Review – “Fantasy” by M83
Returning after many long years since a traditional release, Anthony Gonzalez’s M83 resurfaces to recall the strengths of previous work with a record that sounds entirely new, yet somehow familiar.
“Beyond adventure!”
If you were to ask me about M83, I would tell you that this French electronic group led by Anthony Gonzalez is the gold standard in theatrical, large-scale dream pop production. There really isn’t an act out there quite like them and their signature sound is intensely theirs. Over the years, Gonzalez has honed his craft to become an expert at what he does – so much so that he has been involved in composing the soundtracks for several independent French films, as well as the Tom Cruise sci-fi thriller “Oblivion” (which is one of my favorite movies and has a mind-blowing soundtrack that gained widespread critical acclaim). The downside to this is that M83 has almost exclusively been involved in soundtracks in the past ten years, with two notable exceptions – 2016’s “Junk” and 2019’s “DSVII,” the prior of which is M83’s weakest release, and the latter being a collection of ambient works.
In reality, it’s been 12 long years since we heard a truly memorable, entirely independent M83 record with their signature sound that had no ties to other works (if you haven’t heard 2011’s “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” then get on that, it is nothing short of a masterpiece). As a result, the announcement of 2023’s “Fantasy” was unexpected news since M83 had seemingly faded into cinematic composition exclusively, but for me it was entirely welcome to hear – especially when Gonzalez released a statement saying that the record was largely written to be performed live with a huge sound while also aiming to sound like 2005’s “Before the Dawn Heals Us,” my favorite release from the band.
Did Gonzalez live up to that goal? I would respond to that question in the affirmative, and not by a small degree (although I would add that, in addition to recalling the 2005 release, M83 seemingly revisited the strength of “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming,” as well). “Fantasy” is an intense course correction for the group and a deep return to form that was so successful that it landed this album as my tentative top record of 2023. And what about the live performances? I attended an M83 show in May of this year and was entirely blown away by the performance. “Fantasy” sounds huge live, as does the studio recording which is entirely new, yet feels familiar – from the soaring synth tones that round out the quieter, more emotional “Us and the Rest” to the consistently playful and wild title track. The highest point of the album for me is “Earth to Sea,” a nearly 7-minute long trip through the signature M83 sound with synth upon synth upon synth layered together over hazy guitars while Gonzalez’s mystical voice feels simultaneously in the background yet also somehow on top of all the noise.
I will be quick to admit that my overall rating for “Fantasy” will be significantly more generous than most critical reviews, but I really can’t help myself. This record blew me away this year and is one I have had on repeat more than any other – in part due to M83 already being an old favorite artist of mine that I have missed deeply in the years where no release seemed to match their old energy. Additionally, I would point out that seeing the tracks from “Fantasy” performed live added dramatically to the weight of this record for me. It really is meant to sound huge and Anthony Gonzalez couldn’t have been more successful in his effort which he openly admits was a gift to himself and not meant to appease commercial demands on writing and recording.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
Top Tracks:
– Amnesia
– Us and the Rest
– Earth to Sea