There’s no mistaking the unique sound of Anthony Gonzales and his project M83. Soaring synths, reverb-soaked vocals and a true wall of sound are the trademarks that have endeared him to listeners the world over. Even though Gonzales has toured with heavy hitters like Kings of Leon and The Killers, many fans still feel Gonzales is their own little secret – though with the release of his acclaimed sixth album, that all seems to be changing.

Catching up with Gonzales during a visit to his hometown of Antibes, two years after moving to Los Angeles he’s still excited about being State-side. “I’ve always been very fascinated by California since I was a kid” he says. “Mainly because of the movies you’re watching when you’re a kid most of them are shot in California. I think it has a great music scene, the landscapes are beautiful and amazing and you have everything there to make an album. It’s a perfect city for me.”

Gonzales cites musical progression as the main factor for the move away from his idyllic Southern France hometown. “I’ve lived in Antibes for 29 years and felt like I needed a bit of a change. In Antibes it’s almost too easy, you’re surrounded by your friends and your family and I love them of course but just needed to get away from the friendly atmosphere and I wanted to go and do something for myself. Go and do something more dangerous and exciting.”

Something more dangerous and exciting has taken the form of his new epic double album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. The most recent release takes cues from all of M83’s previous albums and blends them into something new and ambitious. From soaring opener Intro with the indomitable vocals of Zola Jesus, to instrumental interludes like Another Wave From You, it is clear Gonzales has gone all-out to give his most complete work to date. “After the last album I was feeling great because I was excited to start working on a new album and I wasn’t that proud of Saturdays = Youth and I was just excited to show people that I could make a big epic double album.”

When pushed as to why he wasn’t proud of an album many consider to be a modern classic, he elaborates that “It’s not that I wasn’t proud of it. I am always proud of all of my albums but it had a feeling that it was incomplete. I don’t know it just felt like you’re doing something but it could have gone much better, which is what happened with Saturdays.”