Since we first spoke to Karen Juhl in November 2021, we realised that her creative universe was completely different from everybody else’s and created an identity hard to define with words. Hers is not one more music project but a multidisciplinary platform in which experimental composition, literature and pop music converge to create a formula with a personal essence. She has just released her new double single, Bloodline/Mother Tongue via London label inklingroom. And this is just a sneak peek of everything that is to come in the next few weeks.
Being representative of her debut album, Mother Tongue, a fragmented yet meditative reflection on fragility in a hyper-globalised world set to be released in September, both songs she's now presenting are sonic hybrids of R&B, rap, and experimental composition. We already highlighted the amazing ability of the multifaceted Copenhagen-born artist to create enveloping atmospheres through contrast and sound when we featured her audiovisual artwork No Big Deal. This new double single proves once again the catalytic power of her creative cosmos, which is now materialised in the form of a debut album, Mother Tongue.
First, Bloodline is a cyclical song about the nature of violence and how it can be passed down through generations, which she explores through shifting sonic and lyrical perspectives. On the other hand, Mother Tongue is a chaotic and raw representation of the struggles of self-expression. “It's stream-of-consciousness stumble rap that captures the feeling of falling apart, trying to remain tough and vulnerable at the same time,” Juhl replies when asked about this track. In just a few weeks we’ll be able to listen to her new full project, which comes along with a great artbook created in collaboration with graphic designer Paw Poulsen combining the album's lyrics with digital collages.
First, Bloodline is a cyclical song about the nature of violence and how it can be passed down through generations, which she explores through shifting sonic and lyrical perspectives. On the other hand, Mother Tongue is a chaotic and raw representation of the struggles of self-expression. “It's stream-of-consciousness stumble rap that captures the feeling of falling apart, trying to remain tough and vulnerable at the same time,” Juhl replies when asked about this track. In just a few weeks we’ll be able to listen to her new full project, which comes along with a great artbook created in collaboration with graphic designer Paw Poulsen combining the album's lyrics with digital collages.
