?
Anyone else but you?
On a lonely night, was a blinding light
A hundred leaders would be borne of you
And though I know, since you’ve awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend on you
And though I know, since you’ve awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend on you!
♬
Hi!
♬
I don’t know much about your life beyond these walls
The fleeting sense of love within these God-forsaken halls
And you can hear it in his voice, in every call
This girl who's slept a hundred years had something after all
♬
And though I know since you’ve awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
I'll go alone, and never speak of you again
We depend on you, we depend on you
And though I know, since you've awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend on you
And though I know, since you've awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend—I'll depend on you
♬
Hi!
♬
Derivatives[]
| Featuring | AVANNA, Porter Robinson
|
|---|---|
| Producers | Kandy Cos (dance), AdelaideBliss (choreographer)
|
| Categories | Dance Cover |
| Description | Kandy Cos' movements was used as a motion commission for VOCAMERICA.
|
| Featuring | AVANNA, Porter Robinson
|
|---|---|
| Producers | Cassandra Bartho (choreographer)
|
| Categories | Dance Cover |
| Description | Contains an edit of Mat Zo & Porter Robinson's "Easy".
|
![[sc]](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/vocaloid/images/c/c7/Favicon-sc.png/revision/latest?cb=20131113151344){kind=small}
| Featuring | Ember Island
|
|---|---|
| Producers | Didrick
|
| Categories | Human Cover; Arrangement |
![[nn]](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/vocaloid/images/1/16/Favicon-nn.png/revision/latest?cb=20131115031623){kind=small}
| Featuring | KAITO V3 English, Yuu
|
|---|---|
| Producers | Yuu (cover, video)
|
| Categories | VOCALOID Cover; Arrangement; Human Cover |
| Featuring | Hatsune Miku V3 English, dj-Jo
|
|---|---|
| Producers | dj-Jo (arrangement), Vi (illust)
|
| Categories | VOCALOID Cover; Arrangement |
| Featuring | |
|---|---|
| Producers | Cordaello (cover, VSQx, arrangement), Z-utto (illust), Franafee (mixing)
|
| Categories | VOCALOID Cover; Arrangement |
| Featuring | AVANNA, Porter Robinson
|
|---|---|
| Producers | Cecconi14
|
| Categories | Arrangement |
| Producers | Amyte
|
|---|---|
| Categories | Arrangement |
| Producers | Alexander Bone (sax, keyboards, EWI, synths), Kieran Johnson (drums), Ed Lancaster (bass)
|
|---|---|
| Categories | Arrangement |
| Producers | Omlet
|
|---|---|
| Categories | Arrangement |
| Producers | R3 Music Box
|
|---|---|
| Categories | Arrangement |
| Featuring | AVANNA, Porter Robinson
|
|---|---|
| Producers | Roshi Nightcore
|
| Categories | Arrangement |
| Featuring | AVANNA, Porter Robinson
|
|---|---|
| Producers | DJ Shinigami
|
| Categories | Arrangement |
| Featuring | AVANNA, Porter Robinson, Madeon
|
|---|---|
| Producers | RC
|
| Categories | Arrangement |
| Featuring | AVANNA, Porter Robinson
|
|---|---|
| Producers | BigYellowAlien, Kandy Cos (cover), AdelaideBliss (choreographer)
|
| Categories | Dance Cover |
| Description | A motion commission for VOCAMERICA.
|
Other media appearances[]
Concerts[]
This song has been featured in the "Porter Robinson - Worlds Tour" since August 2014, from North America to Europe.[8]
Media[]
This song has been added to the track listings at various Starbucks Coffee locations.[9] And it made a television debut in September 2014 on the season premiere of NBC’s Last Call with Carson Daly.[10][11]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hear Porter Robinson, Post-EDM’s Greatest Hope, Duet with a Robot on “Sad Machine” - FADER
- ↑ Newsletter, May 2014 - Porter Robinson
- ↑ Porter Robinson enchants with new track ‘Sad Machine’ - Dancing Astronaut
- ↑ Porter Robinson’s ‘Sad Machine’ Speaks - LessThan3
- ↑ First Listen: Porter Robinson – Sad Machine (Available 05.13 via iTunes) - Daily Beat
- ↑ Porter Robinson Virgin Mobile On Air with Abbey Raymonde - Podbean
- ↑ https://edm.com/events/secret-sky-music-festival-live-stream
- ↑ link
- ↑ tweet
- ↑ link
- ↑ hulu