M83 - M83

  by Finn Cargill

published: 20 / 7 / 2011

intro

Finn Cargill reflects upon the career to date of French musician Anthony Gonzalez's project M83, who have a new album, ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’, out in October

When listening to the musical manifestations of French artist Anthony Gonzalez’s project M83, it is important to think big. With a title derived from 'Spiral Galaxy Messier 83', one expects to hear something galactic. Fortunately Gonzalez delivers through his penchant for heavy and layered synth, soft yet dominant vocal sequences and crashing drum rhythms. Most prominently found in the five current albums is adherence to the shoegaze way: multiple levels of electronically produced wails and hums, ambient undertones and- that which separates M83 from most other synth/dreampop creations- a selection of haunting, yet winsome tunes. Moulding tracks which induce incessant body-rocking and eye-widening is Gonzalez’s trade, whilst keeping noticeably distant from generic and garish pop tunes. Such original features are what make Gonzalez’s now solo project deserving of a new, more appropriate genre asides from its immediate post-rock and dream-pop characteristics. Due to what the listener feels impelled to do whilst plugged in: sky-gaze. The most endearing feature of M83’s work is the sense of transcendence above other dream-pop works, one which is captured quite brilliantly in Alex Tacaks’ and Joe Nankins' 2009 official music video for ‘We Own the Sky’, taken from M83's most recent full studio album ‘Saturdays = Youth’. Gonzalez achieves such depth with help of his musically apt compadres: female vocalist and keyboardist Morgan Kibby, guitar wielding Pierre-Marie Maulini and the irrefutably powerful drummer Loïc Maurin. Also appearing alongside this harmony of shoegazers is Gonzalez’s own brother, Yann, who assists in the recording of M83’s work. The ensemble’s efforts provide listeners with the gratifying sensation that they have encountered a brilliant new secret to keep. Preceding, but in no way predeceasing, the widely loved ‘Saturdays = Youth’ came a very prolific and varied discography by the then musical duo of Gonzalez and former band member Nicolas Fromageau. Fromageau left the project by Gonzalez’s decision after the allegedly emotional post-release tour for ‘Dead Cities, Red Seas And Lost Ghosts’- the second studio album which presented itself in 2003 after a self-titled album in 2001. Since implementing fairly obscure and alternative styles in these two albums, Gonzalez has digressed into a more eminently dream-pop sound in tracks from 2005’s album ‘Before the Dawn Heals Us’ such as ‘Teen Angst’ and ‘Don’t Save Us From the Flames’. Such tracks are responsible for bringing the project into the shoegaze crowd’s foreground. Following this breakthrough, Gonzalez then revisited his previous style through the medium of ‘Digital Shades Vol. 1’- a pleasantly monumental collection of tracks, reminding us of M83’s originality in the ambient post-rock field. ‘Saturdays = Youth’, plays host to what many regard as the undeniable greats of the dreampop pioneer and originator M83. Asides from the in-studio creations of Gonzalez, M83’s live performances are deemed a force to be reckoned with by many who have seen their sets - whilst the tracks themselves are complimentary to a live scene, Gonzalez is lauded for his use of electronically produced, aesthetically grand lighting. The unequivocally obscure single ‘Black Hole’ was released under the radar in 2010, which featured in Gilles Marchand’s film ‘Black Heaven’ in the same year and was viewed negatively by the director, and entirely elusive to the music scene, although this lapse was set to be heavily overshadowed by a new, promising single which has been released for streaming and appears as a free download from the official band website, called ‘Midnight City’. The single’s punchy, saxophone-based hook is nothing short of unfaultable, and is hopefully an insight into the imminent record ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’, which is due to be released in October this year on the Naïve label. Alongside this on the artist's homepage is a short teaser track ‘Echoes’: the quintessentially M83-ish music video has emerged; its quaint and innocuously pleasant style both entices listeners old and new, and incites yearning for the next release. Both songs are refreshingly reminiscent of the albums responsible for dreampop characteristics over shoegaze and postrock, such as ‘Before the Dawn Heals Us’ and ‘Saturdays = Youth’, and I am anticipating the record’s release like a dog with dream-pop withdrawal symptoms, scratching at a door in the hope that it will deliver a fresh sound, pervaded by Gonzalez’s previous style. Followers of the delightful dreamers are already anticipating the next onslaught of hums and wails- staring at the sky in silence just doesn’t cut it anymore.

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