Live:
Solo: Jenny + vocal f/x, guitar and sampler.
Duo: with Håvard Volden (guitar & autoharp ++)
Trio: with Håvard Volden and Kyrre Laastad (2 drums, guitar, percussion)
Influences
Lately: Antichrist
Manafon
Helena Eriksson
Cindy Haug
Spain
Kathy Acker & Heiner Müller again.
pearls
and
books.
Always:
Automatic writing and automatic singing, Meredith Monk and Diamanda Galas, Anne Carson and Aritha van Herk because they write fantasy with theory, Kate Bush and Hélène Cixous should be teaching us how to read, Nicole Brossard and Tender Buttons for knowing words can save us, Dead Can Dance and the Cocteau Twins for the opposite reason and the same, Alice in Wonderland and Angela Carter re-writing her, Euripides and Dante but also Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you must understand, Steve Reich and Stephen Scott because their names look good together, and oh, a healthy mix of David Sylvian and Withnail & I. Tom once told me I looked a bit like Freddie Mercury. It's true I think. Song in blood and everyone.
Rockettothesky, AKA Jenny Hval, is a Norwegian one-woman band.
With her background in writing and performance, Rockettothesky blends medieval and contemporary poetry with the mythology of pop and folk music, resulting in a deeply personal and highly eccentric project with a touch of gothic tales, and an awareness of sound textures reminiscent of free improvisation.
In 2006, Rockettothesky released a successfull debut album: To Sing You Apple Trees . The album received rave reviews and became a surprise hit with its mix of pop, poetry and rampant sexuality. Rockettothesky was nominated for Best New Act at the Norwegian Grammys and played most of the big Norwegian festivals in 2007, as well as shows and small festivals in Scandinavia, France, the UK and Belgium.
With her second album, Medea (2008, ), a different and more experimental tone was set. Hval invoked the greek tragic heroine Medea – the monstrous mother, powerful sorceress, and foreign woman – through spoken word and improvised sound textures. She also started playing live with free improv musicians Håvard Volden (guitars, autoharp & lo-fi electronics) and Kyrre Laastad (drums etc).
In 2009, Hval has completed several other projects that are connected to her work
as Rockettothesky: She composed and performed the commissioned piece Meshes
of Voice with singer and composer Susanna Wallumrød (Susanna and the Magical
Orchestra) for Ladyfest 2009. She also composed a short piece for the Ultima
Festival for Contemporary Music, created a music/spoken word performance Take My Voice with the Norwegian writer Inger Bråtveit, and published the novel Perlebryggeriet (The Pearl Brewery).
(Go here for high resolution press images and more info.)
high thanks for the add and for your words. I'd love to read some of your poems or whatever they are, in English. Tell me (please) if there's an easy way to get any. Feel embraced and keep in touch.
Hello Jenny, how's things these days? still making beautiful music i see. i'm still plugging away too, hoping the new year will bring a finally completed album, and perhaps a few gigs or 2 down your way. take care, Luisa
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