M83’s website describes the Digital Shades project as, “a collection of B-sides and unused tracks destined for the hardcore fan base;” songs that were too good to abandon entirely but never quite fit a certain studio album.

The band’s primary member, Anthony Gonzalez, explained that, “With Digital Shades Vol. 2, I wanted to come back with something stronger that featured the depth of a proper studio album without the pressure of providing pop music – faraway from Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming and Junk.”

Since his last album in 2016, Gonzalez moved to Montreal to create the music for Cirque du Soleil’s Volta. He expressed gratitude for the experience, but ultimately returned home exhausted. “My job was not to decide,” he wrote. “I was there to provide.”

After moving back home in 2017 to Antibes in the Côte d’Azur of France, Gonzalez found himself enthralled by the nostalgia of his old ‘80s video games. He credits games like The Legend of Zelda, Phantasy Star II, Solomon’s Key, and more, as well as numerous movies and albums mostly from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s as his inspiration for DSVII.

“It felt so refreshing to play all of these old school games again. There is something so naive and touching about them. It’s simple and imperfect. And this is exactly what I tried to achieve with Digital Shades Vol. 2.”

The M83 frontman explained further that he wanted to consume “older art” in an effort to surround himself with nature and the past. That’s why only vintage analogue equipment was used in creating DSVII.

“This is how Digital Shades became an excuse to give a second life to some tracks instead of letting them disappear into the void,” said Gonzalez on the intersection between old and new.

DSVII will be available starting on 20 September and can be pre-ordered here: http://m83.it/DSVIIWe