Part 2

How do you see the relationship between sound, space and composition and what are some of your strategies and approaches of working with them?

We have a very location and space orientated "sound hunting" method with Liima as I described earlier. We go exploring a space, say a forest, and sample sounds from the environment surrounding us. Recording what the soil sounds like or drumming trees with the echo of the forest. Then, whether it's short samples or longer filed recordings, we use the material as some kind of backbone for the composition and start working from that. It's very organic. Space and sound become inseparable in Liima's way of composing.

What's your perspective on the relationship between music  and other forms of art – painting, video art and cinema, for example – and for you and your work, how does music relate to other senses than hearing alone?

All forms of art are connected. There's rhythm in movement you see, in words you read and in shapes you feel. I get alot of my inspiration from seeing a painting, a movie or a performance. When I see an inspiring painting it might trigger a musical idea in my mind. I might use a movie scene as a metaphor to make a composition too.

What's your view on the role and function of music as well as the (e.g. political/social/creative) tasks of artists today - and how do you try to meet these goals in your work?

One role of music is to entertain you and another important one is to challenge and shake you. I need both as a listener. As an artist I feel I have a natural tendency to compose and perform in a way that combines both.

Listening is also an active, rather than just a passive process. How do you see the role of the listener in the musical communication process?

The listener has a responsibility to give the music the moment and the attention it deserves. Many factors affect the listening experience, but an important one is the state of mind of the listener. Listening is about being present and letting yourself go. In the modern world, listening to music has become consuming like eating fast food. I think we could definitely become better listeners.

Reaching audiences usually involves reaching out to the press and possibly working with a PR company. What's your perspective on the promo system? In which way do music journalism and PR companies  change the way music is perceived by the public?

There's a lot of people reading music journalism and I think the way something is hyped or isn't in respected medias like Pitchfork definitely affects people's opinions even before they actually hear the music.

For sure it's about people's personal opinions but big media are trying to sell ideas to people for sure. Big labels and PR companies working for them are part of the capitalism machine. And how many PR people really like the music of the artist that they promote?

Do you have a musical vision that you haven't been able to realise for technical or financial reasons – or an idea of what music itself could be beyond its current form?

Having 5000 drummers performing to an audience of 50 people that stand in the middle of the circle of drummers on a huge field in Siberia.

Follow the organic processes of Liima on their facebook page.