iima, the Music Unit of Maki Nagayama and Takayuki Ishii, Releases Long-Awaited Second Album
iima explores words and sounds that make everyday life look a little different.
It frequently creates music for film, advertising, and animation and has earned high praise for visual-media music, including grand prizes across genres.
Its first album in three years, Oi Oi, pursues music unique to iima.
Album: Oi Oi
Diverse guests gather to richly express the world of songs themed around the distance between oneself and others.
Returning from the previous album is Masaki Hayashi on piano, known for work with Ringo Sheena and Sadao Watanabe. Other participants include john* on fiddle of John John Festival, Toshi Bodhran on bodhrán of John John Festival, and Hitomi Yamakami on flute, known for work with Lisa Ono and Saori Yuki.
Oi Oi Music Video
biography
The music unit of Maki Nagayama, vocals, and Takayuki Ishii, guitar, explores words and sounds that make everyday life look a little different. It released debut album Saishukai no Uta in February 2018. An animation using the title track won the grand prize at the Miyagi Sendai Animation Grand Prix 2018, while other album tracks appeared in commercials for KIRIN and Kobe tourism. Many commercials using its music have won advertising awards, earning high praise for its visual-media production. In 2020, iima contributed SOMEDAY to JR Kyushu’s pandemic project Together, Let’s Keep Going Until That Day; the video exceeded 200,000 views within five days. Based in Tokyo and Fukuoka, the members enjoy daily creation through film music, lyrics for other artists, radio hosting, and collaborations. Second album Oi Oi was released Aug. 28, 2021.
