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"Ghost Voices" is a song by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson under the alias Virtual Self. It was released on November 8, 2017 as the second single from the alias' self-titled debut EP, which uses early 2000s sounds and aesthetics. Robinson said that "Ghost Voices" was the easiest song from the EP to compose, and he used a house-styled drum pattern and a trance-styled break. In 2018, the song received an official music video and was remixed by Raito and Robinson himself, the latter remix being called "Angel Voices". "Ghost Voices" received a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

Production and composition

Porter Robinson wrote "Ghost Voices" for the Virtual Self EP, released through an alias of the same name. Robinson used the early 2000s as the main source of inspiration for the sound and visuals. He said the track was much easier to produce when compared to other songs on the EP. Initially, Robinson tried to create a new lead sound similar to the human voice, as well as an ambient sound "where it sounded like she was going to heaven, a very beautiful, sad, nostalgic chord progression." According to him, the initial result sounded cuter than the released version of "Ghost Voices". Robinson said he was playing randomly with the keys; after making the riff, he noticed it was "catchy", which made him write a bassline behind it, resulting in a sound he enjoyed. After this, Robinson wrote the house-styled drum pattern. The first drop was written from the melody into the hook, giving it a dark, mysterious feel. He then focused on creating a "turn-of-century"-inspired, trance-styled break. He spent two or three days editing the vocals from a random demo he had received – a pop performance – to make it sound "ghostly and ethereal".

The Virtual Self alias is represented by two characters created by Robinson, Pathselector and Technic-Angel. Robinson wrote "Ghost Voices" as a Pathselector song; Pathselector's songs were described by Robinson as neotrance, strictly having a trance style, being mid-tempo and having less hardcore influences than Technic-Angel songs. The track has a tempo of 120 BPM. Andrew Rafter wrote to DJ Mag that "Ghost Voices" " low-slung deep house basslines with trance-y top lines", while Kat Bein of Billboard said it is "a slick, sexy house tune bringing soulful, halftime garage vibes", that has "a shine like dark velvet with fat bass synths and echoes of trance." Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork said that, although the song contains "rushing snare rolls and classic 'Reese' bass", its "lithe vocal flips and slinky air" make it closer to "the post-Disclosure era", being, in turn, the most contemporary-sounding song on the Virtual Self EP. Conversely, Bein described it as the "dankest" song on the EP, and that its "classic house groove and futuristic beckon you to the dark side of the dance floor and the web."

Release and reception

"Ghost Voices" was released as the second single from the Virtual Self EP on November 8, 2017, following "Eon Break". It was released along with what Kat Bein of Billboard described as a "cool-toned, purple visual" with strong GameCube-era influences. An official music video was released via Robinson's YouTube channel on February 28, 2018. The video presents Virtual Self's two main characters, Pathselector and Technic-Angel, wandering through an old warehouse filled with abandoned computers. A radio edit was released on March 12, and remixes by Raito were released on April 6. On July 22, Robinson released a remix of the song, "Angel Voices"; Bein classified it as happy hardcore.

Billboard staff chose "Ghost Voices" as the 32nd best dance/electronic song of 2017. In 2019, Bein said that the track had become "the project's standout track". In an interview for the same magazine published in February 2018, DJ Calvin Harris stated that the song "restored his love of dance music". "Ghost Voices" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, marking Robinson's first-ever nomination to the award. In a statement to Billboard in January 2019, Robinson said he hadn't even realized the song had been submitted for consideration, discovering the nomination through Twitter. Robinson felt like he won "the moment it got nominated". Billboard staff named it the 18th greatest dance song of the decade.

Charts

Notes

1. In the Virtual Self EP, Pathselector represents tracks "Ghost Voices" and "A.i.ngel (Become God)", while Technic-Angel represents tracks "Particle Arts", "Key" and "Eon Break". According to Billboard's Kat Bein, Pathselector is "white-dressed gold-masked", while Technic-Angel is a "fair-skinned, dark-cloaked harbinger".

References

1. ^ Lhooq, Michelle (February 18, 2018). "Porter Robinson's ambitious, human Virtual Self". The Fader. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
2. Ochoa, John (February 15, 2018). "Porter Robinson: DJ Mag North America cover feature". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
3. ^ Bein, Kat (January 9, 2019). "Porter Robinson on Virtual Self Grammy Nomination: 'I Won the Moment It Got Nominated'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
4. ^ Rafter, Andrew (November 29, 2017). "Porter Robinson releases Virtual Self EP: Listen". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
5. Bein, Kat (April 10, 2018). "Porter Robinson Talks Writing a 'Really Sincere Love Letter' to the Early 2000s With Virtual Self Project". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
6. ^ Bein, Kat (November 8, 2017). "Porter Robinson Takes Virtual Self Into Another Dimension With New Song 'Ghost Voices'". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
7. Sherburne, Philip (January 3, 2018). "Virtual Self: Virtual Self EP". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
8. ^ "Billboard's 50 Best Dance/Electronic Songs of 2017: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 15, 2017. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
9. Bein, Kat (February 28, 2018). "Porter Robinson Shares More About Virtual Self in 'Ghost Voices' Video: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
10. "Ghost Voices (Radio Edit)". Apple Music. March 14, 2018. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
11. "Ghost Voices (Raito Remixes)". Apple Music. April 6, 2018. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
12. Bein, Kat (July 20, 2018). "Virtual Self Releases Technic-Angel Remix of 'Ghost Voices". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
13. Bein, Kat (February 12, 2018). "Calvin Harris Says Porter Robinson Restored His Love of Dance Music". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
14. "The 60 Greatest Dance Songs of the Decade: Staff List". Billboard. November 26, 2019. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
15. ^ "Virtual Self – Ghost Voices" Archived July 1, 2018, at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
16. "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 1, 2018.

External links

• Official music video on YouTube

• 2017 singles
• 2017 songs
• Porter Robinson songs
• Trance songs
• Song recordings produced by Porter Robinson
• Songs written by Porter Robinson