M83 enjoyed enormous success with 2006's Before the Dawn Heals Us. I liked the album, just not those creepy intros to the songs where a schizophrenic mother is talking to herself and thinking that someone is stalking her. Yes, I'm sure it weirded you out too, but if you haven't heard it yet, pick up the album and prepare to be blown away by Anthony Gonzalez and his AMAZING AMBIENT ELECTRONICA MUSIC. Of course, also be prepared to be weirded out by the aforementioned schizophrenic mother skits.

Talk of the 2006 album aside, it looks as if the new, as-yet untitled M83 album will be released in early 2008. Gonzalez is currently in the studio working on it with Ken Thomas (Sigur Rós, Sugarcubes, Cocteau Twins, Suede) and Ewan Pearson (Tracey Thorn, The Rapture, Ladytron).

Sadly that's all the information released so far about the new M83 album, but lucky for you, we've got info on a side-project called Digital Shades. Featuring tracks that Gonzalez has been slowly working on (sans pressure and time constraints) since 2006, Digital Shades: Vol. 1 is ostensibly the first installment in a series of ambient works. The album is said to be influenced by Eno and Krautrock and is named Digital Shades due to both the process by which it was recorded and the way it will be distributed. Digital, digitally... Cute! I don't quite understand the "shades" part yet (maybe he recorded it under a tree?), but it sounds cool.

Of course, be prepared for extremely creepy vocal introductions to songs about the devil trying to capture little children and their mommies when these new Gonzalez projects drop.

I'm stoked.