M83: Fantasy (2LP)

Platinum-selling and Grammy-nominated artist M83 returns with his ninth studio album, "Fantasy." Over two decades, M83 mastermind Anthony Gonzalez has established himself as an artist whose work transcends mere escapes from reality and instead creates a whole new world. For Gonzalez, the direction and aesthetic of "Fantasy" was immediately clear. "I wanted this record to sound very impressive live," he says. "The idea was for the album to be closer to the energy of 'Before The Dawn Heals Us.' The combination of guitars and synthesizers is always part of my music, but on this new record it's maybe even more present than on the previous ones." Gonzalez also wanted to continue the trend that has been increasingly evident on his last few albums. "I wanted to be more present lyrically and vocally, so the album would be more personal than my previous projects," he says. To capture the exuberance of his mind-blowing live performances, Gonzalez changed his typical recording process. "Usually I write the demos and then go to my producer to start working on an album," he explains. "But this time it was a little different. I just wanted to feel the energy of the other musicians. I had been missing the feeling of musicians playing together a little bit."