The epitome of French-American Electronic Pop. M83 was formed in 2001 by Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau in Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes but are currently in stationed in Los Angeles, US. It was originally supposed to be a duo but eventually members flowed in and out, with Gonzalez as a constant.
M83 is able to create certain emotions like no other band I know. When I listen to their music I feel like I’m being transported to a time machine of all my childhood memories. Sometimes it feels like a wave of emotions has just struck me and I’m falling into this gigantic sea of isolation, but this sea is not quite loneliness, it’s a much simpler feeling, of simpler times. The music itself is also very cinematic and dramatic. M83’s music would most definitely be played in the climax of an Avenger’s movie when the battle scenes begin. To summarize the vibe I would say it is:
finding a camera film of life’s most precious memories while simultaneously being in a cinematic thriller
If we begin to talk about M83’s composition style, I would say it has a very strong European influence. This is mainly due to the fact that, well, they’re from France. However, I wouldn’t call this rave music by any means. My idea of European music consists of heavy electronic synthesizers, ambient vocals, intense bass, spoken word, and a very underground rhythm, all of which M83 have. Within many of their songs you will begin to notice changes of voices and of who may be singing. This is because M83 is very experimental in their style of pitching voices, collaborating with other artists, and manipulating instruments to mimic the human voice. M83 also has a tendency to create what i would call epic endings. The songs usually start off soft and then build up to an enormous wave of instrumentals and vocals, which adds to the emotional factor of most of their songs.
To end this post off on an informative note, because M83 is such an abnormal band in terms of style, I will be giving my favorite song from each of their albums. Hopefully this will give you insight into the style of their work and the variety within their music as a whole.
*scroll to bottom to play songs*
- My Face (M83)– No Vocals, pure instrumentals. This song will transport you to the feeling of being alone on a rocket ship in the loneliness of space. The structure of this song is that almost of a distant whistle.
- Run Into Flowers (Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts)– This song starts of on the feeling of a rapid heart beat. It includes heavy synth and atmospheric vocals, that transport you to exactly where the album cover is; in a field of grass covered in snow with the pure euphoria of being with your people. This song will make you feel like you’re young again, whatever that may mean to you.
- Moonchild (Before The Dawn Heals Us)– If you ever wondered how it felt like to ascend into the heavens, this is the song for you. I would call this a perfect example of the M83’s composition style. The song starts off very slow and fairly quiet with ambient vocals. However, towards the end it begins to evolve into a cluster of instruments and intense vocals that seem to be crying out from something unknown. The song is simply, emotional.
- Midnight City (Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming)– The most popular song by M83, this song will take you to a city of lights in your head. This song is unlike many of theirs in the past as it includes more intense vocals and a happier, major, tone.
- Go! (feat. Mai Lan) (Junk)– If you feel like you were born in the wrong generation, this is the song for you. Go! has a playful kid like feel, but in the 80’s! With an intense guitar solo, upbeat tempo, and major key, this song channels the 80’s like no other.
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