( ( ( Individual band member biographies ) ) )
The fairytale of: The Gods Of Music
by Neike @pollyon Satana
What is it that makes Apollo 440 so great I had to make a homepage about them? They are by far the most musically diverse band out there, and, in experimenting, don't even do a bad job, although yes, there are some experiments that just didn't work out. Such is the nature of attempts.
Apollo Four Forty - who renamed themselves to make it clear they are not perhaps called 'Apollo Fourhundredforty' as some were led to believe in their early days (Apollo 440) - are three people and no more than that. Noko, H (or Hunter) and T-Bone are the core members and founders, respectively and more correctly addressed as Norman Fisher-Jones, Howard Gray and Trevor Gray. The latter two are brothers. Needless to say, the real names are irrelevant and one might only stumble and stop to think 'Boring names! Let's move on'. So, like. Noko, H and T-Bone. Noko, H and T-Bone. Like I said it. Repeat after me: Noko, H and T-Bone.
Said three fellows know each other from their school days in Liverpool in the UK. They all went into the music business, though at first they all picked completely seperate paths - of Noko I know he lent his skills to metal, punk and alternative music, eventually landing in the band Luxuria with the brilliant mastermind of the mysterious man "Devoto". In 1990, the three created their own band, Apollo 440 also known as the Stealth Sonic Orchestra, along with the record label Stealth Sonic Recordings.
Their main emphasis lay in remixing till their own breakthrough in 1997 with the hits Krupa and Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Dub, latter which has now aquired an evergreen status. Not that they did not make records before this, they just had different aims. Before 1997, they had released the album Millennium Fever (1994) and a few singles, all of which dwelled more in the realm of dance, rave and techno than Krupa and beyond.
When they released Krupa and it was a hit, they feared they might forever only be associated with that song and nothing else. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Dub proved them wrong, though their use of a Van Halen sample in the work proved rather painful for their finances.
Apollo Four Forty warped from studio-only work (Millennium Fever, Electro Glide In Blue) into a real band, planning to tour with songs from Electro Glide In Blue, as Krupa could be played live, afterall, in difference to songs like Astral America. Greedy as they were, Apollo Four Forty forever snatched themselves one of their guest lyricists - MaryMary / Mary Byker / Ian Garfield Hoxley, former-Gaye Bykers On Acid vocalist - , two drummers (as if one wasn't enough) - Cliff Hewitt and Paul Kodish - , a DJ - Harry K - , and whoever else they just happened to find standing around doing nothing whilst at Apollo Control - like Rej and Kenny Cougar - , and took the album live.
Inspired by the new way of making music, they dished out their next album somewhat early in 1999, calling it Getting High On Your Own Supply ... and it shocked their fans for being so non-440 in sound!
Personally, I don't get it. Does anyone read? I mean, consider it. GHOYOS is a live album, it was inspired by live gigs, it was doomed to be different, wasn't it? It's nothing like what Apollo Four Forty are with studio work, and no one has to fear they're losing their touch with music, as it's hardly an indication. So let me try that again...
... it was a live-gig inspired album!
Obviously followed by more tours, could you guess?
Finally downright sick and tired of touring, touring and touring some more, Apollo Four Forty ended the year 2000 with the singles Charlie's Angels 2000 and no more gigs, locking themselves seemingly forever back into Apollo Control and lingering in almost complete silence except for Say What (a co-production with 28 Days) and the regular output of remixes, brooding over new soundwaves, sworn to make an album at least as good as Electro Glide In Blue.
To Be Continued...