| "Sad Machine" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byPorter Robinson | ||||
| from the albumWorlds | ||||
| Released | May 13, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2014 | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop | |||
| Length | 5:51 | |||
| Label | Astralwerks | |||
| Songwriter | Porter Robinson | |||
| Producer | Porter Robinson | |||
| Porter Robinson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Sad Machine" is a song recorded by the Americanelectronic music producerPorter Robinson for his debut studio album,Worlds (2014). For the song, Robinson had the concept of a duet between a robot and a human — these vocals are provided by aVocaloid voice and Robinson himself, respectively. He wanted it to contain elements of fiction and nostalgia. Critics noted the song assynth-pop and the inspirations fromPassion Pit,M83, andSigur Rós.
"Sad Machine" was released on May 13, 2014, as the second single fromWorlds. Critics highlighted the song's atmospheric feeling. It was included in the lists of bestelectronic dance music (EDM) songs of multiple publications, including being ranked among the best of all time byVice. It charted onBillboard'sDance/Electronic Songs and received a gold certification in the United States by theRecording Industry Association of America.
"I just thought the notion of a human and robot duet was something that was really beautiful and touching to me. And that vibe really evoked the whole feeling of fantasy and fiction andescapism that I wanted the album to have."
"Sad Machine" was the last song Robinson wrote for his debut studio album,Worlds. He said it was his favorite song from the album and that it could serve as a summary of its events.[2] Robinson described the tone of the song to be "[f]ragile and vulnerable [...] but wistful and nostalgic".[3] The track is 88.5 beats per minute, half of 177, the latter of which Robinson wished to imply with the lead synth in the beginning of the song. He wished for the listener to anticipate adrum and bass beat and become caught off guard when the song revealed its actual tempo.[3]
Robinson described the track as a "duet between a lonely robot girl and the human boy".[5] He wished to create something that felt "distantly sad, a little cute, surreal, hopeful, and maybe somehow evocative of fiction?"[5] The track uses theVocaloid software voiceAvanna to provide the lead vocals for the song.[1][6] The male vocals on the track are provided by Robinson himself, marking the first of Robinson's own tracks that he uses his own vocals on.[5] Larry Fitzmaurice ofPitchfork described Robinson's voice as high-range and found its use of the lead vocal as "quite [effective]".[7] The track has "cheap little general-midi interludes" reminiscent ofNintendo 64 and old computer games, which are nostalgic to Robinson, helping "Sad Machine" to feel "fantastical and fictional" in his view.[5]
Tatiana Cirisano ofBillboard said that the track "takes a sugar-sweet,synth-pop direction",[4] while Andy Kellman ofAllMusic said that the track "has some naive synth pop charm".[8] Writing forBillboard, Matt Medved said the track kept the atmospheric feeling of the album'slead single, "Sea of Voices".[5] With a mid-tempo instrumental and "starry-eyed melodic structure", Fitzmaurice said that "Sad Machine" was one of some tracks onWorlds that resembled the "high-wire synth-pop fantasias" ofPassion Pit,[7] withConsequence of Sound's Derek Staples comparing it to their albumManners (2009).[9]Las Vegas Weekly's Mike Prevatt identified inspirations fromM83 andSigur Rós.[10] Chris DeVille ofStereogum wrote that the song "splits the difference between M83's astral splendor and Passion Pit's hyperactive synth-pop".[11]
Originally, "Flicker" would be the album's second single, after "Sea of Voices". However, he then wrote "Sad Machine" and decided to change his selection three days before it came out, as he "knew [...] [it] needed to be the next [song] that was put out".[12] According to Robinson, this caused "mayhem" at the label because "it is a fucking nightmare to get something like that done".[12] The track was premiered byThe Fader on May 12, 2014, and released officially a day later, with Robinson revealingWorlds' release date.[5][13] Alyric video was released on May 21.[14] A remix by Deon Custom appeared onWorlds Remixed (2015).[15]
Critics highlighted the song's atmospheric feeling.[a] Duncan Cooper ofThe Fader said that "Sad Machine" "[s]ounds like how it would feel like to discover the sun",[13] while Lucas Villa ofAXS said that the track goes to the "dreamier side of electronic music", describing it as "[h]eroic and awe-inspiring".[16] Rupert Howe ofQ highlighted the song in his review ofWorlds, along with "Divinity" and "Goodbye to a World".[18] Samuel Tolzmann wrote toSpectrum Culture that, while the single was "pleasant", it lacked cohesion.[19]
Billboard's Matt Medved considered "Sad Machine" the third best electronic or dance song of 2014 and "one of the year's most unique releases".[20] In 2015,Spin named it the 40th greatestelectronic dance music (EDM) anthem of the first half of the 2010s. Harley Brown described the song as "[o]ne of the most soulful electronic tracks ever", containing "tinkling, cloud-like melodies [that are] beautiful and sad and soaring", as well as being "more unforgettable" when compared to other songs by Robinson.[17] In 2017,Billboard named "Sad Machine" the second best track off Robinson's discography, with Cirisano describing it as "stunning".[4] The same year,Vice named it the seventh best EDM song of all time; Colin Joyce said that the track "shows part of what makes Robinson so great: he can anthropomorphize machines, lending feeling to heaps of metal and silicon".[21] "Sad Machine" charted onBillboard'sDance/Electronic Songs at number 29[22] and received a gold certification in the United States by theRecording Industry Association of America, with 500,000 certified units.[23]
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USHot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[22] | 29 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[23] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Version | Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Various | May 13, 2014 | Astralwerks | [5] | |
| Deon Custom Remix | October 15, 2015 | [15] |
