Search - M83 :: M83

An acquired taste

Tommy M. | Berkeley | 12/29/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is reportedly a re-release of their first album from 2001, which didn't get very wide distribution at all. It's also a much different beast from Before the Dawn Heals Us. First of all, there are no proper vocals in any of the tracks -- only snippets of dialogue and a computerized voice popping up here and there. Where Before the Dawn felt like a blend of pop rock and retro electro, this veers more towards experimental mood noodling, with the last track clocking in at over seventeen minutes as they meander from one sound scape to another.



There's nothing that feels like a proper song -- which isn't a bad thing necessarily, it's just not nearly as gratifying as Before the Dawn (or Dead Cities, for that matter). They take more stylistic risks with less ambitious instrumentation, but it doesn't have that spacey soulfulness that they've managed to cultivate since this album was recorded. If you simply must have more M83, then you'll probably find something to like here, but don't come crying to me if you feel a little confused and disappointed."

M83 Debut - The beginning of something wonderful.

Lightning Surfer | Waco, TX | 11/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the beginning, there were two members of M83 - Nicolas Fromageau and Anthony Gonzalez. The band's debut is high on intensity, diverse in mood and colorful in arrangement. It belongs at the top with the great albums of the Electronica genre. While Electronica admittedly has few albums that could be called masterpieces, the outstanding ones do hold their own against any other genre. Classics like Moby's "Play," Deep Forest's debut, Deep Forest's "Boheme" and even Sigur Ros's "Von" are now joined by this work by Fromageau and Gonzalez.



M83 is different from most Electronica acts because of their commitment to musical exploration, while artists like Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Boards Of Canada and Dirty Vegas seem focused solely on finding new rhythms and beats for the dance floor. Nothing wrong with creating dance music; however, don't expect the majority of the stuff you hear on a dance floor to have much depth and longevity once you leave the club and head for home. The emotional layers found on this debut are extremely rare in a music scene dominated by throbbing drum machines and trippy synth-bass lines.



Highlights include the stutter-speak found on "Kelly," the perfect dance anthem "Sitting," the echoing radar on "Facing That" and the unforgettable serenity of "Carresses." The North American re-release includes a solid bonus track called "Slowly." It has been pointed out that the song titles can be put together to form a sentence, which is certainly true. The band seems quite fond to do that since it could be argued that their next two albums also share this same approach albeit to a lesser extent. There is a hidden track on the North American re-release that is worth a listen as well. I am not a fan of the practice of hiding tracks in general, but this is a fifteen-year-old fad that is here to stay.



M83 would later evolve into a Dream-Pop band, but they began with Electronica. While Fromageau departed from the band in 2004 reportedly because of his dislike for touring, Gonzalez has continued to make music with the assistance of studio musicians no longer relying on drum machines, samples and sequencers. The sky is the limit for Gonzalez considering his latest masterpiece, "Before The Dawn Heals Us." This album is highly recommended for those seeking more heart for their dance floor."

Best of Three

J. grassa | Salemi, Italy | 03/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Looking to try out some M83? Try this first. Excellent synth sounds, dreamy rhythms. By far the best of three albums released to date."