M83

10 Years. It’s 10 years since the release of the M83 album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, so of course we must celebrate. I am a late comer to M83, l’m embarrassed to say. My connection came to M83 via the movie Warm Bodies. A little trance, a little abrasive and little apocalyptic, M83 is a perfect choice for a film about a different world.

M83 - Hurry Up , We’re Dreaming. Released October 2011.

This story is not about the zombie film Warm Bodies (because l have already written about that, see story on Globescope) but about the 10th anniversary of the M3 album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. Midnight City is the defining song of the album and whist this isn’t to diminish other songs on the album, Midnight City characterises the flavour of the album. Reminiscent of the 1980’s, Midnight City has that California Breakfast Club vibe to it. Begrudging teenagers, aimless visions and some grit, overlaid with a little bling and clubby camp. Listening to the saxophone on Midnight City, I thought Rob Lowe was about to jump out of my iPhone, straight out of the set of St.Elmo’s Fire, through some sort of time portal. The saxophone was left of field but not quite unexpected.

M83 has an aesthetic. It’s cinematic but not too serious. Sparse at times, trance like but not Trance, ambient but not vacant and tracks like Train To Pluton, with its sci-fi pipes, reinforce this. Track, New Map, seems to reminisce whilst Raconte-Moi Une Historie (with child speaking) gives the album some optimism, it’s a collage of sound. The tracks could be anthems for a time when there was more time and space. Guitar and drums ground the music whilst keyboard and synth open the music up. Anthony Gonzalez must look out his window see a combination of low-fi tech, French disco and local neighbourhood fantasy. A touch of Peter Gabriel, at times Pink Floyd and plenty of Harold Faltermeyer, makes this album a little Deja-vu.

The name M83 comes from a galaxy of the same name, no wonder the the sound is timeless.

S.W