M83

M83 (French: [ɛm katʁ(ə)vɛ̃tʁwɑ]) is a French electronic music group formed in Antibes in 1999. Initially a duo of multi-instrumentalists Nicolas Fromageau and Anthony Gonzalez, Fromageau parted ways shortly after touring for their second album Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. Gonzalez remains the sole constant member of the project, as the primary songwriter and lead vocalist.

The band has released nine studio albums, including the Grammy Award-nominated Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, in addition to two soundtracks. Gonzalez records primarily on his own, with numerous guest musicians. The band is signed to Mute Records and found breakout success in 2011 with "Midnight City", Hurry Up, We're Dreaming's lead single. Their sound has been described as dream pop, new wave, shoegaze, as well as ambient.

Early life

Anthony Gerard Gonzalez (born 13 March 1980) grew up in Antibes, France, together with his brother Yann. His family had a great interest in football and Gonzalez had trials with AS Cannes, while his maternal grandfather is the French international Laurent Robuschi. At the age of 14 he was injured, and turned to music instead when his parents bought him a guitar. He developed his interest in music and American culture at secondary school. With Fromageau, he formed a post-rock group called My Violent Wish.

Career

2001–2005: First recordings

At 17, Gonzalez bought a synth to record a demo, which he sent to a number of French labels. When Paris-based Gooom Records seemed interested, he recruited Nicolas Fromageau to "help me because I didn't feel like I had the shoulders to carry the project on my own". They decided to name their band M83, after the galaxy of that name.

In spring 2001, while Gonzalez was still in college, M83 released its self-titled debut album recorded on an 8-track. It did not attract much attention outside Europe until September 2005, when Mute Records reissued it for worldwide release. M83's second album, Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, followed in spring 2003 (summer 2004 in North America) to widespread critical acclaim. After worldwide touring for Dead Cities resumed, Fromageau left the band; he later formed the band Team Ghost in 2009.

Gonzalez returned to the studio to record the group's third studio album, Before the Dawn Heals Us, released in January 2005. In 2016, the song "Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun" was featured in the trailer for the film A Monster Calls starring Felicity Jones and Sigourney Weaver. Later in 2005, M83 provided a remix of "The Pioneers" by Bloc Party, which was also included on Bloc Party's remix album Silent Alarm Remixed. M83 also remixed Placebo's "Protège-Moi", Goldfrapp's "Black Cherry", Depeche Mode's "Suffer Well", Van She's "Kelly", and The Bumblebeez's "Vila Attack". Similarly, M83's songs have been remixed by Gooom labelmates Montag and Cyann & Ben.

2006–2009: Digital Shades Vol. 1 and Saturdays

Youth ===

In 2006, after the Before the Dawn Heals Us tour of the US, Anthony Gonzalez continued to explore a musical direction already heard on earlier M83 tracks and began writing and recording a collection of ambient works. The album was recorded primarily at his home studio with the assistance of Antoine Gaillet. The resulting project was called Digital Shades Vol. 1, and was released in September 2007 with a sleeve illustrated by Laurent Fetis (known for his work with DJ Hell, Beck, and Tahiti 80). It is intended to be part of an ongoing series of ambient works.