M83

In 2003, Frenchmen Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau enjoyed international acclaim for the album Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, a luscious blend of shoegaze aesthetics, ambient pop, and progressive textures. But M83 had been releasing material for several years, having issued their self-titled debut through the tiny but taste-making French label Gooom in 2001. The success of Dead Cities, Red Seas brought attention not only to M83, but also to the Gooom label, which helped fuel the popularity of other glitchy, sleek, and vaguely psychedelic artists like Cyann & Ben. Fromageau departed the lineup after the second album, looking to pursue solo work instead, and Gonzalez returned to the studio for a follow-up record. When Before the Dawn Heals Us appeared in January 2005, the addition of vocals and more consistent rhythms made it M83's most cohesive album yet. After finishing the subsequent tour, Gonzalez recorded Digital Shades, Vol. 1, a set of ambient songs inspired by Brian Eno and Krautrock that arrived in 2007. Gonzalez then worked with producers Ewan Pearson and Ken Thomas on the critically acclaimed Saturdays=Youth, which was released in April 2008. After extended touring in support of that album, Gonzales collaborated with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Medicine's Brad Laner, longtime vocalist Morgan Kibby, and Zola Jesus on the sprawling double-disc set Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, which arrived in October 2011. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi