The original is at 106 BPM. This is slow for dance music. Try warping the stems to 128 BPM. You will notice the vocals sound like chipmunks (bad) but the sax sounds hilarious (good). To fix this, keep the vocals at 106 BPM and stretch the drums to 128. This "poly-tempo" remix is a professional trick.
If there is one song that defines the neon-soaked, nostalgic sound of the 2010s, it is M83’s "Midnight City." Originally released in 2011 on the double album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, the track transcended indie electro-pop to become a generational anthem. Its pulsating synths, the iconic spoken-word intro, and that unmistakable saxophone solo have made it a holy grail for aspiring producers and remixers.
For musicians looking to peek under the hood of this sonic skyscraper, finding the stems (individual audio tracks separated by instrument) is the ultimate treasure hunt. Here is everything you need to know about the anatomy of "Midnight City" and where to find its constituent parts.
Anthony Gonzalez’s voice is heavily processed. The stem reveals that the raw take is pretty quiet and mumbly. The production magic comes from:
The vocals are famously pitched up to sound childlike and nostalgic. Looking at the stem, the raw take was much lower. The pitching effect (probably a combination of varispeed and formant shifting) is what gives the song its yearning quality.
But the real lesson? The vocal stem is drenched in a room mic. There is a ton of natural spill and air around the voice. It sounds like he’s singing in a concrete bunker. That ambient bleed helps the vocal glue to the washy synths.
The "M83 midnight city stems" are more than files; they are a university degree in modern electronic production. Whether you hunt down the official remix pack, extract them with AI, or simply analyze the frequency spectrum, you will walk away a better producer.
Remember: The song is about waiting for the night. Your production breakthrough might just be hidden in the silence between those stems. m83 midnight city stems
Call to Action: Have you remixed Midnight City? Share your bootleg remix using the stems in the comments below. Or, if you are just starting, subscribe to our newsletter for more "Stem Deconstruction" articles featuring Daft Punk, The Weeknd, and Justice.
Disclaimer: M83 owns the copyright to these masters. This article is for educational purposes only. Support the artist by buying the vinyl or streaming the song.
M83’s "Midnight City" remains one of the most iconic synth-pop anthems of the 21st century, largely due to its lush, layered production and that unmistakable "shouting" lead riff. For producers and remixers, obtaining the "stems"—the individual audio tracks for drums, bass, synths, and vocals—is the holy grail for understanding how Anthony Gonzalez and Justin Meldal-Johnsen constructed this "synth Sistine Chapel". The Quest for Official Stems
While a public, official stem pack for "Midnight City" was never released as a standard retail product for fans, professional-grade stems and multitracks exist through specific industry channels:
Mix With The Masters: For those looking for the ultimate deep dive, producer Tony Hoffer hosts a comprehensive Deconstructing a Mix session on Mix With The Masters. This series features the original Pro Tools session, allowing viewers to see every individual track, from the parallel processing on the drums to the intricate vocal filtering.
Commercial Multitrack Sites: Specialized services like Song Galaxy offer "Multi track" versions for purchase, which typically provide high-quality individual WAV files (stems) for performance or study.
Remix Platforms: Sites like SKIO Music maintain "wishlists" for these stems, though they are often subject to label approval for official remix contests. Anatomy of the "Midnight City" Stems The original is at 106 BPM
If you do get your hands on the stems, here is what you will find inside the DNA of the track:
The "Vocal" Lead: Contrary to popular belief, the famous opening riff isn't a pure synthesizer. Gonzalez created it by heavily distorting and pitching his own voice. Stems reveal a complex chain of crunchy distortion, delay, and reverb used to achieve that gritty, human-yet-alien quality.
Wall of Synths: The track features "layer upon layer" of keys. Production insights suggest the use of an Arturia software suite and hardware like the Roland JX-3P for those retro 80s chords.
Arena-Sized Drums: The drum stem is a masterclass in "bomb" tracks and parallel processing, creating a massive, expansive sound that feels both electronic and organic.
The Saxophone Outro: Played by James King of Fitz and the Tantrums, this isolated stem is often cited as the "finishing element" the song needed to feel complete. How to Recreate the Sound (DIY Stems)
Because official stems can be hard to find, a vibrant community of producers has created high-fidelity remakes. These resources are often the best way to "play" with the track's components: How to make the sounds from M83 'Midnight City' with DRC
Close your eyes. Imagine separating "Midnight City" into its component parts — the shimmering synth hook, that foghorn saxophone motif, the driving drum pulse, the pad beds that swell like neon, the distant processed vocals, and the spaces between where reverb and silence live. Now consider what each element reveals when isolated. If there is one song that defines the
Questions to sit with while you listen to the stems:
A short exercise:
Closing thought: Stems turn a finished product back into possibilities. They’re less about deconstruction and more about discovery — discovering hidden decisions, new meanings, and the fragile architecture of a song that feels at once familiar and endlessly remixable.
If you plan to upload your remix to Spotify or Apple Music, you cannot simply use the stems, even if you extracted them yourself. The composition and master recording are owned by M83 and Mute Records.
The best path for the average producer: Make a “Bootleg” (a free download) or use the stems as a private study tool to learn production, rather than a commercial release.
Solo the drum stem. The first thing you notice is the kick drum. It isn't just a thud; it is a weapon. M83 side-chained everything to this kick. When you listen to the isolated stem, you hear heavy distortion and a long, gated reverb tail that creates the "pumping" sensation. Production tip: The kick is tuned to the key of the song (F# minor). Always tune your kicks to the root note of your track.