Azar Swan played their first show on November 10, 2012, followed by notable direct support slots with Prurient, White Lung, Cut Hands, King Dude, Tamaryn and David J, and a BUST Magazine showcase with JD Samson and MEN.

Variations was notable for being the first time that both William Bennett (of Whitehouse) and Dominick Fernow (of Prurient), both widely recognized as two of the most significant pioneering figures in power electronics and noise music, had been featured on the same release.

Both albums were reviewed favorably [5][6] by NPR while Revolver Magazine said that Empire Grave showed an "unmatched capability to create unsettlingly gorgeous dance-floor bangers that are highly listenable yet tremendously unique among their contemporaries.

"[7] Azar Swan has released a number of covers including interpretations of songs by David Bowie, Marianne Faithfull, Leonard Cohen, and Bananarama.

Atash's sleep disorder,[8] childhood hallucinations,[9] and synesthesia[10] are the impetus for much of Azar Swan's lyrical imagery, which she has described as "living in the space between dreams and reality"[11] and "hallucinogenic realism".