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Dec 05, 2016 By Christopher Roberts Photography by Koury Angelo (for Under the Radar) M83

M83 (aka Anthony Gonzalez) released his new album, Junk, in April via Mute. Now it’s been announced that Gonzalez/M83 is the composer and artistic director of Cirque du Soleil’s New Touring Show, VOLTA. The show will debut on April 20, 2017 in Montreal under the Big Top in the Old Port. A press release describes the show as such: “VOLTA tells a spellbinding story about the freedom to choose and the thrill of blazing your own trail. Inspired in part by the adventurous spirit that fuels the culture of action sports, the show weaves the adrenaline rush of acrobatics into a visually striking world driven by a stirring melodic score.” Tickets go on sale today.

Director of creation Jean Guibert had this to say about the collaboration in a press release: “We have been following the work of M83 for many years and have always been convinced of the incredible potential of integrating his music to a Cirque du Soleil production.”

Writer/director Bastien Alexandre issued this statement: “VOLTA is a contemporary show brimming with energy, but it is also deeply human and theatrical. We were seduced by Anthony’s ability to create melodies that are both epic and poetic and transcend the heart and soul. We are honored that he agreed to lend his talent to this project.”

And Gonzalez said this: “When Jean and Bastien first approached me, I was immediately excited about the idea of working with Cirque du Soleil. Not just because they are a company known throughout the world, but also because I was deeply attracted by the story of VOLTA, and the spirit that underpins the show. The story of VOLTA is ours. It is a tale of a generation who is calling for change and I was very keen to contribute to telling this story. I’m deeply honored to be part of the Cirque team and it’s a wonderful new challenge in unknown territory for me. Ultimately, it’s challenges like this that I find so inspiring and drive me to make the music that I do.”

Tickets can be bought here.

We posted two reviews of Junk, one mixed and one rave. Also read our recent in-depth cover story on M83.