Day 3: M83 Interview, DJ/Rupture and more
DJ/Rupture
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ShareDJ/Rupture blended a dizzying array of styles, tempos, and cultures. Eastern European folk rubbed shoulders with Ol’ Dirty Bastard, dubstep, and Nina Simone. The cool breeze and shade from the trees kept revelers cool. I was fortunate to witness a wonderful festival moment during Rupture’s slot. One guy danced alone, then another joined. Then another, and another. After ten minutes there were about fifty people dancing behind the sound stage in an area that had only moments earlier seen a few sitting around texting. (CS)
M83
During “Teen Angst” I heard the words “this song is unreal” from what I’d estimate was a 15 year-old boy being exposed to M83 for the first time. My hope is that this youth will pick up a guitar, mess around with some keyboards, and release a masterful work of nostalgic synth-rock by the time he’s twenty. This world needs more Anthony Gonzalezes. The mild-mannered Gonzalez is capable of starting a party by saying a few simple words—“don’t be afraid to dance”—and letting the music take hold of that suggestion. (DK)
M83 Interview
PM: Any favorite songs to play live?
AG: I like “Couleurs”—it’s from our last album—I mean the way we arrange the song and play the song on stage its really fun.
PM: How does the sound of your live band compare with your approach in the studio?
AG: Except for the very first album I always play with musicians in the studios. I like that, I love playing with other musicians. I started to love music on the guitar, after that, I was more into the synthesizers and electronic music. I like to combine different sounds and musicians from different sides of music.
PM: Other bands from France such as Air, Stereolab or the Cocteau Twins sing in both English and French. Is it a conscious decision for you to sing only in English?
AG: Maybe, on the next album, I’ll try singing in French—I’m always looking for new things to do. I don’t really think about it—because I listen a lot to American bands and English bands. When I was a kid I would listen to rock music—and the language of rock music is English to me.
PM: What bands when you were younger did you really attach to?
AG: I was really into Sonic Youth and the Smashing Pumpkins, and I was also really a Brian Eno fan. I was listening to a lot of his “Ambient” works.
PM: “Digital Shades Vol. 1” was released in 2007—will we be seeing more in this series?
AG: Yes, if there is a Volume 1, there will be a Volume 2 for sure. The problem is, I don’t know when. I still have a lot of work to do, I still need to work on the new studio album. I have a lot of ideas—it’s more of a side project—kind of like Brian Eno had his “Ambient” series. It’s my vision of ambient music. It can also be seen as collecting some “B-sides” that don’t fit into the albums. And the thing is that I can do almost any of it in my own studio—I don’t have to go to a proper recording studio—and I can do whatever I want.
PM: Do you see yourself maybe going into the production side—producing for other bands?
AG: I’d like to—it’s very interesting to work with other bands. I’m doing that when I’m remixing people—I usually just keep the vocals and change the entire music behind it. It’s like producing just one track. I’d love if a band trusts me enough to produce an album.
PM: You’ve been recording and touring with M83 since a relatively young age. Is there anything else you aspire to do—musically or otherwise?
AG: I’d love do movie soundtracks—I love films. I have a few projects coming up next year and hopefully it’s going to work out. Nothing I can really say because nothing is definite yet.
The Very Best
One can’t help but wonder if Malawi’s own Esau Mwamwaya would be here if he hadn’t made the cunning decision to remix indie favorites Vampire Weekend and MIA. Oh well. He provided those of us who dared forego the Flaming Lips’ epic finale with a joyous evening dancehall set. One of his dancers did her moves from the confines of a metal folding chair, her broken leg preventing her from doing the one thing she was brought on tour to do. Poor girl. She gave it a go anyway, and provided those within view an adorable show of confidence. (CS)
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips delivered eighty minutes of unadulterated joy to close out a fine weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival. The band members entered in dramatic fashion through a portal in their visualization screen. Wayne Coyne, encased in his bubble, rolled out across a crowd of flailing arms. Frogs, white mice, bursts of confetti, and oversized balloons added to the grandiose spectacle as the Lips opened their set with “Race for the Prize”. After three days of sore feet, throbbing eardrums, and insufficient sleep, it was a welcome reminder of how good rock music can feel.
Coyne fumbled around with his list of the top requests for their “Write the Night” set, making playful banter with the crowd. Eighty minutes is not nearly long enough to cover every song we want to hear, but they did manage to hit several favorites. We were treated to tender, yet insistent versions of “Fight Test” and “Yoshimi pt 1”, and a rousing rendition of the saccharine “She Don’t Use Jelly”. The Lips ended the night quite predictably with the top request as selected by fans—“Do You Realize??”—their uplifting summation of beauty, happiness, death, love, and outer space.
The line to at the subway platform was packed with tired, smiling festival-goers. I was worn out myself, but I couldn’t help but smile back and think about the orange and yellow confetti being tracked through the streets and subways of Chicago. (DK)
