M83 originally started out as a two piece band, but since 2003 Anthony Gonzales functions as the sole creative force. Still, no man is an island. For his latest album, Saturday = Youth, he worked closely with the vocalist Morgan Kibby of The Romanovs and the drummer Loïc Mauri.

 — I couldn't possibly do everything on my own. Even though I feel I can achieve more by myself nowadays it is still very valuable for me to work with producers, engineers and other musicians. They come with suggestions and input which helps me to reinvent myself, even if it sometimes feel like an impossible thing to do as I have a signature sound I can't run away from.

 — It can be tricky to find the right people but at the same time it gives me the opportunity to meet a lot of other artists. On my upcoming album I work with Justin Meldal-Johnsen, a very experienced and talented guy who have worked with Beck, Air and Nine Inch Nails.

Recently Anthony decided to leave France, the country where he was born and raised. Since the beginning of 2010 he resides in Los Angeles. He explains how the choice of his new hometown was obvious to him. As he had been touring the states several times he already knew the country and had made a lot of friends in the process.

 — I had been living in France for almost thirty years and I felt I needed a change. There is just so much great about this city. Musical opportunities, good studios, an interesting music scene, great restaurants, the beaches, the mountains.

A sunny day at the Santa Monica beach may not be the first thing that springs to mind when hearing songs like In the Cold I'm Standing or Too Late. Given their romantic melancholia and almost sacral atmosphere an old abandoned cathedral would be a more fitting environment. These characteristics apply to the choice of M83 album names as well. Titles like Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, Before the Dawn Heals Us and Saturdays = Youth all convey the mood of the music in an almost uncannily exact fashion.

 — For me album titles are as important as the music. When I was a kid and went to the record store I was always drawn towards albums with a beautiful cover or a beautiful title. So I give my album titles a lot of thought. The naming is usually the last thing I do.

The core of M83 are intricate tones, lots of them, stacked together until they form an organic body of sound. The Digital Shades project refines this. This ongoing series of M83 side releases is oriented exclusively towards ambient compositions.

 — I've always been a fan of German music from the seventies and music made by Brian Eno, so I wanted to start a series of ambient albums. Some of the tracks are not that traditional though, they can even be a bit disturbing. After the M83 album I'm occupied with now I'll probably start working on the next Digital Shades album.

Nick Cave once said he regarded his song writing as a day time job. Start at 9AM, leave at 5PM. Each to his or hers own and whether the ability to be creative on command makes for better end products is up for discussion. An indisputable fact is that the inverted Cave approach of Anthony Gonzales just works. Several of his albums have received the Best New Music award by the online publication Pitchfork.

 — I can't record an album in just a couple of months, I need to assemble material in the course of several years. Sometimes two months can pass without me producing anything good at all. Then suddenly, in the course of like a week or so, I produce a lot songs. I know myself by now. When I'm not in the mood for making music, nothing worthwhile will be made.

Some of your songs are comprised of nothing but washes of sound while others contain a lot of percussive elements. How important is rhythm to you?

 — Rhythm is very important to my music but different songs require different approaches. Some songs sound better with real drums only, other ones need electronic sounds only and sometimes a combination of the Machinedrum and a real drummer is the best option. I usually play the Machinedrum in real time, tapping the trig keys, and then sequence sounds on top of that rhythm. The EFM machines are my favorites. They have such a clear sound.

What was your initial reaction to the Machinedrum?

 — It's so deep and in the beginning I felt like being in a jungle. But then I read the manual and saw the online videos and suddenly everything made sense. It's a really clever machine.

After each album release Anthony Gonzales hits the road. The last M83 tour consisted of a three piece band and for the upcoming one he would like to have even more musicians on stage, preferably backed by visuals and a light show.

 — But that is a question of budget. The more people involved, the more expensive it becomes.

Monetary concerns aside, touring also serves the important function of laying the foundation of things to come.

 — During the touring I already know how my next album will sound like. My music is evolving just like I am as a person. It's an upward motion.

Interview by Jon Mårtensson