Le Brassus, June 2023–Swiss Haute Horlogerie Manufacturer Audemars Piguet is happy to unveil the next step in its collaboration with Mark Ronson for his second year as Brand Ambassador. Audemars Piguet has tasked the British-American DJ, songwriter and record producer with the mission to create an exclusive and collaborative show to celebrate the closing night of the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 15.

Une sélection de Shaniah Asha Gibson / @TRP, Public Relations Cabinet
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For this occasion, Mark Ronson will put the musicians who have marked his career, alongside some of his protégés such as Lucky Daye and Yebba, in the spotlight through creative director Daphnée Lanternier’s unique perspective. Entitled Mark Ronson and his Favourite Band Ever, the concert pays tribute to the music family it brings together. The creative process of this show was captured by the camera of Lauren Luxenberg and can be discovered in the film Syncing Sounds–Live.

A tribute to Mark Ronson’s extended music family

Fascinated by music from an early age, Mark Ronson is now an internationally acclaimed DJ and producer as well as the winner of an Oscar, a Golden Globe and seven Grammy Awards. In 2022, he became Audemars Piguet’s Brand Ambassador and accepted the creative challenge set by the brand: create a collaborative track with an artist of his choice: Lucky Daye. The two artists’ creative process was documented in a series of immersive videos entitled Syncing Sounds.

This year, Audemars Piguet invites Mark Ronson to create a unique collaborative concert for the closing night of the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 15. For the occasion, Mark Ronson has asked talented artists usually working in the shadow to join him on stage. He notably invited several musicians who performed on iconic titles for artists such as Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

This group includes trumpet player Dave Guy who notably played in Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie;” drummer, composer and producer Homer Steinweiss who contributed to Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black album; bass guitarist, drummer and composer Nick Movshon who played in Bruno Mars’ “Locked out of Heaven;” saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith; multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Leon Michels and percussionist Elizabeth Pupo Walker who collaborated with the likes of Elvis Costello, John Legend and Harry Styles.

These talented, yet often little-known musicians will be gathered around Mark Ronson and his protégés: Yebba and Lucky Daye. Singer and songwriter Yebba made her debut in 2017 with her first track “Evergreen.” Since then she has collaborated with various artists including Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran and Drake. R&B artist Lucky Daye released his first EP in 2018. With one Grammy Award received in 2022 and 11 nominations, Lucky Daye has gained international fame.

Gathered on the stage of a festival that has launched the career of many artists, Mark Ronson, together with Yebba, Lucky Daye and his Favourite Band Ever, will play some of the biggest hits in his career in front of the Montreux audience. The DJ and producer worked with creative director Daphnée Lanternier, whose work in both fashion and music brought an innovative, immersive perspective on scenography. A mirror hanging over the stage and transforming into a screen during the concert will enable to connect public and artists. With its intimate atmosphere and focus on human talents, the show will bring the audience back to the essence of music.

“To put on a show worthy of that stage, you really have to
dream up a very special, memorable show, out of nothing.”
Mark Ronson
DJ, songwriter and record producer

The backstage of an extraordinary show

At the roots of these creative synergies, Audemars Piguet has prolonged the experience of music lovers by offering them access to the months of collaboration that gave rise to this closing night show. This backstage access is revealed in the new Syncing Sounds–Live video.

Captured by London-based film director Lauren Luxenberg, the mixed-format film follows Mark Ronson as he thinks up the best show possible for the Montreux stage. The viewer intimately follows the different conversations which led to the conception of the show, from text messages and voice notes to exchanges between Mark Ronson, his guests and Daphnée Lanternier. The film not only reveals the selection of artists and their repertoire but also retraces the months of preparation that culminated with a jam session organised in New York prior to the closing night of the Montreux Jazz 3 Festival. Syncing Sounds–Live can be discovered on Audemars Piguet’s website and social channels.

With this collaboration, Audemars Piguet and Mark Ronson continue their mission to promote human talent by generating creative encounters that bring together different worlds to create the extraordinary and touch the public’s heart.

Apx Music: nurturing talents and emotions

Debuted in 2019, Audemars Piguet’s music programme supports rising music talents through collaborations directly fostering the artists’ practice and development. Through this programme, the brand also seeks to foster enriching encounters between artists while inviting all music lovers to live unique music experiences brimming with emotions.

In the fall 2020, the brand launched its 180 miniseries in which international rising music artists were given carte blanche and three days to create and record an original collaborative soundtrack. Each encounter was captured by a different film director. Following up on these creative challenges, the brand has also fostered several bespoke collaborations with rising artists, including THe Lyonz, to help them explore different territories and develop their career.

In 2022, the Syncing Sounds video series marked the beginning of the partnership between Audemars Piguet and Mark Ronson. This project retraced the creative process of the British American producer as he worked with R&B artist Lucky Daye on the composition and production of a new track, “Too Much.”

This year, Mark Ronson and Audemars Piguet present a new step in their long-term partnership on the occasion of the Montreux Jazz Festival. As Brand Ambassador, Mark Ronson accompanies Audemars Piguet in its mission to push human talent further to create the extra-ordinary and touch people’s heart–a mission which resonates with the talented artisan community that the Manufacture has supported and grown in the Vallée de Joux since 1875.

“The closing night of the Montreux Jazz Festival marks the
second year in the collaboration between Audemars Piguet
and Mark Ronson, who has risen once more to a crazy
challenge. Together, we will continue to create new creative
synergies and push boundaries to develop unique and
always more incredible experiences, full of emotions”
François-Henry Bennahmias
Chief Executive Officer, Audemars Piguet