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Cionico
Cionico band members in 2025: Oscar Balza, Wade Torres, Leo Rojo, Gerardo Pérez Giusti
Cionico band members in 2025: Oscar Balza, Wade Torres, Leo Rojo, Gerardo Pérez Giusti
Background information
OriginMaracaibo, Venezuela
Genres
  • Hard rock
  • alternative rock
  • electronica
  • ambient
Years active2011–present
LabelsIndependent
Members
  • Leo Rojo
  • Wade Torres
  • Gerardo Pérez Giusti
  • Oscar Balza
Past members
  • Diego Scarpelli
  • Julio Serra
  • José Ángel Cavallini
  • Rafael Ciciruca
  • Armando Bohórquez
  • Freddy Parra
Websitecionico.com

Cionico is a Venezuelan–American rock band formed in Maracaibo, Venezuela, in 2011. Since 2023, the band has consisted of Leo Rojo (lead vocals, guitar), Wade Torres (guitar), Gerardo Pérez Giusti (bass, keyboards), and Oscar Balza (drums). The band has released one studio album, No Hay Espacio En El Cielo (2022)[1], and the English-language EP Spoken Portrait (2025)[2].

History

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Formation and early development (2011–2015)

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Cionico was founded in 2011 by drummer Oscar Balza as a solo project in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Balza collaborated with vocalist Julio Serra and keyboardist José Ángel Cavallini on early material that would later form part of the debut album No Hay Espacio En El Cielo. The recording process was affected by Venezuela’s electricity crisis, which forced sessions to move between several cities including Maracaibo, San Cristóbal, and Valencia.[3]

Relocation and lineup changes (2015–2019)

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In 2015, Balza relocated to the United States, settling in Houston, Texas, where recording resumed. After Serra’s departure, vocalist Diego Scarpelli joined in 2019, and producer Bob St. John remixed and mastered the material. Guitarist Wade Torres also joined the project during this period.

Commercial releases and live performances (2019–2023)

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Cionico released its first single, "Esperaré," on 25 September 2019, followed by "Todo" on 8 November 2019. The band made its live debut in November 2019 at The Middle East[4] in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The debut studio album, No Hay Espacio En El Cielo, was released on 11 November 2022. It received coverage in Rolling Stone en Español[1] and airplay on Colombian stations Caracol Radio[5] and Blu Radio.[6][7]

In 2023, the band toured Argentina, where they performed in Buenos Aires[8] and other cities.[9] After the tour, Scarpelli departed, and Cionico continued as a four-piece band.

Current lineup and recent releases (2023–present)

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In October 2023, Leo Rojo became the band’s official vocalist and guitarist. The group recorded the English-language EP Spoken Portrait, released on 7 January 2025.[10] The EP featured re-recorded English versions of earlier songs along with the unreleased track "Everything’s Alright".

Reception

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Spoken Portrait was named "Best Production of the Year" by the European outlet *Indie Boulevard*, which also featured the band on its cover.[11][2] The release was also highlighted in Billboard Argentina as part of its list of emerging Latin artists.[12]

Musical style and influences

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Cionico’s sound combines elements of hard rock, alternative rock, electronica, and ambient music. The band has maintained a bilingual approach since its formation, recording material in both Spanish and English.

Discography

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Studio albums

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Extended plays

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  • Spoken Portrait (2025)

Singles

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  • "Esperaré" (2019)
  • "Todo" (2019)
  • "Roca y Coral" (2020)
  • "Diplomático" (2020)
  • "No Hay Espacio en el Cielo" (2020)
  • "Bocados" (2020)
  • "Extraño" (2021)
  • "All of Me" (2024)
  • "I’ll Wait" (2024)
  • "Everything’s Alright" (2024)

Band members

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Current members

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  • Oscar Balza – drums (2011–present)
  • Wade Torres – guitar (2019–present)
  • Gerardo Pérez Giusti – bass, keyboards (2020–present)
  • Leo Rojo – lead vocals, guitar (2023–present)

Former members

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  • Diego Scarpelli – lead vocals (2019–2023)
  • Julio Serra – lead vocals (2013–2019)
  • José Ángel Cavallini – keyboards (2013–2015)
  • Rafael Ciciruca – (dates unknown)
  • Armando Bohórquez – (dates unknown)
  • Freddy Parra – (dates unknown)

References

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  1. ^ a b "Cionico se abre espacio más allá del cielo". Rolling Stone en Español. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b "CIONICO's New EP 'Spoken Portrait': Rock with Heart on its Sleeve and a Foot in the Future". Indie Boulevard Magazine. 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  3. ^ Phillips, Tom (4 September 2013). "Power cut paralyses Venezuela". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Nov 22, 2019: CIONICO at The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  5. ^ Televisión, Caracol (2022-02-15). "Cionico inicia el 2022 con 'Todo', una canción para superar las relaciones fallidas". Caracol TV (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  6. ^ "Cionico en entrevista". Caracol Radio. 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Cionico en Blu Radio". Blu Radio. 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  8. ^ "Por primera vez desde Estados Unidos, Cionico en vivo". News Digitales. 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Ciónico, la banda de Estados Unidos en Mar del Plata". Diario La Capital de Mar del Plata (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  10. ^ "Escucha Spoken Portrait, el más reciente EP de Cionico". Radiónica. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  11. ^ ""This Didn't Happen Overnight!" CIONICO on the Challenges Behind Their Long-Awaited EP". Indie Boulevard Magazine. 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  12. ^ "Celeste, Los Aspirantes y más: cinco artistas latinos emergentes que tenés que escuchar". Billboard Argentina. 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
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