Liima
ii
Release Date: Mar 18, 2016
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock
Record label: 4AD
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Album Review: ii by Liima
Very Good, Based on 7 Critics
Based on rating 4
Liima means glue. Or cement. Pretty much anything with strong adhesive qualities. Were you to merely call your band ‘Glue’, one might reasonably assume that said band were a snot nosed DIY punk outfit – and not a particularly imaginative one at that. Liima, however, has a much more exotic ….
Based on rating 4/5
Danish indie synth-poppers Efterklang have been on hiatus since 2014, but resurface for this side project with Finnish percussionist Tatu Ronkko. Where Efetrklang’s last album, 2012’s tastefully understated ‘Piramida’, was an airy, spacious affair that left plenty of room for the melodies to breathe, this debut under the Liima guise is a tightly wound, paranoid-sounding record where synths and percussion are packed claustrophobically together. ‘ii’ was recorded in three days in Berlin but written during monthly residencies in the German capital, Finland, Istanbul and Madeira.
Based on rating 7.5/10
Liima’s ii is not only likely the best album to be inspired by “damp socks”, it’s also a globetrotting journey that blends niche, experimental instrumentation with stirring, anthemic soundscapes. Comprised of members from Efterklang and Tatu Rönkkö, Liima incorporates the former’s contemplative, synth-centric sound, but spikes it with anthemic, new wave drums. Recorded over a series of European residences, ii reflects its nomadic origins.
Based on rating 3/5
Although the title may suggest otherwise, ii is the debut album from Nordic quartet Liima. Named after the Finnish word for glue, the group joins three members of Danish indie rock innovators Efterklang to Finnish percussionist Tatu Rönkkö. Efterklang used elements of electronica to great effect on Tripper, their debut album, but later work saw an increasing taste for analogue instrumentation, here there is a strong electronic presence.
Based on rating 6/10
It seems like a long three-and-a-bit years since Efterklang left the excellent parting shot of Piramida and went on hiatus. Emerging from its shadow in 2016 is Liima, a project made up of three Efterklang members – lead vocalist Casper Clausen, Mads Brauer and Rasmus Stolberg, plus Finnish percussionist Tatu Rönkkö. The Danes tellingly and affectionately describe Liima as the band Efterklang 'share' with him.
Based on rating 3/5
Liima, 4AD’s newest signing, is the first new music to emerge from the ashes of Denmark’s Efterklang. The project, featuring three members of the band alongside Tatu Rönkkö, a Finnish percussionist, created their debut album ‘ii’ in an exceedingly inventive way, one which makes the album a strikingly polarising listen. The band held four four-week residencies in Finland, Berlin, Istanbul and Madeira, before recording the results in three days, live, with no overdubs.
Based on rating 6/10
Danish indie electronic group Efterklang are typically known for their ambitious albums and performances that incorporate choirs, orchestras, and other grandiose, overwhelming arrangements. With side project Liima, the band's founding members (Casper Clausen, Mads Christian Brauer, and Rasmus Stolberg) embrace spontaneity while maintaining the vast scope of their usual work, even if it lacks the extravagant instrumentation. The project was formed when the trio were asked to be resident performers at Our Festival in Finland.
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