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They're a brand

But Apollo 440 keeps the pedal to the metal
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By James Scanlon
For The Prague Post
June 27th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Emerging from another reclusive studio stint, the trio is poised to set new trends.
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Apollo 440

When: Tuesday, July 3, at 7
Where: Roxy
Tickets: 690 Kč, available through Ticketpro and at the venue

Everybody, it seems, has at least one or two tunes by Apollo 440 permanently lodged in their gray matter. With the band leaving their mark not only on the club and rock charts, but also on soundtracks for films such as Charlie’s Angels and Lost In Space, along with PlayStation computer games, sports tournaments and television advertisements, it’s almost impossible to ignore the antics of Apollo 440 these days.
Now based in Islington, London, Apollo 440 was launched from Liverpool in 1990 by brothers Trevor and Howard Gray (synthesizers/samplers) and Niko, former guitarist with Howard Devoto’s Luxuria, in the midst of the acid-house explosion. One of the first things they did was set up their own record label, Stealth Sonic. By 1993 the group was dishing out singles such as “Blackout,” “Destiny” and “Lolita.” Being of pedigree studio stock, they also got down to some serious re-mixing, administering radical treatment to such luminaries as U2, Manic Street Preachers, EMF and Shabba Ranks, to name but a few.
As one of the first bands to invade the dance floor with heavy guitars, Apollo 440 quickly learned the tricks of the trade. It would sample classic tunes from the past, knocking them out of all original shape before claiming them as its own.
This was indeed true of the turbo-charged “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Dub.” Based on a catchy riff blatantly stolen — or rather, borrowed — from Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love,” it brought them instant global attention. Mr. Van Halen himself, a touch jealous and peeved at the band’s success, soon decided to stretch out his cap to claim a huge chunk of the royalties.
Undeterred, the Apollo 440 trio has since developed its own identity with critically acclaimed albums including Gettin’ High On Your Own Supply (1999) and Dude Descending A Staircase (2003). Moreover, by proving to be eclectic enough to embrace ever-expanding elements of rock, drum and bass, techno and even funk, they are now in the position of setting the agenda for the dance floor. Current trends are shunned with relative ease; instead, Apollo 440 continues to blaze its own highly destructive trail.
“Working in the studio consumes so much of our time and makes it very difficult to keep up with current trends,” Trevor has said. “I can’t tell you what’s currently at the top of the British club charts. We are not interested in what’s happening outside.” He might not be, but film producers, advertising executives and fans alike await new Apollo 440 material as if their very lives depend on it.
The band seems to be in constant overdrive. “People do come up to us and ask for the Apollo 440 sound sometimes, and I guess that means we are a brand, meaning that people expect a certain quality and a certain vibe to the music,” Trevor has said. “Our stuff has been used for things like TV programs on angling, entrance music to underground caves in Germany, the wake for Princess Diana’s funeral, Miss World and the Oscars. But there’s no way these tunes were written with that end result in mind. You just make music, and if people pick it up, that’s great.”
One of the great things about Apollo 440 is that when it “puts the pedal to the metal” (a favorite Apollo 440 expression) on the live stage, tracks such as “Stop The Rock,” “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Dub” and “Krupa” become even more animated. Undoubtedly, Roxy ravers will have no problem gettin’ down to da riddim … whatever shape or form that might be.

James Scanlon can be reached at features@praguepost.com


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