How to make M83 'Midnight City' with DRC

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M83 - Midnight City DRC Sound Design Tutorial Banner

From France to the world, M83 quickly conquered the ears and hearts of the most curious, with their fusion of musical genres including shoegaze, dream pop, electronic rock among others. The group led by Anthony Gonzalez has managed to create a unique and fresh synth-pop/electronic sound, drawing inspiration from eclectic sources.

Formed in 1999, initially as just a duo with fellow multi-instrumentalist Nicolas Fromageau, the pair parted and went their separate ways shortly after their second album tour together. Since then the lineup of the group has seen a rotation of other members, however Gonzalez has remained the driving force, sticking to his musical dream, and navigating the band’s journey and evolution.

The track we’re interested in today,‘Midnight City’ debuted in 2011, alongside the launch of the band’s sixth album ‘Hurry Up, We're Dreaming’. Having made the move to Los Angeles the previous year, this intemporal hit reached far past the French borders of its lead creator and went on to become an international success. The song climbed through the international ranks, and was even chosen as the closing theme for the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament, also making a notable appearance in the phenomenally popular, smash hit netflix show ‘Black Mirror’, in 2016, as part of the ‘San Junipero’ episode. 

With over 764 million Spotify streams, and 374 million YouTube views, ‘Midnight City’ is a fan favourite, and an anthem in its own right. Once again, Lucas has got you covered with the secrets behind its sound design, in this week’s DRC Sound Design Tutorial.

Click here to download the Ableton project file

More than 83 minutes until midnight,
Team Imaginando

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