M83, the electronic music vehicle for French savant Anthony Gonzalez, has reeled fans in with dreamy, neural invocations of romance and innocence. With the recent release of M83's fifth album, Saturday=Youth, Gonzalez takes a decidedly nostalgic look at optimistic 80's art-pop, careening from Kate Bush-inspired guest vocals to authentic synthesizers of the era. Clubplanet sat down with Gonzalez on the eve of the hard copy release and discussed his too-good-to-be-true adolescence and why New York is his favorite city to tour.
Clubplanet: You’ve always been fixated on the 80s, but this album has a definitive youth culture vibe to it. What prompted the new-wave nostalgia?
Anthony Gonzalez: I was born in 1980, but I was a bit too young to appreciate the music the first time around. I rediscovered the music when I was thirteen or fourteen, so it was with me when I was a teenager. I love so many things about 80s music,
CP: A lot of critics have drawn comparisons between Saturday=Youth and the soundtracks to John Hughes’ films. Was Hughes a direct inspiration?
Anthony Gonzalez: I walk around a lot, looking for inspiration, but I can’t say that John Hughes was on my mind as I was writing the music. I’m always drawing from a group of concepts and emotions so the album will have a cohesive identity, but was I thinking of The Breakfast Club during the creative process? No. But I’m glad that others might think of it as they listen to the album.
CP: But is that redhead on the cover a nod to Molly Ringwald?
Anthony Gonzalez: Oh yeah! [Laughs]. Is it so obvious that maybe it seems unlikely? Yes, [the model] was supposed to look like Molly Ringwald.
CP: Kim & Jessie has all the makings of a true high school romance. Is it based on a personal experience or an idealized state of mind?
Anthony Gonzalez: It’s both. It’s a simple story of kids hanging out together. I’ve felt that way when I was younger about lots of my friends. It's a very emotional, up-beat song.
CP: It’s also, to our recollection, your first pop song.
Anthony Gonzalez: It’s certainly the shiniest song I’ve ever made so far. It’s so bright and sunny and catchy compared to the rest of my songs. So yeah, I guess it is my first pop song.
CP: Was your own teenage experience as romantic as the tracks in Saturday = Youth ?
Anthony Gonzalez: Oh yeah! [Laughs]. Is it so obvious that maybe it seems unlikely? Yes, being a teenager, for me, was a wonderful experience. I have a lot of good memories about it. I learned so many things, had so many love stories—but they were all very short. I really figured out who I was and what I wanted to do when I was a teenager. It was the best period of my life so far.
CP: Consider yourself lucky.
Anthony Gonzalez: Yeah, I know lots of people don’t feel like that.
CP: You manage to invoke a very specific music genre without sounding derivative. What’s your secret?
Anthony Gonzalez: We only use instruments coming from the 80s. Aside from the recording, we didn’t use any computers at all. But at the same time, I intend to stay true to my own vision of an album. I don't confuse inspiration with mimicking.
CP: We noticed that one of your songs is featured in a Pontiac commercial, and the song's title is "Don't Save Us From the Flames." How involved are in the decision to license your own songs for commercials and movies?
Anthony Gonzalez: It always depends on the project, and I always make sure that I agree with the representation of the song. I have the final say.
CP: You’re kicking off a national tour right now. What city are you most excited about visiting?
Anthony Gonzalez: I love playing New York because it’s such a wonderful city. New Yorkers are very responsive audience members. They never just stand there and stare at you while you play.
