Some Kind of Wonderful
Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Justin Kleinfeld
M83'S ANTHONY GONZALEZ AND HIS PRODUCER FRIENDS PAY HOMAGE TO JOHN HUGHES AND THE BEST OF THE '80S
Blood and Guts
When it comes to explaining his songwriting and recording process, Anthony Gonzalez is a deep person. Here, he discusses the nuts, bolts and meanings of each track, from beginning to end, on Saturdays = Youth.
"You, Appearing"
The first song of a record is really important to me. It's a way to introduce the whole atmosphere of the album, to throw the basis of it. I wanted to create something soft but with a real strength to it. I wanted a track that could have come from outer space — something wide open. The best way to create this was to build the song with a soft piano base. The rest is just layers of analog synths, repetitive reverb vocals and a lost, clean-chorused guitar. I love the feeling of vacuum to this track.
"Kim & Jessie"
“Kim & Jessie” is certainly the most pop-oriented track of the record: first, because of its really simple song structure (verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus) and second, because the chorus is really catchy. It was a tricky track for me and I had to be careful with it. I like its '80s atmosphere, but I also wanted to make it personal, not just another tribute to the '80s!
This track is about two teen girls lost in the forest and getting high on drugs. To me, its atmosphere is very similar to that of Charles Burns' comics [series], Black Hole. “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears was also a great influence for this song.
"Skin of the Night"
This is the “goth” track of the album. One of the darkest, even though I think there's also a rather bright side to it, despite the omnipresence of minor chords. This track makes me think of a slow, hypererotic and kind of sleazy striptease. I picture the scene in a sordid bar lost in the Californian desert. Once undressed, the girl would tear her skin apart, her hair, her eyes — literally like a full strip. For the production, I wanted something very cold, kind of Sisters of Mercy-like. I was also very much influenced by Bauhaus' gig at Coachella 2005, which I thought was fascinating.
"Graveyard Girl"
This track is a tribute to John Hughes' movies. Since I was a kid, I've been fascinated with teenage love and social cliques in the American high schools of the '80s. The lead character of the song is a 15-year-old new-wave girl who is in total rebellion against the system. She was mainly inspired by Molly Ringwald (aka Andie Walsh) in Pretty in Pink. The aim was to get some saturated noise melting with the chorus, and some reverb, like synth-rock bands back in the new-wave era.
"Couleurs"
“Couleurs” is my idea of what a dance track should be. It's a pretty long track, divided into three main parts that, to me, act conceptually like a journey through time. It starts with an '80s dance piece combining electronic as well as electric instruments and drums in the style of Liquid Liquid. The track then moves on to a second part that is more transitory and introduces a last, much more modern part that sounds a bit like R&B with its split rhythm. Here we really focused on the drums, which are of primary importance to this track. The presence of Ewan Pearson was really precious, and we couldn't have done it without him.
"Up!"
I like Morgan's voice a lot on this track — she has a Kate Bush style that I really like. I'd always wanted to make that kind of track that stays soft from beginning to end. One of my main influences for this song was “Twist in My Sobriety” by Tanita Tikaram. “Up!” is one of the few tracks on this album for which the drums didn't receive much studio processing. The idea was to keep them as authentic as possible.
"We Own the Sky"
This is one of the most electro tracks of the album. One of my favorite moments in the song is the chorus. Its somewhat dreamy side kind of reminds me of “Farewell/Goodbye” on Before the Dawn Heals Us. I wanted the guitars to be processed in a special way, a bit like in “Heaven or Las Vegas” by the Cocteau Twins, which is one of my favorite bands ever. I also like the last part of the song, which features more acoustic instruments, like rototoms. Peculiar attention was brought to the vocals, which have an African voices style that I totally assume! Overall, it creates a rather strange mix between ethnic music and electro-pop, which I find pretty cool.
"Highway of Endless Dreams"
I really wanted this album to feature a song with no real structure, only based on a psychedelic build-up. I love the tension that emerges from this track. The picture that comes to mind is that of desperately driving through the desert at [a million] miles an hour. This track is probably the closest to the previous album in terms of production. My recipe: analog sounds, guitars and reverb.
"Too Late"
My favorite track of the record. I like the sadness and melancholy to it.
"Dark Moves of Love"/"Midnight Souls Still Remain"
Even though these are two different tracks, they are one and the same song to me. “Dark Moves of Love” is certainly the most epic track. I always like to end an album this way: with something highly orchestrated and melodramatic. My main influence for this track was Slowdive, which I think is one of the best bands in the world. “Midnight Souls Still Remain” is the only ambient track of the record, which is rather uncommon for an M83 album. It draws the album to a close. Goodnight, dreamers!
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