Yes, I know, there has been no talk of a new post-Hurry Up, We're Dreaming album. However, being a long time fan, I've watch them evolve and devolve, touching on all kinds of genres along the way. I've recently been listening to old albums, which I tend to do when I'm out of new music. Specifically M83's Digital Shades Vol. 1 (2007). This studio album features only Anthony Gonzalez and a bunch of instrumental tunes, not unlike the transition tracks off of Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. It's music that I love, and what makes M83 such a good band.
A couple weeks ago I saw M83 at LA's FYF Festival. This was a festival that showcased everybody from Atlas Sound to Turbonegro, and everything in between Needless to say it produced a rather diverse crowd. I got to the front for M83's set and was pleasantly surprised to hear long-haired rockers next to dirty hipsters, singing along to every song they played. M83 had bridged a gap that I had thought was unbridgeable.
These stories do intersect, I promise.
Digital Shades Vol. 1 is not the kind of album you sing along to (apart from maybe the stand-out track Coloring The Void. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdZldQH4ItI ). It also wasn't meant to be a sing-along album. Elephant in the room: The title Digital Shades Vol. 1 kind of lends itself to a follow-up album (which I'm hazarding a guess would have Vol. 2 somewhere in the name). It's been 5 years since the instrumental album's release, which was followed by Saturdays = Youth (2008) and Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011). So what is their next move?
Their most recent album has accumulated a large fan base, but a fan base that I doubt went home and downloaded the rest of their old albums. Or maybe they did and were in for a surprise when they took a listen. So has the newfound fame affected their style at all? Did they have a Vol. 2 set for release soon? If they did, it would be interesting to listen in on what they plan to do. Stick with the plan and release the instrumental music that they love so much, but risk losing a fan base? Or throw some catchy lyrics on top of the figurative Vol. 2 and please their new fans? There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
This isn't to say I'd be sad if they made more catchy electro-synth anthems. Either way they go I'll be buying (and undoubtedly overlistening) to the figurative new album. But which way will they go?
Well Vol. 1's closing track just played out. I guess a fitting time to end this post.
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