Virtual Self

American EDM star Porter Robinson produces hyperactive, fantasy-themed electronic music under his alter ego Virtual Self. The project is heavily influenced by late-'90s/early-2000s epic trance as well as video game music, particularly the popular Japanese dance series Dance Dance Revolution. The tracks are ecstatic and highly sophisticated, filled with bright, surging chords and crashing breakbeats, all cloaked in a cryptic, sci-fi-influenced mystique. Virtual Self first surfaced in 2017, three years after Robinson released his debut full-length. The project debuted with the singles "EON BREAK" and "Ghost Voices," and the self-titled Virtual Self EP appeared at the end of November. Soon after, Virtual Self made its live debut in Brooklyn, with Robinson presenting a selection of his own tracks as well as DDR tunes along with an elaborate light show. ~ Paul Simpson