Of course, an encore was inevitable. Robinson returned to the stage to perform “Language,” a big room-style track from Robinson’s earlier days as an EDM producer. Given his pronounced distaste for the creative saturation of high-octane dance music, it was interesting that he chose this song to end the night. Perhaps he simply wanted to include this fan favorite, but didn’t want to send mixed signals by including it in his main set. I don’t see his inclusion of this track as a contradiction of his own words for the same reason that I wouldn’t criticize him for the high-energy dance breaks on the album itself. On songs like “Goodbye to a World,” “Fellow Feeling” and “Language,” Robinson makes it clear that while his distaste for EDM stems from a lack of creativity that plagues the genre, he does not condemn dance music altogether. He shows us that it is possible for music to be danceable and beautiful at the same time.

Hopefully, this notion will inspire others to think the same way. “My message is far from that EDM is bad or that party music is bad or that it shouldn’t exist,” Robinson said when I asked if he might return to playing EDM festivals in the future. “I’m not closed off to the idea of doing EDM festivals. I just felt that this year, I wanted to send a clear signal about the direction of my shows.”

Porter Robinson is not trying to change the world. However, I think that the emotion and creativity that he has brought to his music and his live show is a step in the right direction for mainstream electronic music. Robinson set out to write exactly the album that he felt he needed to write, despite what his fans may have wanted, and I think he deserves a lot of respect for sticking to his vision so cohesively. “I think it’s critical if you’re making any kind of music or art to keep the reception out of your mind while you’re writing,” Robinson told me. “Thinking about the reception is an easy way to lose the path and write music disingenuously. Even my own fans, you have to not think about. You have to be a leader as a creator. I felt pretty sure that there would be some backlash, but I didn’t really worry about it.”

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.