Zola Mennenöh – A LABOUR OF LOVE

Strictly speaking, the term “soundscape” refers to the totality of sounds in a specific place, including all its natural sounds, traffic noise, and voices—both loud and soft. However, this definition can also be turned inward to describe people’s mental state. This is essentially what singer and composer Zola Mennenöh—who lives in both Berlin and Copenhagen—did when she began working on her program “A Labour of Love.” To stand up for her beliefs in a better future and to emphasize her anger at an increasingly chaotic world around her, Mennenöh takes a step back and lets the lyrical timbre of her voice speak for itself, just as much as the quiet flow of her spoken words. Combined with digitally crafted sound textures and the nuanced dynamics of analog instruments, her imaginary soundscapes create a captivating emotionality and a stylistically boundless aesthetic.