M83 - "M83"

The Antibes-native duo M83 debuted their self-titled LP later that year, which finally saw its United States official release in 2005. M83 is surprisingly polished for a first-time record as compared with other electronic groups. I'm not talking production but more musical focus, at least in M83 terms.

The band does branch out a little in experimenting, as with their brief dabs in noise pop (an ode to earlier shoegazers) and lush synth transition in "Night" and with the robotic echoes that are unexpectedly not jarring in the futuristic techno track "Kelly." The following "Sitting" contrasts much of the album and much of the band's catalog with its straight-up techno beat sans any kind of vintage M83 pseudo-hybridization. That sounds weird to say but it's also weird to listen to such a consistently non-rigid M83 track.

Part of M83's allure is their willingness to adjust and vary. As noticed by many of their somewhat frenzied songs, the duo never wants to get stale. However, they sometimes hit the right dream pop note ("At The Party" and "My Face") and unfortunately never seem to want to find out where the ambiance will take them. As minute-long tracks, they sound out-of-place but then again I guess that's just M83 for you.

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http://www.dorksandlosers.com/2009/02/04/m83-m83/