Opening her universe to audiences, Norwegian artist Jenny Hval shared tracks from album “Classic Objects” at Berlin’s Columbia Theater. Like anyone existing in the past two years, the performance felt like a sigh of relief for Hval (and everyone). This energy is particularly relevant to Hval’s experience creating “Classic Objects.” Although any stage demands an outward presence, her delivery didn’t detract from notions of self-exploration/introspection. As a result of Hval’s journey in isolation, tracks like “Freedom” became possible. Have a listen to it below, followed by another photo from the concert.
Jenny Hval, a percussive experience
The various percussion instruments filling Columbia Theater created a sense of complete immersion in Hval’s sonic world. While incorporating sounds like the bongo drums, the music made for a sublime warm escape. This sound aesthetic is a defining style for Jenny Hval, and was mentioned in a Crack Magazine article about “Classic Objects.”
Take, for example, 2015’s Apocalypse, girl. Here, Hval wrote songs about ageing in a female body and feeling punished as a result. “Statistics and newspapers are telling me I am unhappy and dying/ That I need man and child to fulfil me,” she sang on That Battle is Over amidst sensual organ sounds and searching percussion.
– Crack Magazine
Touring Europe & US
Jenny Hval is currently on tour throughout the Europe and US, making a stop at Primavera Sound in Spain. Catch her as she emerges from Oslo back into reality. Due to the events of the past two years, this performance felt like a special moment. In her own words, the alternate reality created on “Classic Objects” was a product of circumstance.
This made me want to write simple stories. My problem was that I found that the music component in the writing process made the words stray from their path and even jump into the absurd. I think it is just bound to happen when there is music involved. After all, a song isn’t just words, it has a melody, and the reason we have melodies is to step into the dark and jump off cliffs.
– Jenny Hval
