The last time Jenny Hval released an album, it was the characteristically brilliant 2019 collection The Practice Of Love. She’s back with something new, but this time she’s not alone. For over 10 years now, Hval has had an ongoing collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Håvard Volden​ called Lost Girls. Next month, they’re going to release their debut album under the moniker, ​Menneskekollektivet, which means “human collective” in Norwegian.

Along with the announcement, the duo has shared the album’s opening and title track. “The song started out with some synth chords Håvard played,” Hval explained in a statement. “I felt they sounded like the beginning of the world, or a world, so I wanted to improvise words to them that somehow expressed a beginning of a world. They don’t make sense like a written lyric should, but they are trying to make sense of something, a moment, a slow transition. On this track, the voice, and the music too, slowly makes its way from alone to together.”

“Menneskekollektivet” is a sprawling 12 minute track that begins quiet, with Hval performing spoken word. Soon the song begins to build up, before it turns into a more propulsive, dancier track and Hval shifts into ghostly singing. It’s a promising introduction to the album, and you can check it out below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Menneskekollektivet”
02 “Losing Something”
03 “Carried By Invisible Bodies”
04 “Love, Lovers”
05 “Real Life”

Menneskekollektivet is out 3/26 digitally and 4/23 physically via Smalltown Supersound.