Name: Anette Johannessen Seljevold
Country: Norway
Instagram profile: @ajseljevold
Speakers: DALI OPTICON 2
Music: Anette's playlist (on Tidal)
Line of work
I work as a part-time employee at Hi-Fi Klubben Tromsø. I also started a Bachelor this fall in language and economics. It’s a joint program that you could only find here in Tromsø. Unfortunately they decided to close the program, so I am one of the last ones to take this bachelor.
How do you listen to music in your everyday life?
I pretty much always listen to music. At home I got my OPTICON 2’s and a DALI SUB E-9 F paired up with a NAD C388. Furthermore an Argon TT-2 turntable, a Bluesound Node 2 and a Bluesound Pulse Flex in my bathroom. On the go it’s usually in my car, nothing fancy there, just the Toyota originals from 1996. At work it’s a lot of different setups, as a hifi retail store should have.
When/how did your interest for hi-fi begin?
Oh, that is a tough one. I have always valued music as a big part of my life, and my favorite thing to do was going to concerts, even at young age. And as often as I could, I would turn up the volume when home alone and just enjoy how it felt to be moved through the sound. But I guess my real interest for true hi-fi started after I got my job in Hi-Fi Klubben. Just to be able to hear the difference between the different types of speakers and amps was a whole new world for me. Now I can’t imagine life without quality on my music units, be it speakers or headphones.
Do you prefer: CD, vinyl or digital? And why?
I guess I’m one of those that’s a bit parted in this answer. I really love the digital streaming universe, mostly because of the simplicity though. But I also really love the feel and sound of a vinyl playing. You really have to sit down and listen when listening to vinyl. Digital is more for background music and on the go.
Why do you think that there isn’t that many women represented in the audiophile world?
This is a tricky question and you have to be careful not to apply the same yardstick to everybody. But my guess is that it’s about interest. And I think it starts from a young age where most girls are more interested in makeup and clothes than music and sound. And this just sticks with them. But there are definitively women out there that are interested in music and sound, they just doesn’t know it until they’re faced with it. I’ve had women in our shop with their men going “I don’t want big, ugly speakers!” and then I’ve shown them a pair of bookshelf speakers with good sound, but they weren’t pleased. And then I’ve shown the man a pair of our bigger ones, and the woman goes “what is this? I want this sound!” So I am sure they would’ve cared a bit more if they had just been more exposed from earlier age and it had spiked their interest.
Which track will always wake a feeling in you?
There’s a lot of songs that will wake some kind of feelings in me. But I guess there’s a couple of songs that I hold closer to my heart. I actually have two song titles tattooed on my arms. Searching for Shore and Rules of the Ocean. These are two of the songs from a Norwegian band called Violet Road, and they have had a lot of value for me throughout the years. And still do.
How/where do you discover new music and artists?
When it comes to new music I’m actually a little picky. I am a person of habit when it comes to music. So I can get tired of what I’m listening to at the moment and more often than not, I reuse my old music. But when I do want new music I have a couple of reliable sources I turn to for tips that I know have at least something I will like. Other than that, when I feel risky, I turn to TIDAL’s list of new releases to see if there’s anything cool. And sometimes there is!
The last two records that you have bought?
The two last records I bought was both vinyl. I found this really cool hologram-2 LP-vinyl of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens soundtrack which I had to buy, and then Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas on vinyl, which has just arrived.
Is there an artist (or two), genre or period that you are particular fond of?
As previously mentioned I’m quite fond of Violet Road. But on a more global note I guess Tom Waits is an artist I admire. The way he writes and compose just catches my attention in a way I can’t explain, and no other artist can do so. The first album I put on when I turn my turntable on is Tom Waits’ Closing Time. It’s so soothing and relaxing. Just puts me in the right state of mind for really listening to music. When it comes to genre and period I listen to a lot, so there's no right or wrong there. It all depends on the mood.
Which records are the pride of your collection?
I guess this has to be the Star Wars one with the hologram! It is so cool! And nerdy! It is a two-LP album where on the first LP there’s two holograms of the Millenium Falcon. On the second LP there’s two holograms of TIE-fighters. Only downside to this is the lightning needs to be direct overhead, but to fix that problem I bought a LED-lamp-ting and put it above the turntable!
What has been your best live concert experience?
My best live concert experience… I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to pick just one, I’ve seen so many good shows throughout the years. But if I had to pick one, I think it’s got to be Ondt Blod at Buktafestivalen 2016 (Tromsø Open Air Festival). It was a beautiful day with a brilliant sun, on an intimate scene. They just gave their all, and the audience gave their all. Half of the concert experience is actually from the audience themselves. It was pure magic!
What made you choose DALI speakers for your home stereo?
With a tight budget and an expensive taste in sound I needed something to meet both criteria. I wanted something that was not too expensive, but sounded amazing. So after listening to some of the speakers we had in our shop, I landed on DALI OPTICON 2. They have the warmth I like in the sound, they have a depth that some of the other speakers were lacking and the best finish, walnut! I am not one of those women who put design over anything else that goes in to my living room, and the speaker could have looked a lot worse, but of all the finishes this comes in, the dark walnut that the OPTICON series has, it is the finest.
What would be the ultimate playlist for your DALI speakers?
1) Radka Toneff – The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
2) Emmylou Harris – Wrcking Ball
3) Tom Waits – The Piano Has Been Drinking [Not Me]
4) Kate Bush – Hounds of Love
5) Rag’n’Bone Man – Wolves
6) Violet Road – Searching For Shore
7) Herman Rundberg & SlinCraze - Buorre Eallin, Good Life (Mano Mix)
8) Ondt Blod - Finnmark
Anette's playlist on Tidal in its full length.
Photo credit: Anette Johannessen Seljevold
