I
You don’t need ‘research’ to ‘understand’ Rockettothesky’s ‘Medea’ and you don’t need spoon to eat cereal but it’s easier.
II
Pretend his hand is my hand on your thigh! Pretend his eye is my eye on your breasts! He’s a boy he’s your boy he’s my puppet, and I l o v e y o u.
- ‘14, 15, 13, 14’
The story of why Jenny Hval, 28, adapted the moniker and started the project Rockettothesky is very ‘quirky’ and you can read it online somewhere else. The following fragments invoked by her second album will not include:
a) Comparisons to other albums by Norwegian artists; that would have been unfair to both parties
b) References to possible musical influences (e.g. Saint Etienne, Dead Can Dance, The Knife, Hope Sandoval, Múm, Goldfrapp, Sonic Youth, Sugababes, Cocteau Twins); that would have generated an endless regress of increasingly complex claims
c) Thoughts on so called ‘concept albums’; that would have felt paralyzingly pointless and besides it’s another ‘discourse’
d) Discussion on how Jenny’s ways of ‘doing’ gender and sexuality linguistically differ from the strategies of other gender and sexuality defining role models such as Britney, Madonna and Kylie; that would have been populist pseudo-academic, and I don’t want to start or take part in a ‘discourse’ of that sort
III
My first observation will be that the ‘flute’ hook of ‘The Dead, Dead Water Lily Thing’ – first appearance at 1:41 – recalls main melodic theme of ‘Prince Igor,’ European hit single from 1997 by American west coast rapper and Norwegian west coast soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø.* This filled me with life affirming nostalgia.
Of a: sunken ship I made their tomb, and a song for little s i n g i n g s e a s h e l l s. Little singing sea shells! I compose their melodies to feet and arms!
- ‘Call Medea’
Now I’m watching the music video for ’Prince Igor’ on youtube. I will probably watch one more Warren G video, then i’ll continue listening to ’Medea.’
IV
The moment for you to assume the role of murderess -
How will you do it?
When your sons kneel to you for pity,
Will you stain your fingers with their blood?
Your heart will melt, you will know you cannot
- ‘Chorus’
Words and voices encapsulate and background notions of death, morbide situations, ghostly encounters, vividly, bodily, yet scientifically precise and curious. Recomposing a Greek myth, a story of the revenge of a woman betrayed by her husband, but is Medea a feminist heroine? That’s another ’discourse.’ How should one interpret and ’understand’ the Medea complex and its social and cultural implications? I don’t know. Through psycho-analysis? I don’t know. Could psycho-analytical approach have been fruitful in order to ’understand’ this record? I don’t know.
V
A ship; sunken. Full fathom five; in underwater Portland; of their bones are corral made; Hourly the bells…
- ‘Elephant Van Sant’
Gus Van Sant is an American film director currently living in Portland, Oregon. Many of his films take place in Portland, for example ‘Elephant’ (2003) whose plot bears resemblance to the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre. It is the second film in Van Sant’s Death Trilogy, which includes three films based on true-life deaths. The first one is ‘Gerry’ (2002) and the third is ‘Last Days’ (2005).
VI
I take him in I take this body whole/so thin like a spine hee-ho-hee-ho-hee-ho/I thread him on inside of mine/and we are one and we are one hee-ho-hee-ho-heeeee-ho
- ‘Grizzly Man’
German director Werner Herzog made a documentary film about the American bear enthusiast, environmentalist and documentary filmmaker Timothy Treadwell, called ‘Grizzly Man’ (2005). In the end of the film one learns that Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend were attacked and killed by a grizzly bear. Treadwell spent more than 13 summers of his life in close interaction with grizzly bears in Katmai National Park in Alaska.
I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals.
- Timothy Treadwell, Grizzly Man
VII
With a howl in her chest, and a pearl on her tongue, she teaches me how to web my fingers.
- ‘Song of Pearl’
Ruth Nichols** is a Canadian author and her novel ‘Song of the Pearl’ was published in 1976. The protagonist Margaret has been raped by her uncle, and embittered she dies early in the story. Margaret is transported to a mysterious island after her death where she meets Paul. According to a Sumerian overlord, Margaret has to understand the source of her hatred in order to forgive her uncle. By doing this she gains the status of a heroine, and the novel ends with her rebirth.
VIII
The roads and the cars dissolve behind me as I untie you; walk on the water; on the sweet water lilies.
- ‘The Dead, Dead Water Lily Thing’
Water seems to be of great importance in this work. Is it a theme, motif, symbol, metaphor or point of view? I don’t know. So there’s death and water then.
From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free. Buoyed by —water, he can fly in any direction—up, down, sideways—by merely flipping his hand. Under water, man becomes an archangel.
- Jacques Cousteau***
IX
Very soon, you will recognize concrete shapes and objects (e.g. breasts, fingers, chest, thighs, lips, mouth, knuckles, bones, blood, nose, pigeons, ocean, feet, tongue, arms, hair), things most people can relate to, things that are in the normal world. Does she speak through different ink, which offers up for a different reading? I don’t know.
—-
* I don’t believe ’Prince Igor’ by Warren G feat. Sissel Kyrkjebø is possible musical influence of great importance. This is just speculations so I can’t guarantee the plausibility of it.
** Ruth Nichols is also the name of a female pioneer aviatrix. In 1929 she founded the Ninety-Nines, an organization of licensed women pilots, together with Amelia Earhart and others. Since the beginning of her career Jenny Hval has promoted Amelia Earhart in one way or another. She has probably helped a few people to ‘discover’ Earhart.
*** Time Magazine, Mar. 28, 1960.
Related posts:
3 Responses to “I like this record. Do I ‘understand’ it? I don’t know. Do I have to ‘understand’ it? I don’t know”
Trackbacks