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Interview with Kristy of The
Azoic V.M.U catches up with one the most best and respected electronic/dance artists in the states. We had the pleasure to write to Kristy lead vocalist and writer of "The Azoic". She gives us details on their new 2004 release, touring, and running her own label Nilaihah Records! VMU: Hey how are you? Kristy: Good. :) And you? VMU: Could you tell us the current line up and how long have you been together? Kristy:
Yes, currently The Azoic is: We've also just added Yana Krassilnikova on keyboards as part of our live shows. VMU: How many releases have you put out and who produced them? Kristy: We have 4 full length releases and 2 EP's. They are as follows: Illuminate
[CD] - 09.20.2004 (Nilaihah Records + Infacted
Recordings) VMU: Congrats on the new release "Illuminate" could you tell us a little more about it? Kristy: Sure! It’s the follow-up to our 2001 'Forward' and 2003 'Conflict' releases. 'Illuminate' is a further cultivation of our sound and style that contains a blend of electronic dance (encompassing everything from trance to futurepop, industrial and synthpop.) There are 12 tracks, including a cover of Animotion's 80's hit "Obsession" featuring a guest appearance from Frank Spinath of the well-know German band, Seabound. VMU: Could you tell us (in detail) what gear you use live and in studio? Kristy: Our studio in Phoenix consists of a Mackie D8B, Nord Lead 3, Access Virus KB, Yamaha CS6x, Yamaha DX-7, Korg DS-8, E-MU Proteus MPS plus Orchestral, Yamaha 01V Digital Recording Console (24 channel) with Yamaha MY8-AT ADAT I/O card, ADAT XT, DM-5 Drum Module, Mackie Monitors - HR824, Cubase SX3, WaveLab 5, RME Digital I/O. And live we use a Yamaha CS6x, Nord Lead 3, Sure Beta 86 and 58, Mackie 1209 and Sony MD player. VMU: Were the recordings done digital or analog? (if computer what programs) Kristy: We use an all-digital studio using a PC via Cubase SX3 and WaveLab 5. VMU: Who are your musical influences? Kristy:
Everything from 90’s German Industrial such as Evil’s
Toy and YelworC to EBM, Trance, 80’s, Trip VMU: How do you feel about the mainstream music scene in the U.S and overseas? Kristy: Most of the mainstream music in the US is fabricated by executives and isn’t always full of as much passion or substance as some of the independent artists I hear. This isn’t the case for all mainstream music, but it’s unfortunately something I see as more of the reality. In Europe you still have this, but to a lesser degree. It seems there is more possibility for the independent artists to make a bigger impact and see more success from their own merits. VMU: How was the new release accepted during your last tour? And will you being going back out again? Kristy: Very well! We were actually surprised by the overall response and sales. As for more shows, we hope to do several across the US and hopefully overseas in 2005. We’d like to accommodate a lot of cities that have been asking over the years... VMU: What do you express in your lyrics? Kristy: Whatever I am feeling or am passionate about at the creation of each song. It could be anything from the current state of our society to politics to frustrations with the world or any type of relationship. A lot of times I try to send across a message or relate to others about something I’ve dealt with or learned over the years. On this last album I wrote a lot about inner strength and opening our eyes to truth. VMU: You also own Nilaihah Records? How is the label doing? Kristy: Yes, I own Nilaihah Records and typically have a part-time staff of 3-5 interns. This year has been our busiest yet with 3 new bands joining the label, 7 releases (so far), and tons of work! I hope things continue to grow, as they have been, and people realize how talented the bands on the label are. I could go on and on, but the best thing is to peruse the website and check out the music for yourself: www.nilaihah.com
"It seems there is more possibility for the independent artists to make a bigger impact and see more success from their own merits. " - Kristy
VMU: Could you tell us what you look for in an artist? And what are some of the biggest mistakes that a group can do while submitting material?
VMU: Has a lot of the music on Nilaihah Records been well accepted in scene? Kristy: I think so. I feel the label continues to be more respected and better known with each release. I’m definitely not trying to fit the Nilaihah bands into one scene or sound, but we do appeal more so to the Industrial, Electronic Dance and Synthpop crowds. I know I’m a very harsh critic and only sign bands that I can listen to over and over. If I don’t stand behind the release 100%, then why release it? VMU: Is it difficult to run a label and be an artist at the same time? Kristy: Due to time constraints, yes. I also have a full time day job. But I am very strict with my time and focused on what tasks are most important to complete so I can try to accomplish as much as possible. It can be hard though, especially when you are burnt out of working or with money. That’s why you try to make your job as fun as possible. Good thing I love music! :) VMU: Back to "Illuminate" very good cover song! Why "Obsession" by Animotion and how did that come about? Kristy: Thank you. We’ve never 'covered’ another band’s song and were always asked if we would. It finally felt like the right time. We talked about covering several different songs, but narrowed it down to one we knew was a worldwide hit and one we both really liked. It’s a song I always want to dance to and sing along with. I asked Frank from Seabound because I love his distinct, yet passionate voice. It’s a bit unique and I thought we’d sound good singing together. VMU: So your new release getting worldwide exposure? Kristy: Yes, we are on Infacted Recordings in Germany and they market and distribute throughout Europe. Infacted is run by Torben Schmidt, one of Germany’s top DJ’s, the former A&R of the Zoth Ommog and Bloodline labels and also the creator of Lights of Euphoria. They’ve done a great job promoting us and we seem to have a strong fanbase overseas. With our debut in Europe, ‘Forward+Conflict’, we hit #4 on the DAC’s (German Alternative Charts) and #2 on the DUC’s (Netherlands Alternative Charts.) We’re excited to see how ‘Illuminate’ does. VMU: What is the best way to promote and what works for the label and The Azoic? Kristy: Word of mouth is the best promotion anyone can have. But, it takes a long time for that. You just hope you have dedicated fans... There are also many inexpensive ways to promote on the internet that we try to utilize. It can be overwhelming with all that is out there though! I also cannot stress enough how important it is to develop strong relationships with DJ’s and magazines in your genre and send them promo CD’s. Keeping yourself in the "limelight" keeps you fresh in people’s minds. VMU: Thanks very much for your time!! Any last words? Kristy: Thanks a lot Vic! Check out www.theazoic.com/azoic and www.nilaihah.com for more info and soundclips from all our albums. VM
UNDERGROUND 10/21/04 |
Hop, etc. We have
so many that it’s hard to pinpoint. I’d say 90%
of them are electronic based bands though. ;)
Kristy:
I look for bands with strong, catchy songs and lyrics,
quality production, a good web presence, excellent
promotion ethics, experience, live performances, and most
important, a desire to succeed/invest the time and
effort. Some of the most obvious mistakes are to submit a
CD without contact info, track listing, or any
information on the band. Be familiar with the label you
are submitting to. And make sure you feel really good
about what you send and think the quality and genre/style
is to the same standard of other releases on that label.
You don’t want to leave a bad first impression with
a label you respect.