Iqu

by Heather PharesThe Olympia, WA lo-fi electronic trio IQU (pronounced ee-koo) consists of keyboardist Michiko Swiggs, bassist Aaron Hartman and guitarist/turntablist/theremin player K.O. Though their music began as free-form improvisation incorporating analog synths, upright bass, guitar and dance beats, it progressed into more structured songs by the time K.O.'s boss, Calvin Johnson of K Records, invited them to record an album at K's studio. The album, 1998's Chotto Matte A Moment! mixed drum-n-bass with the immediacy of lo-fi and punk; the duality of their sound found them sharing the bill with a wide array of acts, including Unwound, Sonic Youth, the Flaming Lips and Hovercraft. IQU spent 1999 touring and recording; that summer they released a collaboration with performance artist/filmmaker Miranda July, Girls on Dates. Mid-2000 saw the release of the full-length
Teenage Dream. Four years later, IQU returned with Sun Q, which opted for a bigger, more polished sound.