Third Law (album)

Third Law
Studio album by
Roly Porter
Released22 January 2016 (2016-01-22)
GenreElectronic[1]
Length52:08
LabelTri Angle
ProducerRoly Porter
Roly Porter chronology
Life Cycle of a Massive Star
(2013) 		Third Law
(2016) 		Kistvaen
(2020)

Third Law is the third studio album by British record producer Roly Porter. It was released on 22 January 2016 through Tri Angle.[2] It received universal acclaim from critics.[3]

Background

Roly Porter is a British record producer.[4] He is a member of Vex'd, along with Jamie Teasdale.[5] The duo released Degenerate (2005) and Cloud Seed (2010).[6]

Third Law is Porter's third solo studio album, following Aftertime (2011) and Life Cycle of a Massive Star (2013).[7] It was released on 22 January 2016 through Tri Angle.[2][8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[9]
Metacritic83/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Exclaim!8/10[11]
Mixmag8/10[12]
Pitchfork8.0/10[13]
PopMatters8/10[14]
Resident Advisor4.2/5[15]
Spin8/10[16]
Tiny Mix Tapes3.5/5[17]
XLR8R8/10[18]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Third Law received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from 12 critic scores.[3]

Paul Simpson of AllMusic described the album as "another stunning, occasionally overwhelming mass of sound utilizing choral voices, strings, and vintage synthesizers in addition to pulverizing percussive bursts."[10] He added, "As eye-opening as its cover art, Third Law is a startling, fascinating listen and another triumph for Porter."[10] Harley Brown of Spin stated, "In trying to transcend dance music, he's actually made its purest form: an album that's a listening experience."[16]

Bryon Hayes of Exclaim! stated, "Just as deep and cosmic in scope as its predecessor, this album eschews traditional beats in favour of a primordial throb, a rhythm that seems to originate deep within the planet's core."[11] He added, "Enrobed in a thick coat of static and flanked by darkness, these eight lengthy pieces are full of all manner of uncanny spirits."[11] Brian Duricy of PopMatters stated, "In the history of electronic music paying homage to our ideas of outer space, Porter has crafted a deserving addition to the canon."[14]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Third Law
Publication List Rank Ref.
The Quietus Albums of the Year 2016
67
[19]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Roly Porter.

Third Law track listing
No.TitleLength
1."4101"7:57
2."In System"4:52
3."Mass"5:47
4."Blind Blackening"8:33
5."High Places"5:08
6."In Flight"6:13
7."Departure Stage"6:49
8."Known Space"6:49
Total length:52:08

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Favorite Electronic Albums | AllMusic 2016 in Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  2. ^ a b Leight, Elias (23 November 2015). "Roly Porter Details Third Law Album". The Fader. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Reviews for Third Law by Roly Porter". Metacritic. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  4. ^ Bobkin, Matt (12 June 2016). "Roly Porter and MFO". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  5. ^ Simpson, Paul. "Vex'd". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  6. ^ Barron, Michael (22 January 2016). "How Roly Porter is Pushing Dance Music Into A New Dimension". The Fader. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  7. ^ Simpson, Paul. "Roly Porter". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  8. ^ Roy, Francis (23 November 2015). "Roly Porter Next Up on Tri Angle". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  9. ^ "Third Law by Roly Porter reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  10. ^ a b c Simpson, Paul. "Third Law – Roly Porter". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  11. ^ a b c Hayes, Bryon (20 January 2016). "Roly Porter: Third Law". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  12. ^ Wheeler, Seb (15 January 2016). "Roly Porter". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  13. ^ Sherburne, Philip (27 January 2016). "Roly Porter: Third Law". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  14. ^ a b Duricy, Brian (25 January 2016). "Roly Porter: Third Law". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  15. ^ Ryce, Andrew (25 January 2016). "Roly Porter – Third Law". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  16. ^ a b Brown, Harley (19 January 2016). "Review: Roly Porter Savors, Then Smashes the Silence on 'Third Law'". Spin. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  17. ^ Birkut. "Roly Porter – Third Law". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  18. ^ Brown, DeForrest (20 January 2016). "Roly Porter: Third Law". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 28 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  19. ^ "The Quietus Albums of the Year 2016". The Quietus. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  20. ^ Roly Porter (2016). Third Law (CD booklet). Tri Angle.

Further reading

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