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Apollonia release debut album Tour à Tour
House | Wednesday 12th November 2014 | edhowe
Describing a project as an underground super-group might sound fairly contradictory, but a special case can be made for the French trio Apollonia. Made up of house veterans Dan Ghenacia, Dyed Soundorom and Shonky, the group became friends in the 90’s Parisian house scene and released records through Ghenacia’s Freak and Chic label. They are now widely regarded as the most prominent house contemporaries to emerge from France.
The album celebrates hallmarks of Apollonia's signature style; depth, simplistic melody and dance floor sensibilities. Looking at the track list, although the album’s 40-second 'Intro and Interlude' might suggest a conceptual journey, the album is more of a collection of finely produced and palpable house tracks. While the trend of many current full-length house LPs is to border into experimental territories and different genres, Tour à Tour keeps to the 90’s, groove-obsessed Parisian roots you would expect from Apollonia by combining the classic with the new.
First impressions are always important. The ambient opening 'Intro' track, made up of juxtaposing police sirens and blissful pads, gently eases the listener into the first house gem of the album, 'June'. Immediately the ears are greeted by vintage cracks and spiraling pads, which interplay with a moody, punching FM bass line. Funk-charged dance floor productions are clearly on the top of the agenda for Ghenacia, Dyed and Shonky showing off their unpretentious dancefloor prowess with tracks such as 'Chez Michel', 'Un vrai Portugais' and 'Sona'.
Making an album entirely of house music sound three-dimensional is not easy. The track 'Piano' evokes summery, soulful and feel-good sentiments similar in vibe to Maya Jane Coles’ Hummingbird, reflecting a more nostalgia moment on the album. 'Mouche tsé tsé' is the height of fun on Tour à Tour featuring Gameboy-Mario-like prize sounds with over driven raspy sax riffs, a comically wobbly bass and a tech house beat.
The lo-passed vocal sample layer looped over the repetitive hypnotic bass and 909 beat of 'Boomerang' provides a deeper and more introvert shade to Tour à Tour and leads to the albums finest moment: 'The Benshee'. Named after a spirit in Irish Mythology who is the messenger from the underworld, the deep rhythms and old school, downbeat pads construct a track with such a vivid identity yet mesmerizingly danceable.
The minimal and classy approach Apollonia take is consistent throughout the album and you get the feeling that they have mastered treading the thin line between upbeat and thought-provoking. Another fine example of this wizardry is the closing track, 'Haight Street' where the trio amalgamate Bambaataa-esque electro hip hop breaks with reflective soundscapes leaving the listener with a hint of melancholy. Fun, hedonism, poignancy and pulsating movement are all present in a body of work that has enough depth to be enjoyed both on and off the dancefloor. Apollonia are embarking on a worldwide tour this winter so do not miss out on experiencing their material performed in a live context.
Listen to Apollonia's BBC essential mix here
