has posted samples of new music in their website's player, including upcoming tracks from "Twenty years of stony sleep", the new record from Jenny Hval (Rockettothesky) and Maja Ratke (Fe-mail, etc.), as well new stuff from artists such as Ultralyd and Scorch Trio: http://www.runegrammofon.com/news
Online literary journal 3:AM talks to Jenny Hval of Rockettothesky about her poetry and her music and many other subjects: http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/maintenant-25-jenny-hval/
New international live dates for Norwegian artist Rockettothesky:
08/07 - Die Kunstapotheke, Berlin (GER) (performing as Nude on Sand)
08/18 - Église de la trape/Mazeroles, Perigord (FRA)
08/19 - Chapelle de Bourgnac, Perigord (FRA)
08/20 - Cave de CIVRB, Cloitre des Recollets, Bergerac (FRA)
09/02 - Punktfestival, Agder Teater, Kristiansand (NOR) (performing as Jenny Hval aka Rockettothesky)
09/25 - The Rich Mix Arts Centre, London (UK) (solo performance/poetry reading as Jenny Hval)
09/30 - Nordic Sounds Festival, Amsterdam (NL)
The Quietus talks to Jenny Hval of Rockettothesky: http://thequietus.com/articles/03523-jenny-and-the-jets-the-musical-universe-of-rockettothesky
Good to see that she's starting to get some international attention -- she deserves it.
Check out a video of Norwegian artist Egil Olsen performing "Hard work and fate" together with Jenny Hval aka Rockettothesky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urrol_SJM1U
Norwegian artist Jenny Hval, perhaps better known as Rockettothesky, has written a novel entitled "Perlebryggeriet" ("Perle Brewery"?) which will be released in October. Jenny says, "If you read it very carefully, you can hear the music." More info: http://kolonforlag.no/?type=book&ref=1243 (in Norwegian)
In addition to her Meshes of Voice collaboration with Susanna Wallumrød (which will be re-performed in August), Norwegian artist Jenny Hval aka Rockettothesky has started a new group called Nude on Sand together with guitarist Håvard Volden. Listen at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/nudeonsand
Jenny also says she is working on yet another project together with Norwegian writer Inger Bråtveit. More details on that are still tba.
Susanna Wallumrød (aka Susanna of Susanna and the Magical Orchestra) and Jenny Hval (aka Rockettothesky) have collaborated on a new piece entitled "Meshes of voice" which will be performing for perhaps the first and only time at Ladyfest Oslo on March 8. The description: "sometimes melodic, sometimes dissonant, all times surrealist piece inspired by the film "Meshes of the Afternoon", Casa Batlló, and a whole lotta voice."
Confusion reigned supreme during my multiple listens to Rockettothesky's CD "To sing you apple Trees". I honestly have a hard time making sense of a lot of what Jenny Hval throws at me. Maybe I just don't get "it": On the one hand, Ms. Hval's talent is evident in her ability to combine unique vocal styling with catchy melodies to create an air of fleeting, dreamlike fantasy. On the other hand, her failings are evident in her need to shake, almost jar the listener out of the dream state she's worked so hard to create. It seems as though she is hellbent on being her own worst enemy; I simply don't understand why. Nothing exemplifies my point better than the song "A cute lovesong, please". She uses her voice to excellent trancelike effect when she asks, "When you think of me, do you masturbate?"; then follows it up by confessing that "I want you to know that you make me want to menstruate." Huh? Is menstruation a sexual response to you, Ms. Hval? Or do you want to menstruate out of disgust for your protagonist's sexual desire for you? Or maybe, just maybe, you tried so hard to rhyme, you succeeded in ruining what could have been a perfectly good song. Perhaps I'm just being far too analytical. There are some decent songs on "To sing you apple trees" such as "Cigars", "They are bastards!" and the popular "Barrie for Billy Mackenzie" (even though I still don't know what the hell a "Barrie" is). But, the sad truth is, if I want to be entertained by a wacky Scandinavian, there's always Björk. Rockettothesky is simply going to have to do better than this.
- Heinrich Souza
Trust Me Records has signed Rockettothesky aka Norwegian singer/songwriter/sound-artist Jenny Hval and will release her debut album on October 2. Listen to some samples here: http://www.myspace.com/rockettothesky