The hauntingly beautiful post-rock record from French duo M83, "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts," is a sonic landscape that conjures images of desolate winter landscapes and eerie atmospheres. The album's opening 54-second chant, "Birds are singing / Flowers are growing / Clouds are looming and I am flying," sets an unsettling tone, as the computerized voice slowly resolves into a soothing tone that inherently feels untrustworthy – a lie, much like life itself.
The record is characterized by its use of digital distortion, analog synths, and heavily compressed guitar, building blankets of sound that evoke a sense of liminality. Tracks like "Unrecorded" showcase the band's ability to craft cinematic soundscapes, with driving drums, droney guitars, manipulated vocals, and sweeping synth strings combining to create an immersive experience.
While the album may have contributed to M83's eventual shift towards shoegaze-indebted retro pop, "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" is a testament to the band's early exploration of post-rock grandeur. Released before Nicolas Fromageau left and Anthony Gonzalez began embracing more traditional song structures, this record stands as a fascinating artifact from M83's early days.
Now available on Bandcamp and most streaming platforms, "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" remains a must-listen for fans of atmospheric soundscapes and post-rock enthusiasts. As the snow falls outside, M83's sonic winter wonderland offers an unsettling yet captivating listening experience – one that will leave you questioning what is real and what is imagined.
The record is characterized by its use of digital distortion, analog synths, and heavily compressed guitar, building blankets of sound that evoke a sense of liminality. Tracks like "Unrecorded" showcase the band's ability to craft cinematic soundscapes, with driving drums, droney guitars, manipulated vocals, and sweeping synth strings combining to create an immersive experience.
While the album may have contributed to M83's eventual shift towards shoegaze-indebted retro pop, "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" is a testament to the band's early exploration of post-rock grandeur. Released before Nicolas Fromageau left and Anthony Gonzalez began embracing more traditional song structures, this record stands as a fascinating artifact from M83's early days.
Now available on Bandcamp and most streaming platforms, "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" remains a must-listen for fans of atmospheric soundscapes and post-rock enthusiasts. As the snow falls outside, M83's sonic winter wonderland offers an unsettling yet captivating listening experience – one that will leave you questioning what is real and what is imagined.
I just listened to this album "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" by M83 and it's like something out of a movie 
! The soundscapes are so immersive and atmospheric, it feels like I'm walking through a deserted winter landscape 
. The guitar sounds all fuzzy and distorted, which is super cool 
. I can see why this album was a big influence on their later work, but at the same time, it's still really unique and special 
. I love how it makes me feel like life itself is a lie 
. Anyway, if you're into post-rock and atmospheric sounds, you gotta give this a try 
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... It's like they're creating this whole atmosphere of unease, but in a good way 
. The synths are so lush and the guitar distortion is insane 
. But what really gets me is how the vocals just kinda... fade away 
. It's like, you're not sure if you're supposed to be belting out the lyrics or just kinda drifting along 
. It's like stepping into this winter wonderland, but one that's all unsettling and mysterious 
. And that chant at the beginning? Forget about it... gives me chills every time 
. The whole thing feels so cinematic, you can almost picture the desolate landscapes they're describing 
. Definitely a must-listen for fans of post-rock and atmospheric soundscapes 
. The way the vocals just kinda...disappear and come back as something else is wild 
. And can we talk about how chill this record feels despite being super unsettling? Like, isn't that what life is all about? Trying to find some sense of order in chaos? 
. The way the synths and guitars just blend together is insane 
. Do you guys think they lost their magic with this shift towards retro pop? Or is it just another direction for them to explore? 
I swear, I've been waiting for like 5 minutes just to start playing the first track. And don't even get me started on how glitchy it gets when it's buffering... it's like they're trying to torture us with poor upload speeds 
. Can't these platforms just sort themselves out?! 
. The use of digital distortion in "Dead Cities" feels like the sonic equivalent of a surveillance state – it's always watching, always listening... but what exactly are they hearing? 
. It's like Anthony Gonzalez is speaking truth to power, but through a sonic veil that's both beautiful and unsettling 
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