M83's sophomore record, Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, is an aural representation of a city laid bare. Released years before its eventual transformation into the synth-heavy '80s-inspired pop project known as M83, this album finds the French duo embracing post-rock grandeur in all its digital glory.
Nicolas Fromageau's departure from the band marked a turning point for Anthony Gonzalez and his cohorts, who began to draw inspiration from the likes of Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This influence is palpable throughout Dead Cities, with tracks like "Be Wild" showcasing a sense of liminality that feels eerily fitting for an abandoned cityscape.
The album's opening track, "Birds," sets the tone for the record, its 54-second chant dripping in digital distortion and resolving into a soothing voice that feels woefully out of place. There is no sun; there are no birds. The lyrics are an outright lie, setting up a narrative thread throughout the album.
"M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" can be described as sonic winter: cold, dark, and bleak - much like the snow-covered cityscape it evokes. Tracks such as "Unrecorded" feel like the mission statement for the record, combining analog arpeggios with driving drums, droney guitars, manipulated vocals, and cinematic synth strings to create a wall of sound that feels both beautiful and terrifying.
As you immerse yourself in Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, it's hard not to wonder when M83 will enlist this album for its next big score. The film Hollywood has been missing out on is, arguably, its own cinematic masterpiece - one that exists purely within the realm of sound.
Nicolas Fromageau's departure from the band marked a turning point for Anthony Gonzalez and his cohorts, who began to draw inspiration from the likes of Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This influence is palpable throughout Dead Cities, with tracks like "Be Wild" showcasing a sense of liminality that feels eerily fitting for an abandoned cityscape.
The album's opening track, "Birds," sets the tone for the record, its 54-second chant dripping in digital distortion and resolving into a soothing voice that feels woefully out of place. There is no sun; there are no birds. The lyrics are an outright lie, setting up a narrative thread throughout the album.
"M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" can be described as sonic winter: cold, dark, and bleak - much like the snow-covered cityscape it evokes. Tracks such as "Unrecorded" feel like the mission statement for the record, combining analog arpeggios with driving drums, droney guitars, manipulated vocals, and cinematic synth strings to create a wall of sound that feels both beautiful and terrifying.
As you immerse yourself in Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, it's hard not to wonder when M83 will enlist this album for its next big score. The film Hollywood has been missing out on is, arguably, its own cinematic masterpiece - one that exists purely within the realm of sound.
Just listened to Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts and I'm blown away by how different it is from M83's synth-pop vibes 
. The post-rock influence is so strong here! 
Did you know that this album has sold over 1 million copies worldwide? 
And the stats on its discography are wild - like, it took them 4 years to release their first single after Nicolas left... 
Not bad for a sophomore record, right? 
By the way, have you seen the tracklist? It's got some crazy-long songs 
I just discovered this album and I'm HOOKED 
! I love how it's like a dark and moody soundtrack for a city at night 
. The way the synths blend with the guitars is so cinematic, it feels like they're trying to transport you to another world 
. And the post-rock influence really shines through - it's like Anthony Gonzalez took all these emotions and put them into music 
. I can totally see this album being used in a movie or something, but honestly, it already feels like one 
it's like they're painting a picture with sound, all dark and moody but somehow beautiful at the same time...can you imagine this album on the soundtrack for some sci-fi epic film or somethin? 
anyway, i'm convinced that m83 is secretly a genius (or crazy person) and dead cities is proof 
. The way the synths sound all distorted and cold is giving me chills every time. It's like the city is empty and forgotten, just waiting for something to happen. I love how they're experimenting with all these different sounds and textures - it's like they're trying to create this entire world through music 
it's like they're speaking a different language through music. I mean, "Be Wild" gives me chills every time 
and have you noticed how all the tracks are like, perfectly layered? Like, each instrument has its own space in the mix... anyway, what really gets me is that this album feels so... cinematic 
. You can totally imagine it being used for a film trailer or something! And I'm loving the post-rock vibes - they're like, exactly what I need to boost my productivity levels 
. I can totally see why Nicolas' departure from the band led to such a change in direction for Anthony and co., it's like they found their own unique voice in post-rock 
. The track "Unrecorded" gives me goosebumps, it's so epic and cinematic, I'd love to hear M83 use this album in a film score - can you imagine the soundtrack to an apocalyptic movie? 
. I'm all for M83 embracing their darker side - it's about time they ditched that sugary pop nonsense and got weird 
. The idea of this album being a "sonic winter" is pretty on point, tbh... who wouldn't want to immerse themselves in a wall of sound that's both beautiful and terrifying? 
... it's eerie. The way the synth sounds can be really beautiful, but also kinda haunting 
. I feel like M83 is trying to show us what music could sound like if we were the only ones left in this world. And that song "Be Wild" is so chill, I wanna just stay there forever 
. But at the same time, it's hard not to think about all the things that are wrong with our world right now... climate change, pollution, etc. It's like, yeah, we can make some great music, but what are we doing to fix these problems? 
. I'm still holding out hope that M83 will use this album for their next big film score... it'd be epic! 
What I love most about Dead Cities is how it transports you to a place that feels both beautiful and haunting at the same time. It's like a sonic winter - all cold, dark, and bleak... but in a good way, you know? 
. There's something so hauntingly beautiful about Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts - like you said, it's sonic winter 
. The way Nicolas left the band must've been super liberating for Anthony to experiment with post-rock and draw inspiration from those awesome bands 
. "Unrecorded" is giving me chills every time I listen to it - that wall of sound is just incredible! 
️ The way they blend post-rock and synth sounds is just pure magic 
And can we talk about how creepy cool "Be Wild" is? 
It's like they're painting this picture of a city that's been abandoned, but still has this sense of beauty to it. I'm obsessed with the track "Unrecorded" too - it's like they're taking all these different sounds and just letting them collide 
the way the music builds up into these walls of sound is insane i can see why they'd use it for a movie score, it's like sonic winter 
the synth stuff is sooo epic and it makes me wanna dance but at the same time it's also super depressing lol what's up with that? 
anyway, i think this album would be perfect for a movie or something like a post-apocalyptic film it's got that vibe goin' on 
. It's like people are trying to convince themselves it's some deep, post-rock masterpiece. Newsflash: it's just a bunch of noise 
. And don't even get me started on how overused all this "sonic winter" nonsense is...
I mean, who needs sunshine when you can have the soundscapes he created on this album?