Roly Porter

The author of the mix is Roly Porter, a British electronic music producer who lives and works in Bristol, United Kingdom. Porter began his musical explorations in the early 2000s as one half of the groundbreaking project Vex’d, releasing a series of singles on the Subtext imprint before moving to Planet Mu to release the classic Degenerate and Cloud Seed albums. Since 2011, Porter has shifted focus to his solo project. After releasing his first critically acclaimed solo album, Aftertime, Porter established a completely new identity and ideology for his audio experimentations. The album was followed by the commission of Fall Back from the Aldeburgh Festival in 2012, a collaboration with renowned Ondiste Cynthia Millar. As a composer and sound designer, Porter has produced original soundtracks for Big Talk/Film 4’s In Fear (which premiered at the Sundance Festival) and the dystopian thriller Interferenz. Porter’s architectural and cinematographic works are always enriched with heavily saturated, inventive basslines, vivid percussions, thoughtful hardware modulations, and contemporary classical composition motifs. Roly Porter’s second full-length album, Life Cycle of a Massive Star, was released in September 2013.

STM 075 is a smoothly eclectic and picturesque audio selection that reflects Porter’s influences. It includes 13 symbolic works by composers and artists such as György Ligeti, Giacinto Scelsi, Emptyset, Suicide, Eurythmics, Paul Jebanasam, and other talents. The records were composed and released over the last 5 decades, revealing a background rich in various instrumentation and musical intentions across generations. The works included in this mix span numerous music styles such as modern classical, experimental, ambient, grindcore, and abstract. The development of this mix is deliberate and enigmatic, with every piece given enough time to expand and unfold effectively. The focus on colossal compositions, synthesized powerful rhythms, and expressive futuristic soundscapes is immense. Energetically, passionately, and professionally performed and recorded, the tracks sound timeless. The mixing is precise, sometimes spontaneous, and carries emotional, forceful, and ideological weight. The well-maintained dramatic narrative and the overall mysterious concept create a truly cinematic experience from beginning to end.

Records and connections

STM 075 is like Giacomo Balla’s abstract art painting Plastic Ensemble, which depicts light, movement, and speed. Just like Porter’s mix, this painting contains abyssal depths, labyrinthine surfaces, and sharp peaks covered with cosmic color tones.