{"title":"IROIRO","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0097\/0772\/files\/IROIRO-2-JUN-2026-HI-RES-credit-Kelly-OforWeblog.jpg?v=1784135373\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt only took a few gigs for IROIRO to establish themselves as Seattle's most exciting rock group. This may surprise fans of IQU, whose Michiko Swiggs and Kento Oiwa form IROIRO's creative core. Whereas IQU combined samples and live instrumentation to put playful spins on trip-hop, drum \u0026amp; bass, and synth-pop, IROIRO produce extended, vocal-free jams that blossom into powerful psychedelic rock. You can hear the band's rapid, splendid evolution on their self-titled debut album, recorded in the '70s room at Avast! with Stuart Hallerman and mixed with vintage equipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike another Seattle artist, Shabazz Palaces, IROIRO came back from an extended hiatus to create their most adventurous music. In the aftermath of early-'20s IQU reunion gigs and the disbanding of synth sorceress Swiggs and drummer Justin Schwartz's electronic unit Zazaz, they asked Oiwa to join them in a new project. Kento—who'd been involved in Malaise, his outlet for guitar and Theremin improvisation—agreed. They assembled for Friday night sessions at which the trio combined Zazaz's “man-machine methods” (fusing live drumming with drum machine with synth sequences) and Malaise's spontaneous noise excursions. The resulting single and album will convince you that rock still has ingenuity to burn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We would spend hours finding grooves and making crazy noises with the synths\/guitar\/Theremin,” Swiggs recalled. “We would sit around for hours and make sounds that we weren’t hearing from other music, or taking small inspirations from performances we liked and throwing them in.” James Drage—formerly of SIL2K—joined the sessions and his effected bass sounds were, says Swiggs, “amazing and otherworldly. He was the perfect piece that we were missing in the band.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInfluenced by the industrial spaces and creatures surrounding their practice space, IROIRO also find inspiration in Balinese gamelan. “There is no beginning, there is no end [to this music],” Swiggs explains. “It is a part of nature and nature informs it.” Drage also credits the impact of artist Yayoi Kusama's “colorful mirrored spaces.” This predilection for the infinite plus a fondness for free-flowing creation fuel IROIRO's recordings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwiggs notes “Every song was recorded in one go and we would pick the take with the best feel and performance. There was minimal editing and some overdubs. The recording and mixing is not 'perfect' and there is a human-ness to the recording.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIROIRO's debut single gives you the feeling that anything's possible. The loping, chiming rock of “Once” morphs into an elegantly distorted whorl that'll make fans of Creation-era Swervedriver swoon. “Formosa” boasts arena-rock swagger tempered by artfully noisy, psychedelic sensibilities and a wistful tunefulness. IROIRO understand that beauty paradoxically intensifies when chaos enters the frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat principle also applies to their album. With its four songs averaging nearly 10 minutes, IROIRO specialize in compositions that gain intensity as they progress. An easygoing chugger with a winsome melody and Theremin melisma, “Nanashi” is suffused with a gentle euphoria that eventually gets subsumed by tumult. “This is the most 'pop' of all of our songs,” Swiggs says. “I was inspired by Ulrich Schnauss for the sequence and bass line.” Influenced by Brian Eno, “I Didn't I Will” has the feeling of an inexorable ascent toward enlightenment. “Cool Man Sicks” has a similar processional motion, but is more understated and metronomic, like a measured take on Can's “Mother Sky.” You can imagine this scoring the climactic scene of an art-house thriller. Swiggs notes, “Kento wanted a longer song with no chord changes so that we could really explore the groove.” Inspired by a New Mexico mountain Kento visited, “Sandia” starts like a soulful, Spiritualized meditation before exploding into towers of fizzing guitars, then returning to calm. Michiko calls it “subtle and over the top at the same time”—an apt description of IROIRO's astonishing music.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"once-formosa","title":"\"Once\" \/ \"Formosa\" [GRU001\/IPU152] 7\" 45rpm phonograph record","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHISIS A PRE-ORDER FOR THE DEBUT 45rpm 7\" single by IROIRO, \"Once\" \/ \"Formosa\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOUT SEPTEMBER 11, 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eALL PRE-ORDERS SHIP BY AUGUST 11, 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/krecs.com\/collections\/iroiro\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIROIRO\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e's debut single gives you the feeling that anything's possible. The loping, chiming rock of “Once” morphs into an elegantly distorted whorl. “Formosa” boasts arena-rock swagger tempered by artfully noisy, psychedelic sensibilities and a wistful tunefulness. \u003cstrong\u003eIROIRO\u003c\/strong\u003e understand that beauty paradoxically intensifies when chaos enters the frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt only took a few gigs for \u003cstrong\u003eIROIRO\u003c\/strong\u003e to establish themselves as Seattle's most exciting rock group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline;\"\u003eA message from \u003cstrong\u003eIROIRO\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline;\"\u003e\"So many friends helped us\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline;\"\u003emanifest our music into this physical form. \u003c\/span\u003eThis 7\" is a co-release by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGYox98GeqTWmR88LJ\/hxEvZ5nMSwsp\" type=\"absoluteLink\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color: #ad006f; text-decoration: underline;\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGYox98GeqTWmR88LJ\/hxEvZ5nMSwsp\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1784216356797000\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw1x6UQ6OOmc0yrLkmtMQhPC\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGrand Ultra\u003c\/a\u003e and\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGZDuLnTc0zO2oAXRR\/1Tt6FY89m_wG\" type=\"absoluteLink\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color: rgb(173,0,111); text-decoration: underline; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255,255,255);\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGZDuLnTc0zO2oAXRR\/1Tt6FY89m_wG\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1784216356797000\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw0YRk3jIfpkVghglalOm8vo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eK\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. W\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003ee are so grateful for their collective resources and knowledge to get this vinyl created. Grand Ultra is a brand new creative co-op that curates creative tools and products out of their storefront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was started by our dear friend Maceo, who wanted to help us put some music out into the world. Since none of us knew anything about vinyl production or running a music label, we asked Calvin from K (who helped Kento and me release recordings as \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGZcrYSgZBVFJBCwXZ\/M3DSrDB5KkCa\" type=\"absoluteLink\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color: #ad006f; text-decoration: underline;\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGZcrYSgZBVFJBCwXZ\/M3DSrDB5KkCa\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1784216356797000\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw0uhV9cgKDcUh2MiGuS5JdT\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIQU\u003c\/a\u003e) if he could\/would want to help. He said, \"Yeah!\" So here we are, with our first vinyl release under the Grand Ultra + K partnership.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\"Calvin had extra 7\" jackets that we could print on and suggested that we silk screen the covers. It turns out that our old friend Chris, who operates \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGa1ol7tWM16ZYFLdh\/5-7gpNLwL4qB\" type=\"absoluteLink\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color: #ad006f; text-decoration: underline;\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGa1ol7tWM16ZYFLdh\/5-7gpNLwL4qB\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1784216356797000\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw1UNvKrgOxIoKC7j9dCVahQ\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNeu Haus Press\u003c\/a\u003e in Portland, prints record jackets on his vintage letterpress and has simpatico design sensibilities. Kento and I met Chris while touring with the Flaming Lips on the Music Against Brain Degeneration tour in 1999. He was the sound person\/driver\/roadie who had to load gear, drive the U-Haul, and do sound for 5 bands every single night of the tour. In fact, Chris is an amazing artist, and his hand-printed jackets are individual works of art. A\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline;\"\u003et the end of August, w\u003c\/span\u003ee will have an EP release show at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGaQlxn6TWWxpvHkjp\/9peNflLCp3MX\" type=\"absoluteLink\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color: #ad006f; text-decoration: underline;\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/gx4cv.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com\/mk\/cl\/f\/sh\/1f8JIKXwHGaQlxn6TWWxpvHkjp\/9peNflLCp3MX\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1784216356797000\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw2WqV2ld3u96hDML6bgZGc6\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHometeam Gallery\u003c\/a\u003e where we will play music alongside Chris's artwork. More info about this to come soon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\"The A-side single, \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline;\"\u003e\"Once,\" \u003c\/span\u003ewas recorded and mixed by Stuart Hallerman at Avast in Greenwood. IQU had plans to record with Stuart in the early 2000s, which never materialized. Twenty five years later, we asked if he still wanted to record something, and he graciously came out of semi-retirement and we were able to record and mix a full album with him. Recording with Stuart at Avast was such an amazing experience, and I am so happy I got to experience that. The rest of the recordings will be out in October.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\"The B-side single, \"Formosa,\" was recorded and mixed by our old friend David Farrell at Arrival Seattle. David was an electro musician who had an impeccably curated and microscopic record store on Olive Way called Tone. He had moved back from NYC during the pandemic, and I ran into him at the Stereolab show. I invited him to come see us at the Clock-out last fall. After the show, he asked if we wanted to come in to his workplace during the Christmas break and hang out and record a couple of songs. Formosa is one of those songs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\"The vinyl was mastered and the lacquer was cut by Adam Gonsalves at Telegraph Mastering in Portland Oregon. It sounds sweet!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\"We are personally gluing every jacket, so every copy of the 7\" has passed through our hands.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIROIRO\u003c\/strong\u003e on \u003cem\u003eNoise Complaint\u003c\/em\u003e, July, 2026:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lTUZbRr6-K8?si=iRS1Lmy04S91Sq_D\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"IROIRO","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43007115395166,"sku":"IPU152","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0097\/0772\/files\/IPU152-IROIRO-Once-7inchforWeblog.jpg?v=1784135327"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0097\/0772\/collections\/IROIRO-2-JUN-2026-HI-RES-credit-Kelly-OforWeblog.jpg?v=1784136040","url":"https:\/\/krecs.com\/collections\/iroiro.oembed","provider":"The K Mail Order Department","version":"1.0","type":"link"}