Governor’s Ball NYC Artist Spotlight: M83

What can be expected of M83 at Governor’s Ball?

Only days ago it was announced via the M83 twitter page that Kaela Sinclair will be joining the electronic band on a worldwide tour. She is replacing Morgan Kibby as the keyboardist and vocalist. Sinclair was chosen after M83 posted a message in February looking for applicants to replace Kibby who has decided to pursue her solo career. This is not the first time M83 has accepted applications looking for new members. Back in 2011, it was 19 year old Jordan Lawlor who was chosen to join. He is still in the band today and may be touring with them in 2016.

M83 is set to take over Governor’s ball on June 4th alongside acts like The Killers and Mac Miller. M83 will be one of the few “electronic” acts to perform that day. Although they are considered electronic, their lives shows are much more than that. Anthony Gonzalez will be the man operating the soundboard for their much anticipated performance. Kaela Sinclair will obviously be taking over the keyboard and acting as a vocalist. M83 is not similar to most electronics acts you would see today. First off, they have been around much longer than any other electronic act performing at Governor’s Ball. They originally hail from France and started out right around the time Daft Punk was becoming huge. At times the tempo and pace of their music tends to be slower and more soothing than most. Thankfully, they are nothing similar to the typical “big room” you hear today. M83 often collaborates with multiple artists and incorporates many different instruments into their songs before they are complete. Don’t doubt the fact that they will have have you dancing non-stop and possibly unleashing your inner darkness during their set.

On March 1, 2016 is was announced that their seventh studio album, Junk, is set to be released on April 8, 2016. During their performance it’s more than likely that M83 will be letting loose a bevy of new tracks from their latest album. However, they’ll definitely be unleashing the parts of their dark side that fans yearn for throughout their performance. We can certainly expect to hear the classics “Wait” and “Midnight City” from their sixth studio album. Not much is currently known about their seventh album. A clip for the first song off the album, “Do It Try It”, was released only days ago. After their sixth album was Grammy nominated and Gonzalez was asked about the seventh on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show, he was quoted saying, “It was my most successful album and because of that, I didn’t feel any pressure because I just told myself, well, you had an amazing success with the previous album so now you can do whatever you wanna do, so just experiment and have fun with your music and just put it out.”

Perhaps the name of the first single, “Do It, Try It”, is a message about their latest album. It’s very possible M83 could be venturing away from their normal dark and forbidding sound on their seventh album. If you haven’t listened to the latest single off of it, check it out. It may not be what you’re normally accustomed to expect from M83. We look forward to their performance at Randall’s Island on June 4th.

Background on M83

Originally a two man duo, M83 was formed in 2001 by Frenchmen Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau. Originating from a French boy’s desire to conquer the galaxy with the power of music, M83 has come a long way over the years. Several members of the electronic band have come and gone, however M83 has not stopped their pursuit of perfection. The mastermind, founder, and leader of M83 is Anthony Gonzalez. Gonzalez currently collaborates and works with five artists, Jordan Lawlor, Loic Maurin, Kaela Sinclair, and Ian Young. Each is considered a part of the band, but not everyone tours together. They have released two soundtracks and six studio albums, including the Grammy nominated, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. This was their sixth album to date and first ever double album released.

In mid 2011 the world renowned song and first off the album, Midnight City was released for streaming and download. Gonzalez commented on the majority of the tracks in the album being “very, very dark” and the album was generally “about dreaming”. The darkness can certainly be felt in Midnight City and the dream effect is captured perfectly by Wait. Midnight City went platinum in both the United States and France. It went on to claim even more fame in 2013 after being featured in Gucci’s ad with Blake Lively (see link below).

After the Grammy nomination, it was announced in 2012 that M83 would compose the soundtrack for the science fiction thriller Oblivion, featuring actor Tom Cruise. Chosen by director Thomas Kosinski, M83’s powerful and dark compositions fit the movie perfectly. Kosinski is also responsible for directing Tron: Legacy, who’s soundtrack was created by none other than Daft Punk. When asked why M83 was chosen, Kosinski said he needed an artist “who fit the themes and story I was trying to tell.” M83 did not disappoint, their passionate and ominous tracks provide a roller coaster of emotions throughout the whole movie. They also have tracks featured in the very popular “Divergent” movie series.

Connect with Governor’s Ball:
https://www.facebook.com/GovernorsBall
https://www.twitter.com/GovBallNYC
https://www.instagram.com/govballnyc
http://www.governorsballmusicfestival.com

Connect with M83:
https://www.facebook.com/M83Official
https://www.twitter.com/M83news
http://ilovem83.com

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