Award-winning South Korean post-rock and post-hardcore act Apollo 18 formed in the summer of 2008 in the suburbs of Seoul. The trio released their debut EP, Red, in February 2009. In July 2009 they issued their [0] or The Blue Album full-length. Later that month, Apollo 18 performed at South Korea’s two largest summer rock festivals, the Jisan Valley Rock Festival and Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival. In September of 2009 they played at a pair of sold-out Tokyo gigs for Japanese indie label Zankyo Records fifth anniversary party. In November, Apollo 18 were awarded the government-sponsored “Hello Rookie” prize for being South Korea’s most promising young act of 2009. Soon after they began making the final installment of their three album “color” series, Violet. While creating Violet, they received government funding to re-record all of Red and used the opportunity to add extra tracks to the disc. Both the enhanced edition of Red and Violet came out in January 2010. The act’s rapid rise to top-tier status in South Korea’s rock ranks was further cemented with their “Rookie of the Year” win at the 2010 Korean Music Awards in March. In 2010 they also performed at Seoul's Green Plugged Festival, the Jisan Valley Rock Festival, and opened for Roadrunner Records' Berri Txarrak. In March 2011 Apollo 18 will embark on their first American tour. Playing 16 concerts in two weeks, the band’s itinerary includes appearances at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas and Hot Springs, Arkansas’ Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival. An eponymous U.S. tour CD compiled of tracks from Red, The Blue Album, and Violet will be available at all shows. After their American dates the group will begin work on their next anticipated album.
