Jenny Hval and Susanna - Meshes of Voice

by Nicky Crewe

published: 29 / 7 / 2014

Jenny Hval and Susanna - Meshes of Voice

Label: Susanna Sonata
Format: CD

Experimental and beautiful collaborative album, inspired in part by Maya Deren's 1943 short film, 'Meshes of the Afternoon', from Norwegian musicians Jenny Hval and Susanna

Review

This collaboration between two wonderful contemporary Nordic voices began in 2009 with letters and two live performances. Maya Deren’s 1943 surrealist/feminist short film, 'Meshes of the Afternoon', is also a key inspiration to this soundscape album, where instruments and voices explore recurring themes and motifs in the way that symbolic objects occur and recur in different combinations in the film. The cloaked figure, whose face is revealed to be a mirror is both sinister and reflective, and the music plays with this mood. Sometimes it has a folkloric quality, other times it is disturbingly experimental and avant garde. All of it is beautiful, with both women using their voices to weave a spell, to catch us in their meshes. Songs from sirens, there are echoes of other artists and performers, from Tim Buckley’s soaring vocals, to Joanna Newsom, Bjork, Alison Goldfrapp, even Patti Smith and Nico’s deep melancholy sound. I have followed Susanna’s career with great interest and loved her distinctive cover versions, capable of revealing new aspects of familiar songs. This music is eerie, transcendent, rooted in myth and legend, disturbing and fabulous. These are hymns to the old goddesses. This is a strange and terrible beauty. It inspired me to watch Maya Deren’s film and I will explore Jenny Hval’s music too. She has been compared to Laurie Anderson and Yoko Ono. This is seriously beautiful music, created by artists who are not afraid to face their monsters. Be enthralled by it.

Track Listing:-

1 Droplet
2 Black Lake
3 Milk Pleasures
4 I Have Walked This Body
5 O Sun O Medusa
6 A Mirror in My Mouth
7 Thirst That Resembles Me
8 I Have a Darkness
9 A Sudden Swing
10 Honey Dew
11 Medusa
12 Running Down
13 House of Bones
14 House of Bones
15 The Black Lake Took