While every member of the audience rose for Midnight City to dance and lose themselves in joy, the entire set brought you on a journey that cannot simply be coined as cinematic but rather a word that represents a visceral embodiment of life. Every multi-faceted audio composition manipulated you so effortlessly that you truly felt emotionally exhausted from a life’s journey. I felt the joy and happiness I had when I was a child, the heartbreak I felt when I lost a friend, and the love I hold for the most important people in my life. The moment M83 began vibrating the speakers, you could feel their honest and selfless presentation of everything they once were, who they are now, and their strength to stay focused, honing a creativity contained by only the best artists in the world.

The tonality and presentation of space, the audio texture, the visual cues, all are mediums composited into a live work on air rather than on canvas. It was the collaboration as a whole that made this a fine art piece and has inspired us to further our coverage of music as a form of creative process that most contemporary art magazine’s may not include.

So if I was asked what I thought of the show again, I would not say it was a gift. I would say that it was a mirror that made me reflect upon my life and the way I look at art forever.

M83_PhotoBy_TimothySaccenti_1
Image by Timothy Saccenti

5 thoughts on “M83: Why Music is Contemporary Art

  1. I can attest to how amazing M83 is live. It is a truly emotional experience, and each time I’ve seen them live, I hear their songs in a different way. Incredible band.

  2. Anthony has an amazing set of work under his belt, and I believe he deserves more recognition. He falls under the greatest artists of our time, in my opinion.
    Great work

  3. i dont think there is any argument that music is not contemporary art but there is also plenty of horrible contemporary art that is pop music.

  4. It’s hard to find words to describe M83’s music. It’s so powerful and complex and yet so real. When I listen to their more ambient songs, I feel like a little thing in a gigantic universe. And somehow they managed to transcribe this heavily produced music into a phenomenal live performance. One of the most amazing and sincere artists of our time. Thank you Anthony, and thanks to your collaborators.

  5. Didn’t get to see them at the Hollywood Bowl, but have seen them once previously. Greatest concert I have ever seen.

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