M83: new take on 80s
By: Jessica Adams
Issue date: 5/6/08 Section: Features
This album is unlike anything you've ever heard.
Picture yourself as a member of The Breakfast Club, with this as your melancholic soundtrack. The longings, the anguish, the happiness and the sadness of adolescence are all represented on M83's newest album, "Saturdays = Youth." But rather than being childish, these songs deeply echo the passions and feelings of teenagers around the world, and the highs and lows that accompany that seemingly infinite time before adulthood.
M83 is the product of French electronica artist Anthony Gonzalez. This album, his fifth, is a change from the expansive electronica overtures and whispered tell-tale vocals found on his previous releases. This time around, Gonzalez takes cues from the late-80s new wave and shoegaze genres, which commonly featured heavy guitars, ethereal vocals and electronic dance beats. With help from guest vocalist Morgan Kibby of The Romanovs, Gonzalez is able to make the sound his own: a mish-mash of harmonic orchestration, trance dance beats, shoegaze vocals and some indie rock sentimentality.
The album kicks off with "You, Appearing," a melancholic tune accented by minimalist piano and hushed vocals. It then transitions into "Kim & Jessie," a power-pop gung-ho song that exudes a feeling of timeless youth. This song would fit in perfectly with any Sofia Coppola soundtrack; it has that warm feeling of naiveté and longing characteristic of her movies.
The next song, "Skin of the Night," is more haunting. Kibby lends her soprano voice to the song, forming a foil to Gonzalez's softer, deeper voice. Here, the slashing guitars and deep bass drum make a nod to the sounds of new wave artists like Joy Division. Things suddenly take a turn for the more upbeat, as the triumphant sounds of "Graveyard Girl" take the stage. This, the second single off the album, is one of the strongest songs; it's packed with powerful emotions, Gonzalez's hushed voice and that indefinable sensation that swells in your chest during a moment of excitement.
Next, we hear "Couleurs," the first single off of "Saturdays = Youth." This track is the danciest of them all, with deep beats and minimal vocals. Clocking in at over eight minutes long, the song is a dark homage to the electro-dance songs of the 80s, and is a stand-out track on the album.
The rest of the album ebbs and flows with the emotions and feelings present in the first half of the album. It closes with "Midnight Souls Still Remain," an ethereal song that fades away with the sound of minimalist electronica noise, allowing Gonzalez's voice to drift away with his album's coming of age.
Picture yourself as a member of The Breakfast Club, with this as your melancholic soundtrack. The longings, the anguish, the happiness and the sadness of adolescence are all represented on M83's newest album, "Saturdays = Youth." But rather than being childish, these songs deeply echo the passions and feelings of teenagers around the world, and the highs and lows that accompany that seemingly infinite time before adulthood.
M83 is the product of French electronica artist Anthony Gonzalez. This album, his fifth, is a change from the expansive electronica overtures and whispered tell-tale vocals found on his previous releases. This time around, Gonzalez takes cues from the late-80s new wave and shoegaze genres, which commonly featured heavy guitars, ethereal vocals and electronic dance beats. With help from guest vocalist Morgan Kibby of The Romanovs, Gonzalez is able to make the sound his own: a mish-mash of harmonic orchestration, trance dance beats, shoegaze vocals and some indie rock sentimentality.
The album kicks off with "You, Appearing," a melancholic tune accented by minimalist piano and hushed vocals. It then transitions into "Kim & Jessie," a power-pop gung-ho song that exudes a feeling of timeless youth. This song would fit in perfectly with any Sofia Coppola soundtrack; it has that warm feeling of naiveté and longing characteristic of her movies.
The next song, "Skin of the Night," is more haunting. Kibby lends her soprano voice to the song, forming a foil to Gonzalez's softer, deeper voice. Here, the slashing guitars and deep bass drum make a nod to the sounds of new wave artists like Joy Division. Things suddenly take a turn for the more upbeat, as the triumphant sounds of "Graveyard Girl" take the stage. This, the second single off the album, is one of the strongest songs; it's packed with powerful emotions, Gonzalez's hushed voice and that indefinable sensation that swells in your chest during a moment of excitement.
Next, we hear "Couleurs," the first single off of "Saturdays = Youth." This track is the danciest of them all, with deep beats and minimal vocals. Clocking in at over eight minutes long, the song is a dark homage to the electro-dance songs of the 80s, and is a stand-out track on the album.
The rest of the album ebbs and flows with the emotions and feelings present in the first half of the album. It closes with "Midnight Souls Still Remain," an ethereal song that fades away with the sound of minimalist electronica noise, allowing Gonzalez's voice to drift away with his album's coming of age.
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