Azure | ms

There are seven (7) different artists/bands under the name Azure;

1. Azure was a German 90's emo band.
They released a self-titled 7” (Honesty Records, 1995) and split 7" with Cerulean (Crooners Club Records, 1996).
2. Azure is a female R&B/Pop Group.
3. Azure is also a trance alias of hard house producer Paul Maddox.
4. Azure is also a Finnish ghost/death metal band.
5. Azure is a jazz quartet based in France.
6. Azure is a folk death metal band from Sweden
7. Azure was the initial name of Azure Hiptronics, a jazzfunk group based in The Netherlands.

6. Sweden's extreme metal band Azure was formed in 1995 by guitarist/vocalist Robban Kanto. In the beginning the music was heavily influenced by the melodic black/death metal scene but later went on to a more technical approach when Mattias Holmgren (Embracing, Tired Tree, ex. Naglfar) and Peter Uvén (Embracing, April Divine etc) replaced the old rythm section. The lyrics theme takes place in a fantasy world created by Robban called Hevalia, but in different time periods. The latest album "King Of Stars - Bearer Of Dark" is though a continuation of where the Moonlight Legend album ended.

Discography:
King of Stars - Bearer of Dark - CD (2005 Pulverised/Deathgasm)
Moonlight Legend - CD (1998 Solistitium)
A Vicious Age Lasting - EP (1998 Pentheselia)

7. The story of the multi-national, but Holland-based, jazzfunk outfit Azure starts in 2006 when a pianist and a guitar player meet at a spontaneous jam session. Immediately sensing a musical spark, they decide to collaborate. They get together with two friends, start composing and gigging, and call the band Azure.
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After their first big concert at The Hague Jazz, they decide to work towards a recording.In June 2008 the quartet records their debut album When She Smiles, containing nine original pieces inspired by love. The self-released album gains wide critical acclaim in both the U.S. and the Netherlands. Azure's compositions, eclecticism and unique sound are given a lot of praise.

They play some major Dutch summer festivals, followed by the first tour abroad: for three weeks they play across South America, receiving a warm welcome. Two years later the band is nominated as finalist for the 'Get Your Jazz On Stage' competition, culminating in a final concert at Amsterdam's pop-temple Paradiso, for which they team up with star trumpeter Rik Mol and rap-outfit L4.

Producer and synthesizer wizard Federico Solazzo replaces the original composer/pianist, who relocates to Paris, and trumpeter Mol continues to work with Azure. Yet again a musical spark is felt and Azure dedicate themselves to composing and rehearsing new material. A brand new second album called Hiptronics is released on 7 July 2014. It presents Azure's newfound groovy, eclectic and electric sound, and features Rik Mol NYC-based songwriter/vocalist Benjamin Rhodes and rapper DNA (Surinam). Soon after the release of the second album the group decided to change the band name into Azure Hiptronics. .