|
Official
Website
Tour Dates
Download Hi Res Images:
|
 |
IQU
|
In
the unique world of IQU, nothing is certain and everything
is permissible; that's the feeling you get upon first
entrance into their special sonic universe. Stylistically
diverse and tremendously resourceful, IQU is an electronic
act on the rise, for their sound is absolutely original,
without peer, and continues to perk up the ears of many
worldwide.
IQU was born as icu (changed after threat of legal action
after a ‘98 CMJ performance where they were approached
by a hardcore band of a similar name). The brainchild
of Kento Oiwa, aka KO, IQU evolved as a creative partnership
that he and Michiko Swiggs developed in a rain-soaked
and artistically fertile ground of Olympia, Washington
circa 1997.
KO spent his childhood in Japan, where he found himself
listening to prog rock, the Creation records ouvre and
jazz, as well as a healthy dose of J-pop …he later
moved to Florida, then onto Olympia where he attended
Evergreen State College studying ethno-musicology with
emphasis in Balinese music/Gaemelan.
Fast forward to 1997….after six years of mixing bands
at the infamous Capitol Theatre Backstage in the hey day
of Olympia’s then burgeoning rock scene, KO’s
idea of IQU was born as he manned the boards for countless
bands and DJ’s. His basic idea was to manipulate
all kinds of sounds and the experiment began. The early
template for IQU would mix up live guitar, horns, Casio
keyboards and whatever else he found in thrift stores
and place them over looped and programmed beats.
Michiko Swiggs, a child of British New Zealand and Japanese
descent, spent her youth living in various port cities
around the Pacific Ocean, before settling in Washington
state. She moved to Olympia to attend the Evergreen State
College, pursuing a degree in experimental animation and
electronic music.
By luck, Michiko moved into a house right across the street
from KO. The two met and bonded over everything from eclectic
music to independent films. In their first creative endeavor,
Michiko asked KO to score a soundtrack for an animated
film she was producing. Soon after, they decided to take
a trip to Japan. It wasn’t until attending a noise
rave in Osaka that the duo decided to start making music
together. With her splendid array of vintage keyboards
and analog synthesizers, it seemed they had each met their
match. They were the perfect element for the futuristic
electronic pop music K.O. was constructing.
Shying away from the main genre of the city's music scene,
they took to experimenting with as many styles and sounds
as possible. The music took form in fuzzy drum and bass
textures, child like choir sounds, fucked up beat matching
and scratching married with live elements such as noise
guitar, theremin and synth-bass.
The word spread fast on their live show and they soon
caught the ear of K Records' Calvin Johnson, who quickly
signed the band to his label in ’98 after their debut
release, the 7" single "Despite The Smell of
Colors Vol. i". It started the rumor outside of Olympia
about an electronic band which had a pleasing sound to
both the techno crowd and the indie rock stable. Live
show frequency increased, attracting more and more people.
IQU went on a national tour with Unwound, spreading the
word even further.
The next release, Chotto Matte a Moment, caught on quick.
It was an album that resonated with critics across the
country. It also set the stage for a constant touring
schedule: They were invited to play the first Coachella
Festival, handpicked by The Flaming Lips (for their Music
Against Brain Degeneration tour), as well as touring with
acts like Looper, Hovercraft, Mouse on Mars, Add N to
X, Dub Narcotic Sound System and sharing the stage with
acts like Cornelius, Built to Spill, Fugazi, Modest Mouse,
Sleater-Kinney…the IQU sound appealed to backpack
hip hop heads and white belt wearing hipsters alike.
As with all bands, the road taught them a great deal.
One has likened IQU’s live performance to being that
of two mad scientists concocting a dance rock symphony,
taking found sounds and infusing them with rock’s
unpredictable sensibility.
True to IQU’s spirit, they return with Sun Q (Sonic
Boom Recordings). With the playful side of electronic
music still intact, from K.O.’s virtuosic and operatic
theremin playing to Swiggs’ talkbox vocals, they
solidify Sun Q with a pop sensibilty showcasing beautiful
melodies and a strong DIY aesthetic. It’s the disco
of Moroder, the vocoder funk of Zapp, the eighties breakbeat
experiments of Renegade Soundwave and the ambience of
Eno. It’s a mish mash of sounds and styles that is
more radio friendly. It’s what you’d expect
from IQU and their sophomore release- mining the past
for new sounds while creating a sound that’s all
their own. It’s a fresh and engaging experience with
each listen. |
|
