The Azoic is:
Kristy Venrick
vocals, lyrics, melodies, programming, keyboards
Andreas Kleinert
melodies, programming, keyboards, guitar
Lawrence Zalewskilive keyboards, guitar, videoEric Eldredge
programming, live keyboards__________________________The Beginning: 1996 - 1998
The Azoic are an Electronic Dance / Industrial EBM band based out of Columbus, Ohio. They officially began in February 1996 when Kristy Venrick moved to Columbus and joined Steve Laskarides and Shawn Lower in a dark musical project. They recorded their first self-released demo tape, 'the divine suffering,' in August 1996 using only a 4-track recorder mixed to DAT. In early October, they received a record contract from Worm Records and released the same material to CD, which came out in April 1997. This album received quite a bit of recognition, despite the fact that The Azoic didn't feel it was their best effort with little time to finesse the songs.
In July 1997, Steve relocated to Phoenix, due to his job, while Kristy and Shawn stayed behind, as the trio continued to produce new music. Because of the distance, it took more time and effort, plus help from several individuals to accomplish the task that lay ahead. Slowly, the recording studio was built up as The Azoic worked hard to define their sound. A year later, The Azoic's sound matured into a much stronger musical experience with 'Where Broken Angels Lie' in May 1998 on their own label, Nilaihah Records, which contained a powerful mix of ethereal female and distorted male vocals on top of eerie electronic dance rhythms. This CD showed the Industrial/Gothic genre just how much more The Azoic has to offer. Just before their sophomore release, Shawn Lower quit the band to pursue an alternate musical direction. But their story doesn't stop here.
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Moving Forward: 1999 - 2002
Steve and Kristy now had a chance to take each of their unique styles and merge them as one. Something that had not happened before. Three years later and after a lot of hard work and determination, The Azoic re-emerged with their third full length, 'forward...,' a collection of passionate female vocals and driving electronic beats. An album that allowed them to explore various styles of music that were most true to their hearts.
"After three years of re-organizing idealism and shifting their previous Darkwave sound, Venrick and Laskarides come back with a re-born EBM sound that ascends from idealism of such artist as VNV Nation, Funker Vogt, and God Module, just to name a few. Pushing heavy, attractive beat-driven rhythms, shadowy phase loops, punchy synthetic assaults, and cold seductive vocals that were not present nor polished in previous releases." ---Darkcell Digital Music (UK)
"The Azoic have stepped into an EBM sound, showing an amazing maturity in their music. The duo say that 'forward...' is the culmination of a "three year learning process and musical growth." They admit the band has "changed focus," but promise they "are still the unique and passionate band" that we knew from before. The rhythms are flawless and truly mastered, with overlaying keyboards, sudden breakdowns and complicated arrangements that keep you moving. I find The Azoic's 'Forward...' to be one of the top releases of 2001. ---Marcus Pan, Legends MagazineThe Azoic soon realized 'forward...' proved a step in the right direction, as it hit the top of several college radio RPM charts and weekly club playlists across the world. After a short tour with label mates, Fiction 8, many glowing reviews, interviews, and magazine features soon followed. Even today 'forward...' continues to be a staple on weekly playlists within the Industrial and Synthpop scene. In mid 2002, The Azoic saw a continued upsurge as they were asked to perform shows in Chicago, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Dayton, and Cincinnati, with Columbus, San Francisco, Phoenix, Washington, DC and Newark, NJ to follow in 2003.__________________________The Conflict: 2003 - 2004In July 2003, they decided to release 'Conflict,' an 8-track EP that allowed the band to again explore several styles within the electronic dance genre and gave their fans a chance to see their energy through a dynamic multimedia video. Again, this allowed for more positive exposure and further solidified their reputation within the Industrial scene. This eventually led to a record deal throughout Europe via Infacted Recordings in Germany. Infacted's owner, Torben Schmidt, has been a huge influence in the Industrial scene for over a decade, with his work in Lights of Euphoria, as a well-known DJ, and his help to establish a presence for Zoth Ommog, Bloodline, and Dying Culture Records. On February 2, 2004, The Azoic debuted their first European release, 'Forward + Conflict', which showcased their most popular tracks plus a few unreleased for the European audience.
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Illuminate Me: 2004 - 2005
2004 brought an even further progression of their sound with their fourth full-length CD (and sixth official release), entitled 'Illuminate.' After a video game release (featuring "Conflict (Turmoil Mix)" on Microsoft XBox's 'Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3' alongside vocal appearances featuring Kristy's vocals and several shows across the US and Europe, The Azoic continued to ascend. With 5 full-length releases, 2 EP's, 2 tours and over 50 shows, RMP chartings [US], #4 on the DAC charts + bullet on Native25 [Germany], #2 on the DUC charts [Netherlands], several magazine and webzine interviews (such as Zillo, Sonic Seducer, Side-Line, DNA Six, Industrial Nation, Gothic Beauty), a video, and appearances on numerous compilations, both nationally and internationally, The Azoic continued at the forefront of their genre.
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Transitions: 2006 - presentLate 2006 brought a change in the Azoic's line-up, as Steve stepped down to pursue other projects. Kristy took a hiatus from The Azoic in 2006 to focus on her record label, Nilaihah Records and perform several shows with her side project, Zoica, debuting several new tracks written with Luis Brito of GASR. However, despite this short respite, Kristy soon continued forward in late 2007 with a new studio and new members for The Azoic. She also booked shows across the US (including the Black Sun Festival) and Mexico.
Fast-forward to mid-2008: Kristy begins working on a new album, while maintaining her commitments to Nilaihah Records and her day job as an architect. November 2008 will bring the release of a new remix album, entitled 'Re:Illumination [the mixes]', along with a mini-tour with the Cruxshadows & I:Scintilla across the Northeastern US. In late 2009 or early 2010, look for the 'Corruption' [EP] with new Azoic tracks, remixes and more. In early 2010, The Azoic will unleash their new full length album and tour across the US. They also hope to perform shows abroad.Once again, even despite a short break, The Azoic prove they are not about to slow down...
