Ayria
Encyclopedia
Ayria, pronounced area, is a Canadian futurepop/synthpop
musical project formed in early 2003 by Toronto
's Jennifer Parkin following her departure from Epsilon Minus
.
, was released on Alfa Matrix in 2003.
Debris garnered international attention and produced several club and rave hits (notably "Disease"), and a series of successful mini-tours in the United States, Canada, and Mexico
, occasionally featuring Mike Wimer of Noxious Emotion on drums.
During this period, Parkin performed guest vocals for several other projects, including Belgium
's Aïboforcen and Implant, and Mexico's Isis Signum.
As touring for Debris wound down, Parkin began writing music for the second Ayria release on her own, with production assistance from Joseph Byer, of v01d. 2005's Flicker
reflected a much more diverse and distinctive sound, with many tracks borrowing heavily from minimal techno
and early EBM
acts such as Nitzer Ebb
.
In late 2005, touring for Flicker commenced with several Canadian dates, a UK Festival (Interzone in Cardiff, the first European performance by Ayria), and a U.S. West Coast tour. 2006 saw many more opportunities for Ayria such as a first ever European tour in November as well as a debut performance in Osaka, Japan. As of 2008 Ayria was continuing a full United States tour as the supporting act for The Crüxshadows
.
The first two songs by Ayria since the release of Flicker included "The Gun Song", featured on the compilation Alfa Matrix - Re:connected [2.0], released in August 2006 and "Six Seconds On All Sides" released on Dancing Ferret
's Asleep By Dawn compilation in fall of 2006. The third full-length album, Hearts For Bullets
, was released on September 12, 2008.
Ayria's fourth full-length album, "Plastic Makes Perfect", is currently in production.
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
musical project formed in early 2003 by Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Jennifer Parkin following her departure from Epsilon Minus
Epsilon Minus
Epsilon Minus was a Canadian futurepop/trance band formed in 2000 by Bogart Shwadchuck and Jennifer Parkin. The name "Epsilon Minus" is a reference to Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World....
.
Biography
The first Ayria album, DebrisDebris (album)
Debris is the debut album by electro-industrial project Ayria. It was released in 2003, along with a deluxe edition featuring a bonus disc and alternate packaging.-Track listing:# "DOS" - 4:37# "Horrible Dream" - 5:39# "Had Something" - 5:01...
, was released on Alfa Matrix in 2003.
Debris garnered international attention and produced several club and rave hits (notably "Disease"), and a series of successful mini-tours in the United States, Canada, and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, occasionally featuring Mike Wimer of Noxious Emotion on drums.
During this period, Parkin performed guest vocals for several other projects, including Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's Aïboforcen and Implant, and Mexico's Isis Signum.
As touring for Debris wound down, Parkin began writing music for the second Ayria release on her own, with production assistance from Joseph Byer, of v01d. 2005's Flicker
Flicker (album)
Flicker is the third album by electro-industrial project Ayria, released in 2005. A deluxe edition featured a bonus disc and an extra cardboard box to store the album in.-Track listing:# "It's Been Fun" – 4:46# "Counterblow" – 5:35...
reflected a much more diverse and distinctive sound, with many tracks borrowing heavily from minimal techno
Minimal techno
Minimal techno is a minimalist sub-genre of techno. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition, and understated development. This style of dance music production generally adheres to the motto less is more; a principle that has been previously utilized, to...
and early EBM
Electronic body music
Electronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
acts such as Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
.
In late 2005, touring for Flicker commenced with several Canadian dates, a UK Festival (Interzone in Cardiff, the first European performance by Ayria), and a U.S. West Coast tour. 2006 saw many more opportunities for Ayria such as a first ever European tour in November as well as a debut performance in Osaka, Japan. As of 2008 Ayria was continuing a full United States tour as the supporting act for The Crüxshadows
The Crüxshadows
The Crüxshadows is an Dark Electro group from Florida. Their sound is made up of a combination of male vocals, electric violin, guitar, and synth...
.
The first two songs by Ayria since the release of Flicker included "The Gun Song", featured on the compilation Alfa Matrix - Re:connected [2.0], released in August 2006 and "Six Seconds On All Sides" released on Dancing Ferret
Dancing Ferret
The Dancing Ferret entertainment group is an unofficial collective name for Dancing Ferret Discs and Dancing Ferret Concerts. It was started by Patrick Rodgers in 1995 with the formation of Dancing Ferret Concerts...
's Asleep By Dawn compilation in fall of 2006. The third full-length album, Hearts For Bullets
Hearts For Bullets
Hearts for Bullets is the fifth album by Jennifer Parkin's project Ayria, released in 2008 on the Alfa Matrix label. As with the previous albums, it was also released as a deluxe edition with a bonus disc, although this time, instead of remixes, it featured covers and material by other bands...
, was released on September 12, 2008.
Ayria's fourth full-length album, "Plastic Makes Perfect", is currently in production.
Name
Parkin has stated in at least one interview that the name is a play on one of her favorite words, "aria", but pronounced "area." Nonetheless, she once playfully suggested in her blog that AYRIA stands for "Awesome, Yeah Really, I'm Awesome".Touring Members
Ayria has performed with various live members which have included Shaun Frandsen, Mike Wimer, Joe Byer (v01d), Jeff Mielitz, Justin Pogue, and Kevin Toole.Albums
- DebrisDebris (album)Debris is the debut album by electro-industrial project Ayria. It was released in 2003, along with a deluxe edition featuring a bonus disc and alternate packaging.-Track listing:# "DOS" - 4:37# "Horrible Dream" - 5:39# "Had Something" - 5:01...
(Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2003) - FlickerFlicker (album)Flicker is the third album by electro-industrial project Ayria, released in 2005. A deluxe edition featured a bonus disc and an extra cardboard box to store the album in.-Track listing:# "It's Been Fun" – 4:46# "Counterblow" – 5:35...
(Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2005) - Hearts for BulletsHearts For BulletsHearts for Bullets is the fifth album by Jennifer Parkin's project Ayria, released in 2008 on the Alfa Matrix label. As with the previous albums, it was also released as a deluxe edition with a bonus disc, although this time, instead of remixes, it featured covers and material by other bands...
(Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2008) - Plastic Makes Perfect (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, TBA)
EPs
- My Revenge on the WorldMy Revenge on the WorldMy Revenge on the World is the second album and first EP by Jennifer Parkin's project Ayria, released in 2005 on the Alfa Matrix label.-Track listing:# "My Revenge on the World" – 5:21# "Infiltrating My Way Through the System" - 5:29...
(Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2005) - The Gun SongThe Gun Song (album)The Gun Song is the fourth album and second EP by Jennifer Parkin's project Ayria, released in 2008 on the Alfa Matrix label.-Track listing:# "The Gun Song" – 3:28# "Six Seconds" - 4:36...
(Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2008)
Compilation albums
- Cyberl@b 4.0 (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2003) - square matrix 004Square matrix 004square matrix 004 is a compilation album put out by Alfa Matrix on June 1, 2004. It features some of the most recognizable tunes by four bands signed to the label: Glis, Seize, Ayria, and Dunkelwerk...
(Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2004) - ADVANCED CLUB 0.1
- Re:connected [1.0] (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2004) - United Vol.I (NoiTekk, 2005)
- Endzeit Bunkertracks: Act I (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2005) - Cyberl@b 5.0 (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2005) - Re:connected [2.0] (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2006) - Fxxk The Mainstream [vol.1] (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2007) - Endzeit Bunkertracks: Act III (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2007) - Depeche Mode Tribute Alfa-Matrix Re:Covered (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2009)
Guest appearances
- track Fuck Things Up on Audio Blender by Implant (Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2006) - track Into The Game on Eclectric (album)Eclectric (album)Eclectric is the third album by Psy'Aviah released by Alfa Matrix. A 2-disc limited edition was also made available under the title Eclectricism.-Reviews:...
by Psy'AviahPsy'AviahPsy'Aviah is an Industrial rock / Electroclash / Dark EBM band from Antwerp, Belgium.The band took form in 2004 and was mainly focused on playing live...
(Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
, 2010) - track Give It To You by Corporate Soldiers (2010)
External links
- Ayria official website
- Ayria official label Alfa Matrix
- http://vampirefreaks.com/u/Ayria at VampireFreaks
- Ayria lyrics at Industrial Lyrics
- http://www.myspace.com/ayria at MySpace