Today M83, aka Anthony Gonzalez, has shared new remixes for “Fantasy”, the title track from his acclaimed 9th studio album that was released last year via Mute. The reworkings come from breakout Berlin-based, Peruvian producer Sofia Kourtesis and Italian producer Kelbin.
Kourtesis’ remix inflicts an uptempo buoyancy that’s playful and spry, while Kelbin’s offering delivers sonic intricacies that weave together in a labyrinthian, surreal manner. Both remixes breathe fresh and respectively unique new life into the standout album track.
Speaking on the collaboration, Sofia Kourtesis says: “working with M83 has been a treat. I have been a fan of his work since some years ago, the nuances of his composición makes working on a remix for him a nice moment of creativity experience.”
The remixes follow a year of extensive and wildly-praised touring across North America and Europe in celebration of Fantasy. Last fall M83 also made fan favorite deep-cut “Mirror,” from his beloved 2011 album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, widely available for the first time. More exciting remixes will arrive this year, with further details forthcoming.
For Gonzalez, Fantasy‘s direction and aesthetic was immediately clear. “I wanted this record to be very impactful live,” he says. “The idea was to come back with something closer to the energy of ‘Before The Dawn Heals Us’. The combination of guitars and synths is always in my music, but it’s maybe more present on this new record than on the previous ones.”
Reserved in nature, Gonzalez also sought to continue a trend that has become more prominent in his recent albums. “I wanted to be more present lyrically and vocally even if that was daunting at first,” he states. “I thought if I could achieve that, this album will be more personal than those that came before.”
Fantasy, M83’s 9th studio album, proves a towering sensory delight and marks his most personal album to date, an alternate world that Gonzalez has created as an escape from the disconnected world we live in today.
Sonically expansive yet tenderly intimate, Gonzalez harnesses a juxtaposition of the unreachable and the omnipresent in a way that leaves the listener feeling unabashedly, heart-blazingly alive.
M83 is the musical vision of French multi-instrumentalist Anthony Gonzalez. Over the span of two decades, he has firmly established himself as an artist whose work transcends mere escapism in favor of full-on worldbuilding. Whether it be via his celebrated studio albums, film soundtracks, or compositions for stage productions, Gonzalez has proven that nothing surpasses his ability to perfectly encapsulate a specific time, emotion, or sense of place.
Initially sparked to inspiration from shoegaze, Gonzalez’ body of work spans and blurs multiple genres and realms, from the synth-laden dream-pop found on Saturdays = Youth to the ambient soundscapes of Before The Dawn Heals Us. He has seen grandiose global success with the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, that features explosive hit single “Midnight City”, and has performed sold out tours around the world. His career has also flourished in the film world, where he has soundtracked the silver screen for films like French director Gilles Marchand’s 2011 ‘Black Heaven’, ‘Oblivion,’ Tom Cruise’s sci-fi flick, his brother’s films ‘Knife & Heart’ (starring Vanessa Paradis **** The Guardian) and ‘You And The Night’, as well as soundtracking Cirque Du Soleil’s VOLTA.
Listen to a playlist of some of M83’s greatest musical moments to date HERE.
PRAISE FOR FANTASY:
“aerodynamic yet explosive when it needs to be; like NASA, Gonzalez never wants you to lose sight of how he brought the impossible within reach. When he belts out “beyond adventure!”—soaring with every overdubbed guitar harmony and drum fill—there’s a sincerity that cannot be manufactured.” – Pitchfork
“easily Mr. Gonzalez’s strongest album since 2011, and may be the musician’s best-ever fusion of his ambient and song-focused tendencies.” – Wall Street Journal
“A true return to form” – BILLBOARD
“What keeps M83 intriguing is their smart use of dynamics, a love for ambient bliss, and the overall immersive vibe that lures you in. Other bands might construct simpler soundtracks, but there’s more nuance and depth here.” – AV CLUB
“music so epic that it sounds like running through clouds” – Stereogum
“Anthony Gonzalez’s ninth LP shines so bright it should come with a special pair of sunglasses.” – FLOOD
“a confident and proper return” – Exclaim!
“a psychedelic journey of synths and guitars.” – UPROXX
Fantasy Remixes track listing:
- Fantasy (Sofia Kourtesis Remix)
- Fantasy (Kelbin Remix)
- Fantasy
Fantasy track listing:
1 . Water Deep
2 . Oceans Niagara
3 . Amnesia
4 . Us And The Rest
5 . Earth To Sea
6 . Radar, Far, Gone
7 . Deceiver
8 . Fantasy
9 . Laura
10 . Sunny Boy
11 . Kool Nuit
12 . Sunny Boy Part 2
13 . Dismemberment Bureau
Purchase or stream Fantasy HERE
Purchase or stream “Fantasy” Remixes HERE
Watch the video for “Oceans Niagara” HERE
Watch the Fantasy Tour Archive HERE
