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The average 21 year old’s life is usually filled with exams, a crappy job and possibly, some uncertainty of what they want to do with their life. But then again, Sound Wave talent Porter Robinson isn’t the average 21 year old. Developing an interest in music since he was 12, Porter spent his formative years working on creating beats, song writing and combining a variety of genres into his own sound to simply appease his interest in the sound of electronic music. But his interest in dance music comes from an odd inspiration, “When I was 12 my brother brought home a copy of the video game Dance Dance Revolution. The score was composed of Japanese Electronic tracks, and at that age I thought it was super dope. So my parents bought me a mini keyboard and that didn’t really allow me to do much. So over the next six years I learned how to make music on the computer. I got my first record contract when I was 15 and since then the genre has been so rapidly developing and I’ve just molded myself into it.”

Somewhere between the chaos of figuring out what colleges he might want to attend and then start applying to them, the North Carolina native released “Say My Name” and suddenly had the freedom to explore his options, “When ‘Say my Name’ was #1 on Beatport’s electro house charts for several consecutive weeks, I started to dream a bit bigger.”

It would seem that those dreams would get bigger almost right after his very first EP, Spitfire which was quickly signed by Skrillex as the first release on his then new OWSLA imprint. When the EP was actually released, it crashed Beatport’s servers as it headed straight towards the #1 position in the charts where it remained for weeks. From that point, Porter’s career has since picked up speed and shows no signs of slowing down. The years following Spitfire, Porter scored supporting slots on tours with Skrillex and Tiësto‘s infamous College Invasion tour.

The year 2012 would see Porter’s transformation grow into a headline act capable of closing out the night at any event. His hit single “Language” premiered on BBC Radio 1 during Porter’s special live Essential Mix broadcast in January of that year. The song as you know went on to worldwide success, securing #1 on Beatport and a number of Top 10 chart positions around the world. In the wake of the aftermath, the track has sold over 250,000 copies, cementing Porter’s position as one of dance music’s heavyweights.

The year 2013 started off well for Porter with the release of his collaboration with Mat Zo on their hit song “Easy.” This song also quickly reached #1 on both Beatport and HypeMachine, while gaining plays on radio and charts globally.

Now, Porter is getting ready for his first full-length artist album, continuing to draw from elements and influences across a wide range. Although he’s spent his former years making and DJing music that’s “perfect for the dancefloor,” Porter’s debut long player will be a slight detour from that, creating an experience in sound that dabbles in the club and the headphones.

We’re excited to see how this 21 year old molds his sound for the anticipated debut. Porter Robinson has unmistakably become one of the most exciting talents to be plucked from an early age. The sky is the limit for this fresh talent both on and off the decks. Join us when he takes the stage for Sound Wave Block Party 2013 on September 21st. Tickets are still available, so grab yours today!

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We believe that volunteering is a great opportunity to get involved and help the festival community – and there are loads of benefits for doing it too. Whenever you volunteer for Sound Wave Block Party, you’ll receive access to the festival, learn about operations at a major festival event and meet others with similar interests. If you’ve always wanted to get involved, volunteer or help out, but didn’t know how, now is your chance.

Volunteers won’t need a ticket, but you’ll be asked to complete a specific amount of shift hours in order to get access to the show. If you do not fulfill your required hours, you will be charged for a single day ticket with the account information you provided. Additionally, volunteers who do not show up for their shifts will be charged as well.

Interested in volunteering for Arizona’s largest dance music event? Please email volunteers@slentertainment.com with your full name, email address, phone number, date of birth (to confirm that you are at least 18 years old) and attach your résumé. Once we have your application for consideration, we’ll contact you with more details.