Belmont Agency>>Showbands>>AOC

"Look with your heart not with your eyes, in the Absence of Color." If there ever were a line that epitomized AOC, that would be it. Taken from their single "Absence of Color," they are words that cut to the heart of this supremely talented group. With a knack for incorporating everything from rock and blues to reggae and pop into their distinctive sound, AOC are adamant to defy stereotypes. "It's not about color, it's about the music," said the guitarist Stephan "Pfun Pfun" Perry. "If you take color out, then all you have is just the music." In reality, something without color is recognized as drab and dull, so don't let the name of this group fool you. Anxious to belie the trappings that go along with one's skin color, yes, but AOC are anything but bland.

Fronted by the Jackson twins, Scharod ("Danger") and Scharodrick ("Preach"), as well as Terrence "Toyy" Murphy, the AOC sound is at once contemporary and reminiscent of their musical roots. The Jackson twins bring to the table a strong tradition in gospel; deep, strong voices honed over years of church performances. Murphy's smooth soul vocals are grounded in beautiful 60's soul and the slickest of contemporary hip-hop/R&B. Meanwhile, Perry can take you back to Jimi Hendrix with his stunning guitar solos whilst Nate "Almighty" Johnson is the group's musical foundation, holding it all together on keyboards.

Formed in Atlanta, Georgia, AOC's musical career has evolved into a global sound from several years of touring in Asia. Performing in nightclubs, crooning other artists' songs night after night was an "eye-opening and beneficial experience" for the group. Since their first stint in Asia in 1992, AOC have used their time to work with renowned Asian artists, including Leslie Lewis, who is known for his work with the acclaimed Indian group "Colonial Cousins," as well as Filipino rapper, Francis M. The eight years on the road have also given them the chance to hone their live performance skills. "It is very important to perform," said Pfun Pfun. "You get a lot of artists out there that don't know how to perform, they're not as comfortable on stage."

The experience has clearly paid off, effusing a comfortable rapport with audiences. AOC performances combine high-energy dance routines, which are electrifying due to the natural synergy between the Jackson twins. "On stage our personalities are the same," said Preach, born three minutes after Danger. "We don't have to communicate and we end up doing the same thing."

And true to their name, they don't plan to limit themselves to any one style. "We've done this for so long and been in so many other cultures," said Danger. "We plan to do a pop album, R&B, jazz, gospel, we can do it all because we had to - that was a way of life."