M83 - Saturdays = Youth

at first I thought this thread title was some kind of bizarre alchemical equation

ugh, jesus, this track is terrible! didn't they used to be exciting shoegaze-y rock instead of boring shoegaze-y dance?

you're both wrong. listening to couleurs now (it's up on myspace; i missed this thread before christmas) and it's blowing me away. the guitar! who (eighties band) is it reminding me of? it's someone terribly obvious, but i can't think. anyway: windswept dancefloor apocalypso. this is what i want -- in fairness, given that they've done exciting shoegazey rock better than anyone else will ever do it, why not try something else?

glorious.

Uh, yeah, total agreement. This track is AMAZING.

Somehow I missed that Digital Shades was on Mute, too. Nice!

I'm def digging this !

from that myspace page:

M83
Album "Saturdays = Youth" (out april 2008)

The idea of youth – wasted, gilded or otherwise – has always featured prominently in M83's music. "I loved being a teenager," says Anthony Gonzalez, who is M83. "That's when I discovered music and started to take drugs and party with my friends."

That time of discovery – and of course the era in which Gonzalez was a teenager – greatly impacted the making of "Saturdays = Youth." "On this record I wanted to have the feeling of a teenager mixed with this period of the Eighties," Gonzalez explains.

If the doomy synthetic romance of his earlier work hinted at a fetish for Eighties goth staples such as Sisters of Mercy and The Cure, this album's chiming astro-pop finds Gonzalez taking a stroll on the sunnier side of the decade. Main influences for the album are English bands such as Tears For Fears and Cocteau Twins, as well as classic John Hughes teen movies such as "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles" (The red-haired Molly Ringwald look-alike on the cover is no mistake).

To realize his vision, Gonzalez enlisted the help of producers Ken Thomas and Ewan Pearson. Thomas, known for his work with Sigur Ros, Sugarcubes, Cocteau Twins, Suede and Clinic cut his teeth on outré acts such as Psychic TV and Alien Sex Fiend more than 20 years ago. Berlin-based British dance producer Ewan Pearson, who has worked with Tracey Thorn, The Rapture, and Ladytron, came on board to give this album its smooth, modern edge.

The result is "Saturdays = Youth," M83's most explicit celebration yet of how it feels to be dazed, confused and 15 years old. You can hear it on the album's first single "Graveyard Girl" – in which Gonzalez and guest vocalist Morgan Kibby (of LA-based band The Romanovs) explore the innermost thoughts of a young goth girl; "The cemetery is my home, I want to be a part of it, invisible even to the night…I'm 15 years old and I feel it's already too late to live. Don't you?"

>who (eighties band) is it reminding me of? it's someone terribly obvious, but i can't think

From the intro, at least, I am getting a serious Human League vibe. Track as a whole is pretty good, M83 seem to be getting better as time goes on rather than just relying on the same tricks with each album.

nah, it's the goth guitar bit i mean. that is someone's style. i want to say early cure, but it's just not. john mcgeogh? hmm.

U2

Yeah, there's definitely some early U2 and Simple Minds in that guitar sound. Banshees too I'd agree, maybe they all used the same pedals back then?

Yes, that guitar sound is also pretty characteristic of early Banshees (e.g. Hong Kong Garden). I have to say that this has enough bombast and teenage self-importance to turn them into the U2 for the '10s.

wow this song is awesome; as the song builds there's this layer of fuzz that keeps building until about 3/4 in; after that I like the song less but still good stuff

Somehow this completely escaped me until just now, but wow @ this song.

There's a fair chunk of True Faith in there too...

giving this another chance right now; I like it a little more now than I did back in December, but I'm already starting to get bored and I still have five minutes left to go. it's not terrible I guess, but I still think everything that came before it was twice as good, usually while being half as long.

what's up, fruity loops presets?

if air produced a new order album soundtracking imaginary john hughes coming-of-age flicks, it would sound an awful lot like this.

except that might be good, as opposed to milquetoasty fluff

is the whole album available ?

love that single

milquetoasty fluff

Hey, I happen to enjoy milquetoasty fluff!

good for you

ok, so i've only heard 3 or 4 songs, so judgment may be severely premature, but it seems to me that as burial's 'untrue' is to broody atmospherics, so is this to synth rock emotionalism, except where burial is couched in contemporary sonics, this just feels like straight up revivalism, plus a shoegaze-lite nostalgia candy coating. which is fine, i guess, music doesn't have to be all newness and danger, but just a twitch/twinge of surprise would go down well.

it would also be nice if any band in this millenium bothered to do something new besides tweak software

agreed with what was said about the sugar coat on this record. what's disappointing to me is that after hearing couleurs, i thought, hey they might be onto something new here(at least for them), but no, the rest of the record is so underwhelming. i would buy the single and then move on.

el tomboto: examples? i mean if you don't think there's ANYONE not doing it, then you'd have to list every band (including solo producers?) in the world. but i suspect you have something specific in mind? and what do you mean by "tweak" and "software"?

(btw, the above question isn't meant to be a disguised defense of the M83 album. i'm only just now starting to listen.)

I think there are possibly a good few folk bands not tweaking any software, perhaps that would appeal?

Not hugely bothered about this album, I thought the first one sounded incredibly clumsy and although I'd like to think they've maybe taken their cue from Superpitcher et al, I'm not holding my breath. Happy to give it a go though.

Members: Anthony Gonzalez, Nicolas Fromageau

It's only been Anthony in the 'band' for quite a while now.

On first listen I really like "We own the Sky"

he's got a full-time band though. he played here a few weeks ago, and it was all solo ambient whooshy stuff (midi/laptop/gtr), but two songs in he brought the rest of the band out and apologised cos Air France had left all their gear in Paris. they waved and went away again.

Does he produce with a band or just perform live with them? Interested to know because I'd assumed he still did most of it on his own based on Don't save us from the flames

Finally hearing a good rip of this whole thing and WOW.

How much does Pearson make himself felt on this? Because while "M83 only EWAN PEARSON!" sounds fantastic, I'm feeling kind of burned by that Digital Shades album.

Seriously Kids- is this worth me getting?

I was a teenage, loner punk, with bad breath, acne and shyness in the 80s.
I fucking hate that eighties disease

I liked his 00s stuff v much - teen angst, night,..flames... etc

The odd review I've read smacks of Duran Duran.
Is it as bad as this?

In the 00s I have developed a hairy hunchback,a liking for staying in my slippers and coffee table books about all boho alt sculptures.Progress.
And Sham 69's new album

here, fuck this shit: the split single with maps is 7" only. yes, i know: i used to be a vinyl snob so i get what i deserved. but my fucking turntable isn't even connected to my cunting amp right now. bastards.

if anyone comes across these tracks, y'know, just floating about somewhere, please link :)

xpost, it's amazing but not as good as Duran Duran (also, I'm not sure why people think it sounds so "80s" - it sounds like M83)

if air produced a new order album soundtracking imaginary john hughes coming-of-age flicks, it would sound an awful lot like this.

My favorite comment about this album so far is from Jonathan Bradley, who said that "Graveyard Girl" sounds like a Sofia Coppola film.

That's my favorite track and the obvious single choice.

It's the obvious single choice, but I think I like "Kim and Jessie" best.

i've heard a lot about "graveyard girl" and can't wait to hear it. (in my usual way, i've been avoiding leaks -- am waiting till next week to hear the whole thing properly.) wonderfully tantalising comparison with sofia coppola, though, given my emotional response to a) M83; b) "marie antoinette" in its entirety ...

I think it's on pitchfork.tv right now.

The video.

heh, the video really bears out the john hughes thing.

Yeah, without directly ripping, there are parts obviously inspired by Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful and (maybe) Sixteen Candles.

watching the GG video now. god. this is the pop song i've been waiting my life to hear <continues in same hyperbolic vein for several hours>

seriously, though. wow. it still doesn't do to me what, say, "lower your eyelids" or "beside the kiss" do, but that's beside the point.

I like it a lot too. I kinda wish the spoken word thing in the middle was left out, though. My least favorite songs of his all use that trick.

Yeah,I'm hoping there'll eventually be a single edit where that part is chopped.

"Kim & Jessie" is the '80s revival track I'd dreamed of, but it came too late in the game for me to be impressed

Theyre far more TFF than DD anyways.

so Couleurs is like the best thing they ever did, right

I think so!

'Kim and Jessie'

they are gorgeous.

Love the stuttering drum fills before that beautiful chord. This is sublime.

so Couleurs is like the best thing they ever did, right

not even close. i'd say large parts of "before the dawn heals us" and more than half of "digital shades" are better than couleurs.

and i absolutely adore couleurs.

I absolutely adore couleurs too, and Graveyard girl, but the best thing they've released is the Luciano mix of Teen Angst.

The only thing I don't like about this new album is its cover art. The rest is ace.

Is the "Graveyard Girl" monologue taken from something?

I like this album a lot. "Kim & Jessie" strikes me as a weird combination of these two songs:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6oKUTOLSeMM&hl=en&fs=1";></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6oKUTOLSeMM&hl=en&fs=1"; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5PP1HEFlkdY&hl=en&fs=1";></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5PP1HEFlkdY&hl=en&fs=1"; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Oh dear. Guess you can click the YouTube links.

(should have done this in first place)

and

Is the "Graveyard Girl" monologue taken from something?

No, it was written and performed specifically for the song

I honestly don't find the monologue too annoying.

nor do i! i think it's fantastic.

i don't like that monologue much but 'Couleurs' really is ace.

(I kind of love the monologue. Maybe my favourite part of that song, ha.)

I love the monologue too, but I thought "Car Crash Terror" was the best song on the last album.

anyway ulrich schnauss >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> m83

whatever i quite like both

i like m83, but the >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> stands

i quite like Garbage's first record, but MBV

The Schnauster and the Motorway83 have been mining very similar, gorgeous territories.

Yes, but der Schnaussman has the better quality control.

Agreed. M83 are like GBV

I was surprised to hear that they're supporting Kings Of Leon on the forthcoming tour.

one of the best albums of 08

thought id throw that down because it seems to be getting no love in the best of 08 threads. no album has captured the spirit and feel of the 80's like this in a long time.

yeah i will still ride for this

it got shafted in the top 10 albums of 08 thread.

Graveyard Girl is one of my favorite singles of the year.

This album is awesome.

I tried starting a thread about these guys Anoraak but no-one seemed interested, so i'll try here, since they're French and mining a similar 80s teenage universe:

sorry to go all street-team on you but I've been obsessed with this band for the last few weeks

saturday=youth is definitely top 10 for me. why don't we all go on the best of 08 thread and reverse this "shafting"? there's still plenty of the year left to go to sort this thing out.

After many listens, I don't think this is a patch on Digital Shades or Before The Dawn Heals Us.

Am I the only one who thinks 'Couleurs' is amazing but could take or leave the rest?

It's head and shoulders above the rest of the album, certainly.

Every time I think I'm totally over this album, I go back and put it on again and it's fucking awesome.

it's nowhere near their best record, but it has its own charm. seems like they've settled into a bit of a comfort zone, which is strange since this is essentially a 180 from what they were doing previously. yeah, it sounds lush as hell. but somehow doesn't come close to matching the lushness and escalated sonic bliss of the likes of 'unrecorded'

i guess i'm still playing this regularly enough that it doesn't qualify as one of those records that blows you away with its honeycomb-flair initially, before falling promptly flat.

x-post to baaderonixx in 2008, but that Anoraak track is excellent. Good work!

That group Lansing Dreiden or whatever.. they sound authentically 80's. M83 doesn't really.. There's a few 80's elements in the music, but it sounds like more of an homage than authentically 80's.

I've come to the conclusion that the song that best represents what I love about this album is "Skin of the Night"

I'm surprised at how well this album stands up - I prefer it now than when I first got it. And I'm not particularly keen on M83 otherwise or the Cocteau-y 80s music it's pastiching.

New double album drops in October.

New track here:

http://soundcloud.com/m83/midnight-city

I've come to the conclusion that the song that best represents what I love about this album is "Skin of the Night"

yes. great track.

― three handclaps, Friday, December 21, 2007 10:04 AM (3 years ago)

dsjdhjdfhdss

haha I was wondering why you quoted that

I was playing this album the other day and "Highway of Endless Dreams" blew the top of my head off; I ended up playing it 5 times in a row

When I really feel like blasting something from that album at high volume, I always play that song.