Cinematographer world tour, and announcing my first new music in three years.
Cinematographer presale: Join the mail list for immediate access to presale tickets and early access to new music.
Image by Abby Stewart
I’m excited to announce my first new music in over three years, and launch an artistic project that has consumed myself and my team over that time: the immersive show, Cinematographer.
Part-film, part-francophile performance lecture, part disco club set, we've built this experience around a completely new collection of songs - created with Jonathan Pearce and my band. We launch the first of these this month - the single, video and extended mix of ‘Executive Assistant.’
Executive Assistant
Out everywhere Tuesday, July 28 - but you can get immediate access when you sign up for the mailing list.
Art by Theo Taylor and Daniel Blackball.
‘Executive Assistant’ is the first glimpse into the sonic world of Cinematographer, combining both live and chopped up recordings of the band (David Flyger, Stuart Harwood, Brooke Singer and Samuel Taylor), acid basslines and four-on-the-floor rhythms inspired by late-1990s and early-2000s DJ-driven pop music, and mixed by savant of all-things-electronic, Bevan Smith (Introverted Dancefloor, Glass Vaults). The song itself came out of a fortuitous songwriting session in Whanganui with clarinet player Andy Horwood.
In the spirit of this new sound, we are releasing the song in two versions:
a 4:56 single edit and
a dancefloor-optimised Extended Mix, at 7:04 - which we’re particularly proud of.
The song will be accompanied by a music video directed by Kristy Pearson, including contributions from the Cinematographer team - visual mixing by Erica Sklenars, videography by Theo Taylor and Ben Carter, design by Daniel Alexander and styling by Karlya Smith.
Made with the support of NZ on Air.
CD single listening parties - this week!
We have decided to lean into the Y2K influences of 'Executive Assistant,' and we’re releasing a special edition CD single - containing both the single and extended mix versions of the song.
We’re holding some impromptu listening parties at three record stores in the next seven days. At the events, we’ll play the Extended Mix, and also premiere one completely unreleased song (we will decide which song on each night), which will not be heard again until the shows.
• Wednesday 22 July, 5pm – Flying Nun Records, Karangahape Road, Auckland
• Saturday 25 July, 3pm – Vinyl Room, Victoria Avenue, Whanganui
• Tuesday 28 July, 5pm – Slow Boat Records, Cuba Street, Wellington
The events are free and should take less than an hour, we would love to see you there. There will soon be some events on my Facebook page if you'd like to invite friends.
Cinematographer
Presale Tickets are available - join the mailing list for immediate access.
Poster by Daniel Alexander
Three years in the making, Cinematographer premieres an all-new collection of songs in an immersive audio-visual performance, featuring visual DJing by Erica Sklenars, videography by Theo Taylor, design by Daniel Alexander, styling by Karlya Smith, lighting design by Wendy Clease, Sound by Malcolm Ibell, and a psychogeographic narrative - by yours truly.
It’s the biggest show I’ve ever attempted, and the culmination of what I learned creating Rail Land and A Synthesized Universe.
Cinematographer explores two timelines: the Situationist International in France and Italy during the 1960s, and Whanganui, New Zealand at the turn of the millennium - a mysterious, forgotten city where a new battle is being waged against what Guy Debord famously called The Society of the Spectacle.
Swapping my guitar for a vocoder, and transforming two Synthstrom Deluges into honorary turntables, we’ll connect these seemingly distant worlds through the musical language of turn-of-the-millennium dance culture, while I will be your DJ, singer, documentarian and revolutionary lecturer.
Cinematographer will start this tour in Auckland before travelling to Whanganui, Christchurch, Wellington* - and then internationally to Melbourne and London, after which I’ll join The Veils for an 18-date tour across Europe and the UK throughout November and December. More on that below.
*If you’re in Dunedin - never fear!- we have some exciting plans for my hometown - which can’t quite be announced yet.
Touring with The Veils in the EU and UK this November and December
Image by Abby Stewart
Friends, Europeans, Angles and Scots. It's been too long.
I'm delighted to be returning to Europe and the UK, touring with my heroes and friends The Veils across 18 shows, from Brussels to Bologna, Glasgow to Groningen, Lille to Leeds, celebrating their new album Fragile World.
Tickets at theveils.com.
Previous News:
2025 Performances
The team and I have been working, not just on a new album of music, but a brand new, conceptual show - a successor to shows like Rail Land.
The first chance to hear the music will be at upcoming festivals this spring. The first of these to be announced are: Great Sounds Great in Pōneke on September 6, and The Others Way in Tāmaki Makaurau on November 29.
Our new, conceptual show will have North and South Island premieres! Ngāmotu New Plymouth on October 16th, as part of Reimagine Festival, and Whakatū Nelson on October 23. To get your first glimpse of this new project, and your tickets to be first to see it, go to reimaginefestival.co.nz or nelsonartsfestival.nz
‘Submarine Bells’ at the 2024 APRA Silver Scrolls
It was a great honour to perform this song by The Chills and Martin Phillipps at The APRA Silver Scroll awards in Wellington. Martin was one of our greatest songwriters, and he made a huge impression on me when I toured with The Chills in 2016.
One of the things I remember about him was his generosity, and his deep understanding - as a fan and collector in many areas, of fandom - and therefore his fans.
Anthonie Tonnon and the Leave Love Out Of This band to play WOMAD in 2024
The band and I are ecstatic to join the line up for WOMAD New Zealand, 15-17 March 2024, in New Plymouth.
Among our peers, this festival is legendary and it's such a treat for us to be involved and see this year’s artists
I recently travelled to Ngā Motu to play a couple of songs for the line up announcement at Tui Ora. I think it was the best press event I've been to - the Womad team really know how to do an event - even a small one, and I can only imagine what we're in for in March.
Join us and get your tickets from https://womad.co.nz.
NZ Live with Jesse Mulligan on RNZ
The band and I joined Jesse Mulligan for the much-loved NZ Live slot recently. You can hear the session at this link, and watch Lockheed Bomber below.
The Leave Love Out Of This band
The Leave Love Out of This band includes hybrid electric/acoustic drums by Stuart Harwood, bass guitar/synthesized bass by David Flyger, synthesizers and samples by keyboardist Brooke Singer (French for Rabbits) and electric guitars and percussion by Sam Taylor (Nadia Reid), as well as Malcolm Ibell on sound, and Wendy Clease on lights.
Image by Pat Wilson at Welcome To Nowhere Festival
Leave Love Out Of This wins the Taite Prize
The team and I were honoured to receive the 2022 Taite Music Prize for our album Leave Love Out Of This - Independent Music New Zealand’s prize which celebrates the album.
Thanks to our co-producer, writer and performer Jonathan Pearce, our band and players, and our many collaborators and friends who made this record what it is.
Leave Love Out Of This is available now on Vinyl, CD, Digital, or as a Deluxe Edition LP, with a bonus 7” record. Buy it here at the store, from slowtimerecords.com, the Flippin Yeah store in Australia, or at your favourite record store.
All physical and digital download editions of the album come with additional music, including an extended version of Entertainment, and the final track,‘Lockheed Bomber.’
You can stream the album via bandcamp below, and you can also find it where you get your music here:
Tracklisting:
Entertainment
Two Free Hands
Old Images
Leave Love Out Of This
When I’m Wrong
Christopher
Peacetime Orders
Mataura Paper Mill
Lockheed Bomber (LP/CD/Bandcamp only)
Videos From Leave Love Out Of This:
Reviews for Leave Love Out Of This:
"Tonnon's gift is the astute juxtaposition of the personal and the political, where social issues revolve around people up against family, lovers, corporate entities or bureaucracy. But at heart, love is the pivot." – Graham Reid, New Zealand Listener
"Instead of picking the low-hanging fruit of writing love songs about the end of the world, (Tonnon) uses character sketches and historical fiction to illustrate the melodrama of the present mundanity… Tonnon writes with charm about callous corporations, the way our society devours the sacred altruism of the young, and the shifting sands of optimism and pessimism within each generation." – Lizzie Manno, Paste Magazine, USA
"When he approaches subjects like a toxic workplace or the uncertainty of the future job market, he does so with the same dramatic passion and intensity other musicians put into broken hearts. Tonnon makes music for a broken world." – Alex Behan for Stuff.co.nz
Karlya Smith has made a new double lined cotton sports sock to go with Daniel’s artwork for the album. Along with T shirts and Mataura Paper Mill Socks - they can be found at the store.
Leave Love Out Of This album credits:
Produced and recorded by
Jonathan Pearce and Anthonie Tonnon
Anthonie Tonnon - vocals, synthesizers, guitars, piano, deluge. Jonathan Pearce - synthesizers, guitars, piano. Stuart Harwood - acoustic drums, octatrack on 2. David Flyger - bass guitar. Tristan Deck - acoustic drums on 3, 6. Charmian Keay - violin on 5, 9. Matthew Bodman - string arrangements on 3, 4, 6. Charmian Keay, Nick Dow, Nathan Pickney and Kathleen Tomacruz - string quartet on 3, 4, 6, Anna Coddington - vocal on 2. Nadia Reid - vocal on 3 Elizabeth Stokes - french horn on 2, 4
Songs 1,4,7 and 9 written by Anthonie Tonnon and Jonathan Pearce
Further songs by Anthonie Tonnon. Mixed and mastered by Jonathan Pearce. Artwork by Daniel Blackball Alexander. Insert Portrait by Belinda Merrie.
Thank you to all involved, and to Karlya Smith, Nadia Reid, Jeff Betten, Darren Hanlon, Emily Crowther, Tom Healy, Emma Neale, Reuben Bonner, Marty Jones, Malcolm Ibell, Rohan Hill and Ian Jorgenson at Synthstrom, Tim Julian, Bob Frisbee, John Baker, Kat Derham, Stephen Marr, Paul Doran, and Dayne Johnston at Zambesi.
Rail Land
Rail Land is a theatrical show and experience that celebrates public transport and passenger rail.
Over three years of shows, Rail Land took myself and audiences to community venues by rail or other public transport.
Rail Land may return in some form at a future date. Until then, you can see more at the Rail Land page, including the music video for ‘Old Images.’ The video tells the story of the Dunedin Rail System - the last suburban train network in the South Island. The process of researching and filming this video eventually led to the idea for Rail Land.
You can also hear the EP, Old Images/ Songs from Rail Land, which came out of the first year of the show. It includes the singles, ‘Old Images,’ my version of the Chills’ extraordinary 1990 song, ‘Submarine Bells,’ and three live songs from the first Rail Land show. You can purchase the CD or digital copy at the store.
A Synthesized Universe
Image by Dr Ian Griffin
A Synthesized Universe is an immersive experience that combines live music with a flight through the known universe, custom animations, and mixed reality. Originally developed for a modern planetarium with animator Andrew Charlton and the Otago Museum, we’ve also expanded the show to work in traditional performance spaces, with the help of video and mixed reality artist Erica Sklenars - a.k.a Lady Lazerlight.
About this website
I aim to make this website, and the mailing list my first portals of communication. Joining the mailing list or visiting the site means you don't need to use social media to know about new releases or performances.
I have pro-technology philosophy, as long people are using the technology, not the other way around. Above all, I respect your time. This is why I have no comments, like or share buttons on this site, and why I send a maximum of four emails to the mailing list a year.
But if you’d like to get in touch, I welcome correspondence - details are at the work section.