Easy (Mat Zo and Porter Robinson song)

Last updated

"Easy"
EasyPorterRobinson.jpg
Single by Mat Zo and Porter Robinson
from the album Damage Control
Released23 November 2012
Recorded2012 [1] [2]
Genre Progressive house
Length6:38
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Matan Zohar
  • Porter Robinson
Mat Zo singles chronology
"The Sky"
(2012)		"Easy"
(2012)		"Pyramid Scheme"
(2013)
Porter Robinson singles chronology
"Language"
(2012)		"Easy"
(2012)		"Sea of Voices"
(2014)

"Easy" is a song by British producer Mat Zo and American producer Porter Robinson. The song was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom by Ministry of Sound and Anjunabeats on 23 November 2012 and in the United States by Astralwerks on 7 May 2013. [3] [4] It debuted at number 28 on the UK Singles Chart. The track samples vocals from the song "Nothing Better" by Colourblind.

Contents

Background and release

According to Mat Zo, "Easy" was first conceived as "EZ", a "garage" version of the song; he then asked Porter Robinson to work on another track based on it. Both versions appear on Mat Zo's late-2013 debut studio album Damage Control . [5] "Easy" is a progressive house song. [6]

An anime-like music video [6] to accompany the release of "Easy" was first released onto YouTube on 8 March 2013 at a total length of three minutes and thirty-four seconds. [7] The creators of this video were the animation group, The Line. [8] The video follows a pop star by the name of Maki. She ignores her manager's attempts to contact her, and then she leaves her apartment complex on a motorcycle, with a large duffel bag. After she has driven a distance on the highway out of the city, she activates it, which causes what would appear to be a large expanding dome of light, possibly an explosion. She calmly and happily waits for the dome to catch up with her after it has consumed the city, and is then floating in a white void in a different art style. Then she appears riding a bicycle amid peaceful scenery matching a photo seen earlier in the video. The video contains many references to the classic anime film Akira . Some are visual, such as the light paths left by motorcycles, but there is at least one plot reference in the form of the explosion that consumes the city.

As of October 2024, the video has received over 16 million views.

Reception

John D. Luerssen wrote to Rolling Stone that "Easy" was "buoyant and inviting". [9] Andy Kellman of AllMusic described it as "one of 2013's most memorable commercial dance singles". [10] In 2017, Tatiana Cirisano of Billboard chose "Easy" as the fourth best track in Robinson's discography at the time. Describing it as "pure joy", she wrote: "With charming vocals, piercing chords and the bubbliest of choruses, it's the type of track that doesn’t age with time, making it all the more legendary." [6] The same year, Vice named it the 42nd best electronic dance music song of all time. [11] In 2019, Billboard staff named it the 36th greatest dance song of the decade. [12] In 2022, Rolling Stone Australia named it the 175th best dance song of all time. [13]

Track listing

Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Easy" (Radio Edit)3:32
2."Easy" (Andy C Remix)5:15
3."Easy" (Modek 'Bright As Day' Remix)5:03
4."Easy" (Botnek Remix)6:37
5."Easy" (Lemaitre Remix)3:57
6."Easy" (Extended Mix)6:36

Chart performance

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
United Kingdom14 April 2013 [22] Digital download
United States7 May 2013 [23] Astralwerks

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References

  1. ↑ "Mat Zo & Porter Robinson - Easy (Extended Mix)". YouTube. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Mat Zo & Porter Robinson - Easy". YouTube. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Home — Anjunabeats". Anjunabeats.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Anjunabeats Official — Mat Zo & Porter Robinson "Easy" is out now in the". News.anjunabeats.com. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  5. ↑ Sundius, Michael (5 November 2013). "Mat Zo's Damage Control: an inspiring and timeless artistic debut [Interview + Album Review]". Dancing Astronaut . Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Cirisano, Tatiana (6 July 2017). "Porter Robinson's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard . Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  7. ↑ "Mat Zo & Porter Robinson - Easy (Official Video)". YouTube. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Work —". Thelineanimation.com. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  9. ↑ Luerssen, John D. (1 November 2013). "Album Premiere: Mat Zo Mixes Styles on 'Damage Control'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  10. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Worlds – Porter Robinson". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "The 101 Best EDM Songs of All Time". Vice . 12 July 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  12. ↑ "The 60 Greatest Dance Songs of the Decade: Staff List". Billboard . 26 November 2019. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  13. ↑ Dolan, Jon; Lopez, Julyssa; Matos, Michelangelo; Staffe, Claire (25 July 2022). "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone Australia . Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  14. ↑ "Mat Zo & Porter Robinson – Easy" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  15. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  16. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  17. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
  18. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  19. ↑ "Mat Zo Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  20. ↑ "Mat Zo Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  21. ↑ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  22. ↑ "Easy (Remixes) by Mat Zo & Porter Robinson on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  23. ↑ "Astralwerks Releases & Artists on Beatport". Beatport.com. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
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