Last year, Apollonia dropped their debut album Tour à Tour, a collection of tracks that represented their all night long b2b2b sessions.
Now the French super-trio proudly present three EPs of exquisite reinterpretations, featuring a carefully curated selection of remixers from Dan Ghenacia, Dyed Soundorom and Shonky’s own closely-knit group of talented friends from electronic music’s underground scene, with Charles Webster, Edward, Hold Youth, Jovonn Berlin, Mike Shannon, Terence:Terry, The Martinez Brothers, and Thomas Melchior (in alphabetical order) putting their own fresh twist on Apollonia’s original works.
This month, Apollonia also takes over Miami Music Week 2016 with a legendary session on the Space Terrace b2b with Marco Carola on March 17 going well into the next day, and an appearance on the Carl Cox & Friends Stage at Ultra Music Festival on March 19, as well as performances at New York’s Blkmarket Membership on March 11 and SXMusic Festival in St. Maarten on March 12. The guys are fresh off The BPM Festival 2016 this year playing b2b2b in the jungle, on a rooftop and, to finish it all off, on the sand for their own Apollonia showcase. Find out what they love about BPM, dancing, taking risks and drinking tequila in their DJ Sounds video feature here.
The Tour à Tour remixes sees an old hand brings a totally invigorating energy to the heartfelt “June” as Charles Webster injects his experience into transforming the track into a light, leftfield-leaning soundscape. His rework takes us into dreamland, with smooth washes of synth and tinkling percussion giving it a slight tribal feel. “Mouche Tsé Tsé” gets not one but two remixes; Hold Youth (Le Loup and Seuil) give it a sleazy, electro lick with a winding bassline and naïve, 8-bit esque FX for those hazy after-hours gatherings. Meanwhile, Thomas Melchior takes thing a little left of center with his abstract rework full of odd sounds and clattering drums. Two very different versions, but both equally high-quality.
Fellow Parisian Terence:Terry aims straight for the dance floor with his mesmerising mix of “Sona.” A groove-led production, it relies on a hefty bassline together with crisp percussion and a heady set of pads that will transport you to a higher plain. New York legend Jovonn, a previous contributor to the label and an inspiration to Apollonia, also lends his talents to reconfiguring “Sona.” His version works around that gritty, jazz-infused sound. Persistent keys lead the way as a potent b-line grumbles way down in the low end and a chime keeps that top end sharp and prominent.
“Chez Michel” comes in for the rework treatment next, with Mike Shannon putting his stamp on the track. The original bassline remains intact, although it’s accompanied by rather malicious sounding synth stabs, which give it a completely different, more malevolent vibe. Ring the alarm for the next installment in this remix package as The Martinez Brothers let off a siren-heavy, bubbling dancefloor-primed cut. The New York siblings are adept at crafting naughty little club creepers and their take on “El Senor Vador” is a prime example, magnifique! Finally Edward sends us off on a mission to the cosmos with his absorbing composition, flipping “Haight Street” into a smooth, rolling piece of groovy, dreamy house music. An excellent way to close out a superb collection of mixes from a talented group of artists who connect the dots between the old school and the new generation, just like Apollonia themselves.
’Tour à Tour’ The Remixes Tracklist
APO022: Out March 18, 2016
A. Apollonia “Mouche Tsé Tsé” (Melchior Prod Dub)
B. Apollonia “June” (Charles Webster November Remix)
Pre-order available here.
APO023: Out April 1, 2016
A. Apollonia “Sona” (Terence:Terry Remix)
B1. Apollonia “El Senor Vador” (The Martinez Brothers Leap Frog Mix)
B2. Apollonia “Haight Street” (Edward Remix)
Pre-order available here.
APO024: Out April 29, 2016
A. Apollonia “Sona” (Jovonn Berlin Remix)
B1. Apollonia “Chez Michel” (Mike Shannon’s Entrée Remix)
B2. Apollonia “Mouche Tsé Tsé” (Hold Youth Remix)
Pre-order available here.
Apollonia Upcoming Dates
March 11 New York, NY @ Blkmarket Membership
March 12 St. Maarten @ SXMusic Festival
March 17 Miami, FL @ Space Terrace – Marco Carola vs. Apollonia
March 18 Miami, FL @ Ultra Music Festival – Carl Cox & Friends Stage
March 19 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic @ Barbate Beach Club
March 25 Moscow, Russia @ Metro
March 26 Bristol, UK @ Motion
April 1 Antwerp, Belgium @ Ampere
April 2 Mannheim, Germany @ Time Warp
April 9 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Dockyard Festival (Day)
April 9 Madrid, Spain @ Fabrik (Night)
April 16 Birmingham, UK @ The Blackbox
April 29 Rabat, Malta @ Groovefest
May 1 Leeds, UK @ System at Mint Warehouse
May 5 Sofia, Bulgaria @ Solar Easter
