Sad Machine

Sad Machine
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First Appearance	DJMAX RESPECT V
Composer(s)	Porter Robinson
Arranger(s)	Porter Robinson
Vocal(s)	Avanna (uncredited), Porter Robinson (uncredited)
Lyrics	Porter Robinson
Visualization	Gunzo
Genre
BPM	88.5
Length
Youtube BGA

Sad Machine is a song composed, sang, and performed by Porter Robinson alongside VOCALOID Avanna. It is currently the first and only VOCALOID song in the entire DJMAX games.

Song Analysis

Debuted on May 13, 2014, Sad Machine marks Porter Robinson's full departure from the mainstream EDM scene. It is a synthpop track that feels very melancholic and nostalgic. Porter used Soundfont to emulate the sound from old video game music, specifically from The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Perhaps the focus of Sad Machine is the synthetic-like vocals. Porter used a VOCALOID voice synthesizer, powered by Avanna voicebank. Its Celtic-style vocals were based on an Irish singer only identified as Rachel. Avanna's vocal runs alongside Porter's own singing and it evokes a dissonance between human and machine vocals. In Porter's own words, Sad Machine is a duet between human and a robot.

Background Animation

Sad Machine uses an original BGA by Gunzo instead of the official music video. It shows two different kinds of robots living in a different world. The first is a masculine robot living on earth, while the other is a feminine robot inhabiting a space satellite. The two had a vision of meeting in a lake, and they are set on meeting each other. The masculine robot rides a bike, while the feminine robot commands a small pod and flies to earth. The two finally meet each other, fulfilling the vision.

Some parts of lyrics are superimposed on some scenes. During the drop sequence, a kaleidoscope visualizer is shown.

Lyrics

Porter Robinson's Worlds Album Liner Notes

Full Version

Is anyone there?
Play

Who survived? Somebody new?
Anyone else but you?
On a lonely night, was a blinding light
A hundred leaders would be borne of you

And though I know, since you’ve awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend on you

And though I know, since you’ve awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend on you!

I don’t know much about your life beyond these walls
The fleeting sense of love within these God-forsaken halls
And you can hear it in his voice, in every call
This girl who's slept a hundred years had something after all

And though I know since you’ve awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
I'll go alone, and never speak of you again
We depend on you, we depend on you

And though I know, since you've awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend on you

And though I know, since you've awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend—I'll depend on you

Trivia

• The original music video for Sad Machine depicts a polygon hand reaching out to various digitized environments, while the song lyrics are superimposed.
• As stated above, this currently the first and only DJMAX song that uses a VOCALOID voice synthesizer.
• Sad Machine is also arguably the most popular VOCALOID song that is made by non-Japanese/non-Asian producer, and also the most popular VOCALOID song that used English voicebank.
• Both Avanna and Porter's contribution as vocalists are left uncredited.
• Porter Robinson debuted as a vocalist through Sad Machine. Before this song, he has provided backing vocals to Zedd's Clarity, in which he also credited as one of the co-writers.

Meedia

• Youtube BGA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDmB28dA3n4
• Music Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAIDqt2aUek