1982

Chronique

Finnish quartet Liima debuted in 2016 as a side project of textural pop specialists Efterklang, when members Casper Clausen, Rasmus Stolberg, and Mads Brauer collaborated with jazz drummer Tatu Rönkkö. Initially conceived as a one-off, the new band proved to be a productive endeavor and continued to bear enough fruit for a second offering. Similar to Efterklang, Liima paints a wide aural canvas of atmospheric tones and timbres with roads that snake through snowy ambient vistas and lush fjords of dramatic electro-pop. Ultimately more of a pop-oriented project, the quartet's debut, ii, shimmered and skittered with strange icy songs about Russians and Roger Waters, feeling a little frantic at times. Their follow-up LP, 1982, is an overall bolder, richer, and more focused experience. Leading off with the massive dark-grooved title cut, the album takes its time to unfold over nine fairly lengthy tracks, including a two-part finale that features a secret bonus song separated from its sibling by seven minutes of silence. Cold and dramatic, there are echoes of '80s Cold War-era synth pop, especially on standouts like "Life Is Dangerous" and the first section of the final track, "My Mind Is Yours." While drummer Tatu Rönkkö slots easily into the Efterklang approach (and also acts as that band's touring percussionist), his contributions to Liima's aesthetic are a central part of the project's identity, creating deep rhythmic grooves with drum patterns that are rarely, if ever, straightforward. The robust rhythm battery of Rönkkö and bassist Rasmus Stolberg really propels 1982 forward and adds a great deal to their bigger picture. An improvement on their debut, this release solidifies Liima as a band.

© Timothy Monger /TiVo