Listings

A A A Comments By Tricia Romano Tuesday, Jul 6 2004

Have you ever heard a theremin sing? It's a beautiful, thrilling sound, and you'll hear it wail like an opera singer courtesy of Seattle-lites IQU. Kento Oiwa and Michiko Swiggs make luxurious ambient paintings but slash them up too, nicking the centers with vicious bursts of jarring noises to unsettle you when you are getting too comfy. This description makes IQU seem all ethereal and heady, but their live shows are a truly physical experience, with Kento thrashing between his musical toys like a deranged lunatic. With Pleaseeausaur and No More Dolls. - Sunday @ 9:30, Pianos, 158 Ludlow, 212.505.3733

photo: David Belisle

Very bunny, asshole: We are IQU!

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Ezekiel Honig's twee creations remind one of Boards of Canada, but they are perhaps not as twisted. The music on his disc People Places & Things reminds one of a landscape with green grass, clear skies, and beautiful people. You'll be tempted to call him IDM—but most IDM is really beyond most people's grasp. It's too esoteric and impressed with itself to really engage. Honig changes all that. He's playing with DJ Clever, who is also pushing a new disc, Troubled Waters. - Wednesday @ 10, Spill (formerly Bauhaus), 188 Orchard, 212.477.1550

While the label Ghostly International has branched out from its initial offerings of Italo-disco-inspired grooves, sometimes the eclecticism is a bit much. The last time Ghostly played at Joe's Pub, many people were startled by Matthew Dear's two-man show—where he draped himself on a mic stand and moaned to a backdrop of beats. When he said he was not into traditional techno anymore and picked up a guitar, some of us were more than a little disappointed. That said, taking chances is more welcome than sticking with the tried and true, and Ghostly's other acts on the bill, Dabrye and Dykehouse, stretch from electronic prettiness to rough-hewn indie rock. - Friday @ 11, Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard, 212.219.3132

tromano@villagevoice.com

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