Jennifer Bravo is something of an institution at Jaeger. A sibling in the Bravo musical dynasty Jennifer’s formative years were spent absorbed in the extensive influences of her musical family, from her father to her two brothers, Dan and André. She’s been something of a fixture at Jaeger, specifically at André’s Mandagsklubben, where if she’s not playing, she’ll be in the crowd or on the dance floor.
As a DJ, her music lives on the darker side of Techno and House, with melodic tendencies that tend to err on the mysterious, reflecting the artistic personality behind the selections. This edition of the Jaeger Mix sees Jennifer expanding on those sounds, with a set sonically geared to the beginning of the night.
Ushering the listener into a scene of undulating bass-lines and stark textures, atmosphere remains central through the two hours of the mix. Jennifer Bravo is no stranger to Jaeger and her set marks an almost intuitive feel for the Backyard’s dance floor with her individual tastes and style shining through.
With her set playing in the background, we talk about her mix, her musical background, and her various creative outlets in this extensive edition of the Jaeger mix.
Hey Jennifer. Welcome to the Jaeger Mix. It’s odd to think that we haven’t had you on here yet. You’re something of an institution at Jaeger. For the people that might know you, can you give us an introduction?
My name is Jennifer Bravo. I am a DJ and I want to take you on a journey to make you see where I am at, at this place In time and who my influences are in this moment. I have a deep love and admiration for dub techno, I’ve always been listening to minimal techno and deep tech. The solid ground of mysteries and bass rolling beats with admiring melodies are the drift of my compassion.
You come from a strong musical family. What was it like growing up in a musical household and what were some of the more memorable musical things you were exposed to as a child?
Well I’ve always had a dad listening to all types of music but mostly funk, disco, pop and west coast rock. It became very important to me as I grew older. Within the sense of evolving, and creating myself further.
Your brother Dan is a prominent producer of R&B and pop in Norway while André is his own clubbing institution in Oslo. Where do you see yourself fitting in the Bravo dynasty?
I have my own experience with music, and I allow myself to try and find out who I am. I guess I am more experimental in how I would like to create and express myself.
Where do your tastes diverge from the rest of your family?
I feel that I have created my own set of feelings towards sounds that I enjoy for myself.
It’s not about genres, I listen to a lot of music genres. but experimental electronica, like Bogdan Raczynski, Squarepusher, Secede, Fluxion, Pulshar etc .. Sounds like that, are my first true love.
What drew you to DJing initially?
I’ve been djing in periods since I was 20 years of age, but Initially I’ve always wanted to put my music out there. Because I feel that I have something to give.
What was the progression like for you going from those beginnings to your first set in a club?
I feel that I have struggled a bit with the dj part of mixing and being confident about it, but the progression of me deciding to do this more and more over the years has made me more confident.
You’ve been a staple at Mandagsklubben for as long as we can remember. Besides your brother, what is your connection to that night and what can you do there that is unique to you?
I create a space for the music I enjoy, my own sound and getting a crowd that likes my music.
Can you describe the sound of this Jaeger mix?
I wanted to show a few of my influences and favorite songs that I’ve been inspired by for the last few years. It’s a mix of my love for dub minimal and techno. I want to take the listener on a journey of me through some of the records that I enjoy. I feel that I want to give my personal inspirations to those who are listening. And I have been focusing on a lot of dub techno.
Being a recorded set, what did you particularly want to convey through this session?
Some of my music tastes and the different elements of the sounds I love.
It sounds very representative of what you might play at a Mandagsklubben, albeit perhaps early on in the night. What do you look for in music that you play out and how does it compare to the stuff you listen to at home?
I look for all types of music but there are always some elements of experimental electronica and dub minimal influences. At home it can be anything from pop, westcoast rock, afrobeat and ambient.
Your sound as a DJ is always steeped in the foundations of Techno and its various sub-genres, but clouded in something mysterious, even dark at times. What draws you to those sounds?
My experiences though life draws me to these sounds. Just like my art, it’s in my intuition. My intuition draws the motif.
Reflecting on this, your latest mix, how do you feel you’ve evolved as a DJ since starting out?
Even though I am not that technical, I feel that I have much more control and confidence about what I am doing but I am always trying to learn more. It never ends and is always appreciated.
I know you are also a visual artist. What does DJing offer as a creative outlet, and how does it differ from your visual work?
Djing is an outlet for me to be social and enjoy the beautiful people that surround me, and for me to have a sense of individuality towards being an artist who wants to create in all forms. My visual art is to combine different mediums in whatever my intuition shows me. It gives me inspiration.
You’ve also been working on your own music. Can you tell us more about JNNY?
JNNY is more of an experimental artist project with my own beats and other producer, it’s my voice trying to explain my individuality. I write my own lyrics and try to let my thoughts out. I’ve always wanted to do vocals and it’s a fun process, learning to express myself.
Yes, it is a vocal-focussed project in lower tempos with diverse elements from Dubstep to R&B coming through. How does this relate to what you’re doing in the DJ booth, if at all?
Everything relates because of my being and it’s always hard to define something. I am in still experimental electronica love, not fully knowing where I am going, but I will always DJ in different genres and styles.
Where do you see that project eventually going?
JNNY is more artist- based than the DJ project and being able to express different vocals and vibes thru my first love of experimental electronica. The journey never ends. I am all for being in a work of creation. Creating myself.
And what else is on the horizon for Jennifer Bravo and JNNY?
Just finding myself enjoying life and keep learning.