Press room

Jenny Hval: I want to be a machine

Following her sold-out performance at Milton Court in 2019, Norwegian composer and musician Jenny Hval, returns to the Barbican with a multifaceted new show and new music in I want to be a machine taking place over four nights in April 2024.

I want to be a machine is performed by Hval alongside Håvard Volden, Jenny Berger Myhre, and Linn Nystadnes and weaves new music, video, scenography, and a wasteland of material into an open-ended meditation on the purpose of art. The interdisciplinary, inventive piece is a theatrical extension of her playful, provocative, and intensely personal creative journey and full of technical surprises. Written in response to Heiner Müller’s post-dramatic play Hamletmachine, Hval explores what the artist is, reviewing the apocalyptic world of current cultural politics, recounting her youth, her relationship to music and other art forms, and her relationship with herself and her body.

Jenny Hval is a composer, singer-songwriter and novelist with eight studio albums under her belt that seamlessly interweave musical, literary, visual, and performative modes of expression. Combining electronics, pop and aesthetics, she has been creating boundary-pushing music for over fifteen years.

Produced by the Barbican

On sale dates: Barbican patrons (7 Nov), Members Plus (8 Nov), Members (10 Nov) General public (13 Nov)

Find out more

CLUBSTAGE DJ SET ADDED

London Brew 

+ Alex Rita & Naima Adams (Touching Bass) DJ set

Part of EFG London Jazz Festival 2023 

Miles Davis’ legendary album Bitches Brew is reimagined in the first-ever performance from British jazz super group, London Brew. 

A one-off moment in London’s musical history will bring together a star-studded line-up to pay tribute to one of modern music's most totemic figures, Miles Davis. This first live outing of the project, since the album’s release in April 2023 (London Brew, Downtown Music UK Ltd./Concord Jazz 2023) will see the original album musicians including Raven Bush, Theon Cross, Tom Herbert, Nikolaj Torp Larsen, Dave Okumu, Nick Ramm, Dan See and Martin Terefe take to the Barbican stage, joined by some very special guests from the recording (names to be announced soon). 

After the London Brew performance, audiences can keep the party going as Alex Rita and Naima Adams of South London-based record label and musical movement Touching Bass take over the Barbican foyers with a free post-show DJ set on the ClubStage. As Alex and Naima dig deep into their record collections, London Brew concert-goers can expect soulful beats and late-night sonic explorations from two of London’s finest selectors.

Touching Bass is the club night, record label, staple NTS Radio show and curatorial/creative studio founded by Errol and Alex Rita, supported by a wider community of friends.

Produced by the Barbican in association with Serious 

Find out more 

More information about the full EFG London Jazz Festival line-up can be found here.