Full Title - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. From electronica to ambient, M83's distinct sound is both modern & melodic. The group makes machines seem human by endowing them with a mysterious & innocent ... more »character, one that mirrors the personality of the band. The followup to their self-titled debut album, released in 2001. This new release features 12 tracks. Labels/Mute. 2003.« less
Full Title - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. From electronica to ambient, M83's distinct sound is both modern & melodic. The group makes machines seem human by endowing them with a mysterious & innocent character, one that mirrors the personality of the band. The followup to their self-titled debut album, released in 2001. This new release features 12 tracks. Labels/Mute. 2003.
CD Reviews
Good but not worth import price
Matthew Gross | Nanuet, NY United States | 12/25/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"There are a lot of things to like about this album. It was electronic French music that didn't sound like air. It was an album that relied heavily on the keyboard and didn't sound like Mu-Ziq. Most shockingly though was that the band set out to make a My Bloody Valentine record and actually succeeded. To be fair, Loveless was a once in a lifetime accomplishment and Kevin Shields' masterpiece will never be replicated with a bunch of cheesy synths. Dead Cities won't have that album's indeffinate selflife, but given what their working with, its about as close as you're going to come."
Synths galore!
Eric Westover | San Diego, CA | 08/14/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I was lucky enough to be in France a few months back and I picked up a copy of this fine album based on the pitchfork praise. I didn't know what to think when I first gave it a spin. Here's the deal...you know that anthemic synth sound at the beginning of Van Halen's "Jump?" Well, this album takes similar synth sounds, plays chords, has them drone over the entire album, adds layers of more synths, adds drums, some great droning guitar and some occasional vocals. It's like My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, but with more synths instead of guitars. If that sounds good to you, you'll love this album. However, it took me off guard at first.So yeah, four stars, it's a great album, but a few mediocre tracks keep it from being perfect."
Electronic waves of wall-of-noise beauty
discostu00 | 06/06/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are few albums over the course of a year that I will listen to that completely envelop me on first listen. "Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts" is that kind of album. It's dark, optimistic, intense, warm and soothing at the same time. It does use elements of Shoegazing, but not to the point where it seems derivative. I'd recommend this for fans of: Sigur Ros, gy!be, Postal Service, Air, Boards of Canada, Mum and yes, the sounds of Shoegazers."
Synthesizer "Loveless"
Kurt Lennon | Calgary | 06/23/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Doing for synths what MBV did for guitars, French duo M83 have created an intensely beautiful wall of sound that is sometimes so dense as to be overwhelming. Named after a gorgeous spiral galaxy in the Andromeda Strain (and not after a noxious British freeway), the music is appropriate to their moniker: it is a swirling mass of thick sound alive with mystery and beauty. The songs melt together into a glacier destroying everything in sight, but they maintain individual entities, and for every massive moment like "In Church" or "Cyborg" there are moments of fleeting fragilty like "Beauties Can Die", a fourteen minute treasure that spends most of its time in reverent silence.
Because of its import status, this wasn't in consideration for many top ten lists from 2003, which is a shame: in hindsight, it was a rather weak year for music, and this album is head and shoulders above other releases from those twelve months - even if it was only in Europe. Get it today! It is well worth the money, especially if you find it for cheaper."
Sonic Brilliance!!
E. Sajor | in my shop | 10/10/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Let me just say the sound samples available on amazon doesn't do this cd any justice you really have to hear how each track progresses to really appreciate the whole appeal of the music. If I was to describe their style simply think GYBE! that uses synths instead of guitars!! Lots of rantings and powerful cadences that makes it sound as if the world was ending right before your very ears!!
For me there are no standout tracks cause I love each and everyone of them. I would even categorize it as post punk in structure along with the likes of GYBE!, Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky but with a unique character.
Give it a try. If you like it, then this will probably become one of your all time favs."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1