M83, the Antibes, France electronic rock project of constant member/ multi-instrumentalist Anthony Gonzalez, has always had that wide cinematic feel. Songs usually feel otherworldly, gargantuan, if not a bit sci-fi, in part thanks to the number of synthesizers Gonzalez likes to utilize. This vibe has been heard in the cinematic world in films like Oblivion and Chronicle, and now Dakar Chronicles.
This latest atmospheric soundtrack follows the documentary story of off-road cars and motorcycle enthusiasts during the Dakar Rally, an annual trek across the deserts of Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, back in the ’70s, Ginger Baker of Creem unwillingly drove part of the Dakar Rally (the original route from Paris to Dakar) in a Ford Range Rover, to go and jam with the Afrobeats pioneer Fela Kuti. Where’s that documentary?
Apart from the opening track “A Necessary Escape Part 1,” that feels like a voice might come in at any moment and croon “This is the Dakar Rally!” over sprawling moving images of sand dunes, this album itself has moments of wonderful synth wave and light shoegaze. Highlights include the closing of the opening track, which feels like an early Explosions in the Sky track with the wall of sound guitars and later on “Echoes,” a thrilling and lush synthy odyssey that has all of the bells and whistles. There is also some heavily-reverbed vocals during “Echoes,” that are easy to miss on the first listen.
“Atlas Imperial,” with layers and layers of synth and fluttering saxophones, might feel more at home during a spaceified film like Interstellar than Dakar Chronicles, though I haven’t seen the latter. While this album doesn’t really dabble in the synth funk vibe we have on M83’s 2023 album, Fantasy, A Necessary Escape proves that Gonzalez could become the next Hans Zimmer if he wanted.
