cloud collecting #44: Líom

Netherlands-based artist on learning how to listen to ourselves + returning to softness

I first came across the Netherlands-based artist Líom in 2020, and her music has stayed with me weekly ever since. Líom’s music offers this rare kind of quiet, and she’s someone I always want more people in the world to hear. If you have followed my women of ambient mix series closely, you’ll see she has appeared in many editions. I’m happy to share this interview following the release of Silent Faults, the first song we have made together that was released this past Friday and will be part of her next upcoming full-length album, Goneform via her own imprint (+ newsletter) Kalmtepunt.

I’ve been a superfan of your work for several years now, and I’m curious about your path into ambient music. What early experiences, childhood moments, or artistic influences played a role in forming your approach to composing and producing? I’d love to hear more about your musical journey.

Thank you so much, that feeling’s entirely mutual :).

When I was 9, I found a piece of computer software at the children’s library that I completely fell in love with. I ended up renting it back to back. It let me stack pre-made instrumental files and record my own voice over them - which led to some pretty hilarious experiments - and it opened the door to merge my love for singing, writing, and recording.

After singing and writing for most of my childhood, it made sense to pursue music professionally. I spent many years mostly exploring r&b and pop before I eventually found my love for ambient music.

At first, I ran my music career with really rigid energy. I felt so much pressure to succeed, and in doing so, I unintentionally neglected my highly sensitive nature. I overthought everything and slowly lost touch with who I really am.

After deep inner work with a very wise therapist and friend, I learned how to listen to myself again and began creating in a way that truly suits me: calmly, slowly, and intuitively.

My partner specifically opened my world to ambient music. He listened to the Ambient Sleeping Pill playlist by Stereoscenic almost every night to help ease his tinnitus, and it made me realize how music can be something soothing and comforting, rather than a tool to achieve or prove anything. That inspired me to create something without boundaries - experimental, and most importantly, for me, not for anyone else’s expectations.

Creating ambient music has given me a sense of belonging. I hadn’t felt that before, but it’s beautiful that I found a language that gives space for whatever needs recognition - or just to be felt. I feel utterly blessed that after releasing my first EP ‘Moving On’ as Líom, people from around the world resonated with both my work and the intention behind it.

creative process

What does your process for composing a song look like these days, and do you have any favorite pieces of gear or plug-ins you tend to reach for?

I sing on many of my songs, even if it doesn’t always sound like a vocal is present. I also work with several guitarists who often share recordings of their work, which I’m free to shape however I like.

There’s usually either a melodic starting point or a droney synth that forms the base of my compositions. I’ve been noodling on my guitar lately, while enjoying the pedals my partner and I (he’s also a musician) have collected over the years, like the Microcosm and Empress Zoia. Inside my DAW, I’ve been experimenting with a plugin by Lese called Glow - a really nice tool for granular processing.

studio corner

How do you cloud collect (connect to childlike wonder) in your creativity?

Cloud collecting, for me, is about returning to softness. The words instantly make me think of my closest friends, my chosen family. They embrace me in a way that keeps healing my inner child and, through that, fuels my ability to move through the world as my most authentic self - no filter, no fear of judgment.

I live near the beach, and I love how being close to it slows life down. It gives me a place to let go of my worries and just breathe.

And very literally, when I’m in my studio, I remind myself that I matter - that what I do and create matters. It makes me feel free and inspires me to tap into a limitless creative flow. What matters most isn’t what I create, but the fact that I create at all.

Can you tell me a bit from your perspective about the experience of making our collaborative song, Silent Faults?

I’m so excited to release music with you. Your music, your art, and the grounded person you are made it such a safe, inspiring space while we were finding the sound for our song. The song is part of my upcoming album ‘Goneform’, a deeply personal, sonic exploration of living with epilepsy.

‘Silent Faults’ reflects invisible disruptions: quiet ruptures in the body and mind that are deeply felt but often unseen. It fits beautifully within the full cycle of the album, which moves through the different stages of longing for safety - from wanting control to learning how to let go.

For the artwork of ‘Silent Faults’, I layered two images together. One is my favorite cup in the cupboard, with a beautiful, organic pattern that isn’t predictable. The other is the texture of the ripples on the canal near my house. I loved how combining these two images captures the feeling of the song.

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