Following the release of his Rouge ou Noir EP, Parisian house music maestro and Apollonia champion Dan Ghenacia shares a brand new music video for his EP’s title track directed by Australian talent Lucy Dyson.
“It was important to me that the collage style animation had a lot of texture,” said director Lucy Dyson, who has previously worked with artists like Paul McCartney and Beyonce. “Frames were printed out and then re-shot to give a particular texture I couldn’t get digitally, and we mixed up the mediums used by also incorporating rotoscoped video footage to really push the surreal dream-trip experience. Taking the roulette wheel as my main visual cue, I created a surreal trip through a casino in a playful cat-and-mouse pursuit of love! This idea lends itself nicely to a tropical Ibiza-tinged psychedelic James Bond-esque licensed-to-love narrative.”
What’s the story behind this concept?
D: The concept of Rouge ou Noir is really a love story set in a dream. In the video, a man is searching for a woman in a surreal casino world, with scenes unfolding like fragments of a dream. This setting—a mix of reality and fantasy—gives their story a playful, whimsical edge. Giant chandeliers, flamingos, and cassette tapes appear out of nowhere, adding to the sense of an unpredictable, dreamlike journey. At its core, Rouge ou Noir is about the pursuit of connection, where reality and fantasy blur, and the chase becomes part of the story.
What inspired you to produce this song?
D: I wanted to make music that feels light and fun, something people can enjoy without overthinking. Rouge ou Noir has a funky, housey vibe, with some psychedelic elements that bring a sense of dreaminess to the mix. The vocal line, “Faites vos jeux, rien ne va plus. Le rouge ou le noir,” adds a cinematic feel to the song and ties into the casino theme. It’s all about creating a moment of joy, where listeners can just escape into the music.
How was working with Lucy Dyson on this?
D: Working with Lucy Dyson was fantastic, especially since we could bring in elements from my visual art into the music video. I’ve been collaborating with Jesse Rogg, the Creative Director at Stratasonic, and when he visited my studio, I showed him some of my art pieces like my plane windows and The Clock Dreamachine. The plane windows are video and photo captures I take from flights, which I then transform into wall-mounted windows showing a piece of the sky. The Clock, my Dreamachine, is a rotating device that, when viewed with closed eyes, creates flashing lights that impact the optic nerve, inducing a meditative or psychedelic state. For the video, we used the clouds from these windows to bring in that “sky” element, and The Clock became a symbolic link, echoing the casino roulette. It was all about creating a bridge between my music and visual art careers, and Lucy perfectly captured that blend of reality and dream.
Who is your favorite artist of all time and why?
D: My favorite artist of all time is Prince. His influence on my music goes beyond genre—he represents everything I love about creative freedom: funk, new wave, eclecticism, and open-mindedness. I named my trio with Dyed Soundorom and Shonky Apollonia as a tribute to him. It’s also a nod to Apollonia 6, the group he produced, and to Apollonia herself, who played his girlfriend in Purple Rain. She even gave him the iconic white guitar, a beautiful symbol of love. Prince’s music and spirit are timeless, and he continues to be a huge inspiration in my work.
What inspires your sound and musical persona?
D: My sound is a blend of influences from funk, house, and psychedelic music. Early in my career, I was inspired by DJs like Francesco Farfa, Mark E Quark, and Derrick May, who shaped my approach to rhythm and energy. Artists like Prince also inspire me with their ability to mix genres and break boundaries. I want my music to create a unique atmosphere where people can lose themselves and feel connected. My persona is about crafting an immersive experience, adding layers to the journey with each moment.
What’s the main message behind this visual?
L: The main message I think is that love is a journey, a physical real-world one, but also an enjoyable tripped-out mental journey, well worth the ride.
I like how our protagonist in the video gets lost in his own head, lost in thoughts of the woman he’s pursuing, lost in the fun part of falling in love.
Who are some of your inspirations from a visual perspective?
L: For this animated video, my visual inspiration from a music video perspective was the film maker Jim Blashfield, who has long been my favourite music video director.
Other visual inspirations were the usual stuff I keep in my bookcase, various surrealist and pop artists.
Who is your favorite artist of all time and why?
Both: Oh a tricky question for me to answer, for favourite of all time I will have to say my dad Chris, who is both a painter and a musician and has never stopped creating although he’s never been well known.
The paintings of his I have in my house I never tire of looking at, every day I notice something new in them.
What are your plans for 2025?
Both: More animating, as a form it really has no limits for me. So far, planned for 2025 are more music videos, music visualisers, a series of short experimental pieces…and this kind of ridiculous audio-visual concept-album idea I have that I have been discussing with musician friends as something not-so-serious and quite silly, but to my surprise so far they have all been seriously encouraging, so let’s see!
