Published by Mason Oldridge, 14 March 2023
There is dreamy synth aplenty as the French electronic outfit returns with their ninth studio album.
Leader of the project Gonzalez abandons commerciality in favour of making music for himself, fusing guitar and synth to make for otherworldly shoegaze, produced by jamming sessions.
Where there is no place for the tracks on contemporary radio, the music is perfect for a cinematic soundtrack with a solid ability to set or match the atmosphere of any particular scene.
Sounds are not dissimilar to that of Tame Impala, with the more ambitious audio touching upon Aphex Twin. Furthermore, setting the vocals against a silky backdrop draws comparison to The 1975.
Kool Nuit is the standout of the album, an almost 8-minute composition offering strings and haunting vocals before building up to create a feeling of impending doom. Unfortunately, there is not enough variation between the rest of the tracks to differentiate them from each other.
In conclusion, M83 demonstrates incredible talent producing such layered pieces, though only works as soundtracking or backing music, leaving it unlikely to impress listeners.
5/10