M83
Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
Mute
· They’re French! They have synthesizers! Compare them to Air and they’ll kick your ass.
Calls for the shoegaze revival abound. Whether it’s the British press yearning for the epic, soaring pop soundscapes of the early ’90s by desperately trolling the seas of U.K. indie rock for some hint at its resurrection or the art-damaged, sunglass-wearing U.S. West Coasters attempting to plunder the genre for their own, the signs are everywhere. It should come as no surprise then, that references to My Bloody Valentine, the now mythically-sized idol of all processor-bearing guitarists, are ubiquitous among press releases. Likewise, the inclusion of Sigur Ros, Mogwai, etc., is a no-brainer in press releases announcing with grand language the arrival of the heir apparent to the throne of Kevin Shields.
Such is the case with M83 and these aspersions are entirely unjust. Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts is a fantastic album, worthy of praise for every reason but its falling into place behind the likes of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless and () by Sigur Ros. Relying as much on battering beats as delayed guitar to achieve their own brand of higher consciousness, M83 (primarily comprised, for this recording, of French duo Nicholas Fromangeau and Anthony Gonzalez) carve out something entirely unique from their banks of synthesizers and effects racks – a sound that falls somewhere between the score to A Clockwork Orange and Amon Tobin remixing Flying Saucer Attack. Droning morphs into hooks while beats snap warily underneath the densely layered sounds. This is as much future shock as it is headphone candy – ominous, despairing but uplifting and liberating. Yes, the synths can be a little much and, at times, the drama comes very close to becoming precious yearning, but for a generation who grew up wondering just how many layers you could put into a song, and their younger siblings who grew up gobbling E to trance music, M83 deliver in spades.
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