From French Castle to Studio Magic: A Classical Pianist’s Apollo Ray Electronic Evolution

Apollo Ray is a great musician, singer, and composer from London, England.

Apollo Ray is a professionally trained pianist who can also compose, engineer, produce, and mix music. He has also worked as a tour manager and as a backline and studio player while on the road.

His first album, In Orbit, was made at Echo Zoo Studios in Eastbourne and a French chateau that is hundreds of years old. It combines movie sounds, strange synths, and avant-garde styles that were influenced by David Bowie, Stereolab, and Angelo Badalamenti.

These inspirations are changed by Apollo into something that is uniquely his own. His background in classical music shows in how well he arranges each piece, and his production skills add layers of modern computerised sound that would make Stereolab happy.

The recording process started in the Eastbourne synth room of Echo Zoo Studios, where Apollo Ray learnt from house engineers how to use the equipment. But the real magic happened when she worked with Leonie Evans, a multi-instrumentalist, for six months in a castle in France.

The historical scene, complete with Knights Templar background, added to the surreal feel of the record.

That time he spent with the band Jouis, which played at Glastonbury and other big UK events, set the stage for this big solo project.

There is a clear Brian Wilson impact in the bold arrangements, but Apollo Ray doesn’t just copy Wilson. Instead, he takes the ensemble style of Pet Sounds and changes it by using current recording methods.

This mix of old and new makes moments that stop you in your tracks and haunting songs that you’ll remember for a long time.