Artist: M83
Label: Virgin Records
Released: 2008
Rating: 3.3/5
M83 is a French act that has been around the music scene for years and made a name for itself right from the start of its career. The band is known for its catchy songs as well as its harder techno cuts. Not so long ago M83 had two members, but now Anthony Gonzales is left alone with his vision. The opening beats of the new album Saturdays=Youth make it clear that the departure of the other member hasn’t made the music one bit worse, with Gonzales showing off a real taste for good melodies that pull you right in. Later on it turns out there’s no need to worry about variety either, since Gonzales hasn’t forgotten about drum and bass, or about the monotone ambient stretches.
Anthony Gonzales flirts with a shoegazer style, but all in all I’d say the label electro pop would be good enough and fitting. The songs often remind me of the eighties, and the feeling is incredibly similar, at least in the first half of the album. In the second half (which kicks off with Couleurs), M83 shows its true calling, which lies in the territory of techno and ambient music. Although Mr. Gonzales is more respected among fans of electronic music, I’m more into his pop creations, which are extremely melodic and rhythmic. He gets some help on the album from a guest vocalist, whose voice absolutely adds to the overall impression. I didn’t care much for the ambient and electronic stuff on the album, because it’s just too monotone, like the last song on the record, which has a long outro where only a couple of notes keep repeating forever. I’m a pretty patient guy and I can enjoy the more esoteric stuff too, for example Tangerine Dream or Brian Eno, but there’s no need to overdo it.
Anthony Gonzales is a very solid musician and producer. He knows exactly what he wants to do with his music. The sonic identity of the album is very clearly laid out and perfectly executed. Nobody can fault him on that. Nor can you fault him on the instruments themselves, all of which he plays on his own, with only the singer helping him out, and she’ll be joining him on the upcoming tour. It’s obvious that Gonzales is no technical wizard, but he makes the most of what he can do.
Saturdays=Youth is an interesting record that won me over especially with the good pop tracks in the first half of the album, where M83 sound incredibly like those classic eighties bands. I don’t mean the most saccharine ones, but the more refined kind, like Ultravox and assorted shoegazer acts. The second half isn’t quite my cup of tea, but electronic music fans will be that much happier, as the dance rhythms will take them on a gentle and wild ride at the same time. The album has a little something for everyone – melody, ambient, punchy four-on-the-floor techno beats. A satisfying record.
Lineup
Anthony Gonzalez – all instruments
guest: Morgan Kibby – vocals
Production
M83
Tracklist
1. You, Appearing
2. Kim & Jessie
3. Skin Of The Night
4. Graveyard Girl
5. Couleurs
6. Up!
7. We Own The Sky
8. Highway Of Endless Dreams
9. Too Late
10. Dark Moves Of Love
11. Midnight Souls Still Remain
