Digital Shades, Vol. 1 [LP]

Originally released in online-only format (hence the title) between BEFORE THE DAWN HEALS US ('05) and SATURDAYS = YOUTH ('08), DIGITAL SHADES VOL. 1 finds M83 mastermind Anthony Gonzalez exploring the ambient side of his dreamy electro-shoegaze aesthetic. These predominantly instrumental tracks clearly call on the influence of Brian Eno's "discreet music," as best revealed on the collection's drifting opener, "Waves, Waves, Waves." Other highlights of this beautifully subdued album include "My Own Strange Path," which reverberates with wavering keyboard lines, and the spare piano piece "Dancing Mountains," a track that sounds like an outtake from Eno and Harold Budd's pop minimalist masterpiece AMBIENT 2: PLATEAUX OF MIRROR.