It's not that Gika, who brought post-punk to 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman via "Gone," was a musical newb. Fancy studios aren't necessarily how IO Echo rolls, opting instead for self-produced and self-recorded. Not exactly surprising stuff for an indie act… unless of course you've actually spent any time with IO Echo's music.

The L.A. duo's 2012 debut, Ministry of Love (IAMSOUND), just sounds big, even when it's trying to be quiet. It transports listeners to cities like London, Berlin, Milan, Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing–some locations more literally than others, lyrically speaking.

For Gika and bandmate Leopold Ross, their music is a product of their environments, both past and present. On one hand, they're both lived overseas; Ross having been raised in London and Gika moving from D.C. a few years ago to travel with her family through Asia. It was during that period when Gika "fell in love" with the koto, i.e. the Japanese harp, which helps–along with the Chinese violin–to differentiate IO Echo's sound.

On the other hand, IO Echo is the kind of band that could be categorized as aesthetic-driven, something that's certainly complemented by the fact that they've curated shows at Los Angeles' Museum of Contemporary Art, are set to perform at MoMA PS1 later this month (Aug. 31) and have been featured in Vogue more than a few times. They're the sort of music you could hear at a runway show, international or otherwise: dark, electronic-tinged and most of all, driven by a vibe that transcends individual sounds.