1971–1985
1971–1985
MARTIN HALL
PERIODICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY
AUGUST 2017
TIDERNE SKIFTER/GYLDENDAL (ISBN 978-87-0223-8167)
Martin Hall’s long-awaited book 1971-1985 – at the time his first in five years – was released on the 17th of August 2017. The book is an autobiographical depiction of his formative years as a boy and a young man.
The publishers, Tiderne Skifter (a subsidiary of Gyldendal releasing the works of authors such as W.G. Sebald, Jean Rhys and David Lynch), wrote the following about the book in their press announcement:
“1971-1985 is a high-speed portrait of the Danish artist Martin Hall’s childhood and early youth, a teenage chronicle that focuses on a period of great personal and cultural impact in a rampant Copenhagen. From the rough black-and-white photos of the seventies to the following decade’s Polaroid pictures, from glam rock to punk and from Madame Arthur to Rockmaskinen at Christiania – the journey is long from General Franco’s catholic Spain, where Martin Hall lived as a young boy, to the liberated sex shops of Vesterbrogade.
Written in a simple, yet figurative language, he describes his parents’ reckless sense of adventure and the ruthlessness that characterized his adolescence, the alcoholic culture the seventies were soaked in as well as the sexuality and the political climate of the period. As a new generation cuts through previous norms and values, Hall’s personal journey and following formation as an artist during the early eighties reveals a story of great personal hope and tragedy, spiritual ferocity and loss.”
Genre: Periodical autobiography
Pages: 248
Design: Kenneth Schultz
Photo: Robin Skjoldborg
“They said the soil was barren due to the unrest of the dead.”
”Hall is brilliant in his depiction of a rampant Copenhagen in the seventies … the book is a sharp and observant snapshot of a city that no longer exists.”
( * * * * )
Berlingske – Mikkel Andersson (17.8.2017)
”Martin Hall has style, and with this book he manages to come close to the substance and the pain in the depiction of his early career’s harsh downside with suicides, drugs and chronic restlessness.”
Weekendavisen – Christian Dorph (18.8.2017)
”The multifacetted artist Martin Hall tells a charming tale of his early, wild years.”
Jyllands-Posten – Christian Møgeltoft (23.8.2017)
”Martin Hall writes unadorned, beautifully, often wise and most of the time relievingly funny about his youth and early days.”
( * * * * )
Politiken – Henrik Vesterberg (26.8.2017)
”Needle-pointed wit … the book kindles you and you’re moved as you enter its many rooms.”
Radio24Syv – Morten Lindberg (27.8.2017)
”Beautifully written, deeply personal, wildly entertaining and, not least, convincingly reflective.”
Bogbobler – Isabel Fluxá Rosado (1.9.2017)
“Insightful and amusing.”
Fyens Stiftstidende – Martin Kloster (2.10.2017)
”Incredibly sharp … Martin Hall’s ability to reflect and convey his understanding is admirable.”
( * * * * )
GAFFA – Ivan Rod (18.10.2017)
”A clear must read … a catchy mix of sober observation and thoughtful reflection.”
Modspor – Martin Minka Jensen (29.10.2017)
“Best autobiography of the year.”
DR – Flemming Møldrup (10.11.2017)
PRELUDE
I often imagine the story behind it all: Two people framed in cones of light. Their meeting. The detonation of bright summer nights and whispering voices – how they think, it’s all going to be fine.
Later she tells him, what’s about to appear; watches the face in front of her, light-hearted and nervous at the same time.
He tells her, it’s great.
Then she cries a bit, more of relief than joy. Basically, she doesn’t care – that’s how colossal the love she feels for the new life in her body is.
I imagine the copper-like smell of blood at the birth, the redeeming power of a ruthless force. How her touch falls with a snow-like softness on the new, yet familiar skin. Whispered words, air currents of formless breath.
Later on the infant in a cradle, sleeping with its legs spread out like a supermarket chicken. People who observantly watch the new life, foreign sets of lungs consuming the air in the room. Distant, haunting voices.
Days that start with brilliant sunshine, then slowly disperse into a haze. The grainy, white liquid of dreams. Baptism, serpentines and layer cake.
A boy in a closet. Intricate manners of speaking, pauses and empty glances. Everybody’s struggle to breathe.
A first draft of the book was ready to be released in the summer of 2016 by the publishing house People’s Press. Shortly before signing the contract, however, Hall chose to withdraw the book for personal reasons.
The final edition of 1971-1985, released by Tiderne Skifter in 2017, is a revised and expanded version of the original manuscript. The book is released with support of The Danish Arts Foundation.
In the beginning of 2018 Gyldendal (Denmark’s largest publishing house) released a new edition of 1971–1985.
On the release day of the book Hall met the literary editor at Jyllands-Posten, David Jacobsen Turner, met for a short talk about the book in a packed Politikens Boghal. The week after its release, 1971–1985 went top 10 at Bog & Idé’s sales chart (Denmark’s largest bookstore chain).
In relation to the annual Book Forum, the host of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s weekly literary review Crazy about books, Flemming Møldrup, appointed the book to be the best autobiography in 2017.
“Martin Hall writes unadorned, beautifully, often wise and most of the time relievingly funny about his youth and early days.”
( * * * * )
Politiken (Danish equivalent to The Guardian)“Hall is brilliant in his depiction of a rampant Copenhagen in the seventies … the book is a sharp and observant snapshot.”
( * * * * )
Berlingske (Danish equivalent to The Times)”Incredibly sharp … Martin Hall’s ability to reflect and convey his understanding is admirable.”
( * * * * )
GAFFA (Scandinavia’s biggest music magazine)“Martin Hall has style, and with this book he manages to come close to the substance and the pain in the depiction of his early career’s harsh downside with suicides, drugs and chronic restlessness.”
Weekendavisen (Danish equivalent to New York Times Literary Review)“The multifacetted artist Martin Hall tells a charming tale of his early, wild years.”
Jyllands-Posten (Denmark’s biggest newspaper)“Insightful and amusing.”
Fyens Stiftstidende (major regional newspaper)“Best autobiography of the year.”
DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation)
HALL IN POLITIKEN'S BOGHAL AUGUST 17
On the day of the release of Martin Hall's long-awaited new book 1971-1985, an autobiographical depiction of his formative years as a boy and a young man, Hall visits Politikens Boghal for a talk and an in store-signing.
Between 5 and 6 PM on Thursday the 17th of August Hall will be interviewed by journalist and literary editor on Jyllands-Posten (Denmark's biggest daily newspaper) David Jacobsen Turner. There's free entrance.
You can read more about the book here.
HALL WRITES NEW CRONHAMMAR MUSIC
In relation to the retrospective Ingvar Cronhammar - Design exhibition at Herning Museum of Contemporary Art (opens September 9, 2017), Martin Hall has written and recorded a new piece of installation music for one of the exhibition's rooms.
The museum writes the following about the upcoming event:
"The exhibition Ingvar Cronhammar - Design focuses on the field between design, architecture and art by showing a series of Cronhammar's innovations of objects such as cutlery and lamps alongside a number of installations and architectural models. The exhibition will lead the visitor through a selection of Cronhammar's most versatile designs and works, selected and curated in close collaboration between the artist and HEART's chief inspector Michael Bank Christoffersen. "
Martin Hall and Ingvar Cronhammar have worked together several times before – first in connection with the Elia sculpture in 2001, since then in conjunction with the ARoS exhibition Racing Cars in 2006 and most recently in relation to the great success H at the Cisterns in 2015. Concurrently with the upcoming exhibition preparations towards an overall release of the collected music Hall has written to Cronhammar over the years are on the go.
You can find more information about the Design exhibition at the HEART website.
One of the current designs at the upcoming exhibition is Cronhammar's new cutlery and plate set, a design that the restaurant chain A Hereford Beefstouw has just launched. The cutlery has been named Hansha, which means "reflection" in Japanese. The knife looks like a mix of a scalpel and a saw while the fork assemble something in-between tweezers and a pair of Asian chopsticks.
Press photo reproduced with permission from Mingo Photo.
RANDOM HOLD
RANDOM HOLD
MARTIN HALL
LP
APRIL 2017 (ORIGINAL RELEASE FEBRUARY 1996)
PANOPTIKON (OPTIK 48)
In relation to Record Store Day 2017 Random Hold was released in a new vinyl edition. The record hadn’t been available on vinyl before. This version of the album was remastered by its original producer Thomas Li and entered the Danish vinyl chart at #14 in the following week.
At the time of its original release in 1996 Random Hold was regarded as Hall’s best record so far by an unanimous Scandinavian press. In 1997 the album was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland where it also received excellent reviews.
1. Cradlemoon (5:44)
2. Performance (5:12)
3. Another Heart Laid Bare (4:54)
4. Interim (1:47)
5. Cue (3:24)
6. She’s Eternal (6:00)
7. Golden Day Longing (4:37)
8. Skinline (11:03)
CRADLEMOON
The fire and the water keep mixing in my blood
The sons and the daughters seemed to give it all up
They got too tired of the waiting
Too tired to believe
In the promises that nobody keeps
I’ve seen a generation coming
I’ve seen a generation go
And the more I see, the less I know
I want to go to sleep
I want to drown in the deep of the cradlemoon
I want to touch the sky
I want to lie down and die
In the cradlemoon of the night
So I followed the shadows by the trail of the waste
And it led me into the heart, to the heart of these days
I never wanted to remember
Never wanted to believe
But you don’t ask why when the thunderheart beats
All I wanted was a reason
What I got was so much more
Couldn’t turn my back on the things that I saw
I want to go to sleep
I want to drown in the deep of the cradlemoon
I want to touch the sky
I want to lie down and die
In the cradlemoon of the night
In a world full of stories
There’s a time in the night
When the sky seems to break by the blink of the eye
PERFORMANCE
Fields of living fire
You’ll see me reaching into the air
The shadow of a survivor
I turn around but there’s no one there
I’ve been looking for reason
Some poisons taste like the sweetest wine
But all I ever believed in
Was all the things that I couldn’t find
The fires burn, erasing all the traces
And I spread the ashes all across the sky
Watching it all fall like rain through empty spaces
To the darkest corners of my heart and mind
Hear the cries and the whispers
The touch-and-go of another night
The afterglow of desire
Shines with the flame of a lesser light
A line of nameless faces
Fading away in a sea of time
Another time and place is
The last belief of performing mind
The fires burn, erasing all the traces
And I spread the ashes all across the sky
Watching it all fall like rain through empty spaces
To the darkest corners of my heart and mind
In a room without a view
There’s a story without end
Every time an answer shows
Then another hides away
ANOTHER HEART LAID BARE
Another heart laid bare on the doorstep to my exile
Another pantomime to disbelieve
I see your bended head, always humble in the daylight
Playing the servant’s role to never see
Of all the images that you left for my keeping
The one I like the most is the world outside
I never thought I would but the distance seems so perfect
I can’t deny the fact that I’m pleasantly surprised
Another victim cries, pointing fingers at the heavens
Declaring me the crime of centuries
The traces on my skin, they keep shining in the nighttime
A fingerprint on every memory
CUE
The cities of light, the mirrors beneath the stars
In all of my life I’ve followed my untamed heart
It burns like a fever in the sleepless nights
Behind closed doors and behind closed eyes
The sea of the sky keeps shining a world of gold
The sweeter the song, the sadder the tale that’s told
Like a secret that I’ll never know
There’s a feeling that will follow me anywhere I go
I’ll walk on waters
I’ll quiet the storms
With you as my reason
With you as my calm
SHE’S ETERNAL
I never wanted her to see
The world inside me
The world was turning round and round
Like something running out of time
She whispered “listen to the wind” and her breath burned my skin
I didn’t understand but it made me feel so still
There’s a tale of the night, there’s an unspoken word
And the story that she told couldn’t be explained in words
‘Cause she
She’s eternal
With her the world dies
And she
She’s eternal
With her the world dies
Let it die
A stone that falls into the sea
It falls inside me
These winterlands, they never change
They’re covered in this quiet grey
Voices calling in the night from the corners of my mind
From the desolated worlds I was trying to leave behind
Never thought I’d be returning to the place it all began
To the tainted heart of longing, till she took me by the hand
GOLDEN DAY LONGING
Sweet
Golden day longing
I feel it inside
Each breath that I take
High
High as the empty
It falls on my skin
To cover the burns
Turning silver
See the writing that runs down the wall
Book of reason
I don’t need it anymore
Sweet
Golden day longing
No words can explain
The feelings I have
SKINLINE
Days are burning like the rainbow
In a corner of the world
Your forever is a nevermore
And it turns the sky and the earth
The moon and the stars
The skin and the scars
Keeping your eyes on closing doors
Counting the shadows on the walls
Pieces of eight still fill your mind
Burning your skinline
Break the silence into stories
Tell them like a children’s tale
Always staying at a distance
As you bleed the light of the day
You’re lying awake
You lie there and wait
“Hertzlich willkommen. Mit Martin Hall’s Random Hold liegt das erste Produkt vor, das Public Propaganda als Label auf den Markt schmeissen… und was für eines! Martin Hall, eine der wichtigsten Persönlichkeiten in Dänemarks Musik- und Kunstscene, verbindet electronisches und klassische Sounds zu einer perfekten Untermalung seiner düsteren Gesange, die einen sofort in ihren Bann ziehen. Das ganze klingt ausserdem extrem ruhig und atmosphärisch, dabei aber nicht immer kuschelweich, sondern oft auch nachdenklich machend. Mal wirken die Songs als solche, mal experimentiert Martin Hall mit Stimme und Klängen. Verdammt entspannende und starke 43 minuten, die uns Public Propaganda da ins Nest legen. Unbedingt reinhören. ”
( 5/5 )
Bodystyler (December 1997)
“Die perfekte Musik …”
Gothic (December 1997)
“Einfach eine grossartige CD!!!”
Dark Mind (November 1997)
“Musik, die einfach schön ist … Denn Kunst kommt von Können. Und das ist Kunst in Reinkultur! Atmosphärische Klänge, wie sie die heutige schnellebige Zeit dringend nötig hat, um einen Ruhepunkt zu finden.”
Orkus (November 1997)
“Random Hold ist ein bewegendes, ein ausgereiftes Kunstwerk. Gut, dass endlich die Musik unserer Nachbarn im Norden mehr und mehr in unser Bewusstsein rückt …”
Notes (November 1997)
“Hall’s Musik so ganz anders ist.”
( 8/10 )
Neurostyle (December 1997)
“Der Däne Martin Hall blickt mit seinen 34 Jahren bereits auf stattliche 31 Veröffentlichungen zurück. Einem breiten Publikum ist er hierzulande allerdings noch nicht bekannt. Random Hold könnte das ändern. Hall schafft ein unspektakuläres, zurückhaltendes Album voller Emotionen. Er versichtet auf klanggewaltige Arrangements, entfaltet sich lieber im Detail. Stilprägend wirkt dabei die Kombination elektronischer Musik und klassischer Instrumentierung, die gleichberechtigt nebeneinander stehen und die gefühlvollen Texte unterstreichen. Zeitlos schön und ubedingt hörenswert.”
T5 (November 1997)
“Da haben wir ja ein richtiges Multitalent.”
( 9/10 )
Feedback (December 1997)
“Musik für den Herbst. Musik für Schwärmer, Romantiker, für die melankolischen Stunden allein, für Stunden zu zweit. Musik wie für mich komponiert.”
Astan (November 1997)
“Bleibt zu hoffen, dass Martin Hall mit diesem atmosphärisches aussergewönlichen Album auch hierzulande auf offene Ohren stösst.”
Entry (December 1997)
“Dänemarks Vorzeige Multimedia-Künstler vor Durchbruch in Deutschland.”
Zillo (November 1997)
Henrik Marstal: Cello
Iben Teilmann: Viola
Martin Hall: Vocals, drums, bass, guitar, tape material
Ole Hansen: Keyboards, piano, trumpet, french horn
Sara Wallevik: Violin
Signe Kjærsgaard: Bass
Thomas Li: Networks, treatments, logic, percussion
Design: Birgitte Wester/Kenneth Schultz
Photo: Robin Skjoldborg
Throughout the years Random Hold has attracted more and more international listeners. At the time of its original European release it primarily caught the attention of the gothic and electronic scene, but since then the album has enjoyed a varied audience in countries such as Germany, Italy and Poland. As an example the Polish indie-band Hidden by Ivy included a cover version of the song ”Another Heart Laid Bare” (one of the original singles taken from Random Hold) on the group’s third album’s Beyond that was released in March 2017.
You can read more about the original release here:
“The grandiose and beautiful, dusty album Random Hold from 1996. It is the hermetic Hall’s most flawless pop work ever.”
( * * * * * )
Politiken (the Danish equivalent to The Guardian)“Martin Hall has rarely appeared more precise, serene and focused than on his latest release.”
Berlingske Tidende (the Danish equivalent to The Times)”A damned good release from Martin Hall.”
Information (the Danish equivalent to The Independent)“Martin Hall’s best record so far. A little miracle.”
( * * * * * )
Nat & Dag (the Danish equivalent to The Face)“Martin Hall’s peak as an artist.”
Zoo Magazine (the Danish equivalent to Q Magazine at the time)“Random Hold is Martin Hall’s most beautiful and flawless record up until this point.”
Det Fri Aktuelt (major Danish newspaper at the time)”An uncompromising and naked expression … intimate and attentive deliveries.”
( * * * * * )
Undertoner (Danish site for independent music)“Beautiful music … art at its purest.”
Orkus (major German music magazine)“The perfect music!”
Gothic (major German music magazine)
'RANDOM HOLD' 2017 VINYL EDITION
In relation to Record Store Day 2017 (April 22) Martin Hall’s Random Hold album will be released in a new vinyl edition. The record hasn’t been available on vinyl before. This 2017 album has been remastered by its original producer Thomas Li. The vinyl version includes download codes and the remastered version of the album will also be available via digital platforms such as Spotify and iTunes as well.
At its original release in 1996 Random Hold was proclaimed to be Hall’s most important record so far by the Scandinavian press. In Denmark it received quotes such as the following:
Politiken (Danish equivalent to The Guardian): “The grandiose and beautiful, dusty album Random Hold is the hermetic Hall’s most flawless pop work ever.” (*****)
Berlingske (Danish equivalent to The Times): “Martin Hall has rarely appeared more precise, serene and focused than on his latest release.”
Information (the Danish equivalent to The Independent): ”A damned good release from Martin Hall.”
Nat & Dag (major monthly magazine): “Martin Hall’s best record so far. A little miracle.” (*****)
Zoo Magazine (major monthly magazine): “Martin Hall’s peak as an artist.”
Undertoner (Danish site for independent music): ”An uncompromising and naked expression … intimate and attentive deliveries.” (*****)
Throughout the years the album has attracted more and more international listeners and still gains growing attention from music connoisseurs all over the world. Already at the time of its European release in 1997 the record received waves of appraisal, but whereas it back then primarily was the gothic and electronic scene that adopted Random Hold, the album has since enjoyed a much more varied audience in countries such as Germany, Italy and Poland.
Orkus (major German music magazine): “Beautiful music … art at its purest.”
Gothic (major German music magazine): “The perfect music!”
Zillo (major German music magazine): “Denmark’s multimedia artist faces his German breakthrough.”
Recently (March 2017) the Polish indie-band Hidden by Ivy has recorded a cover version of the song ”Another Heart Laid Bare”, one of the original singles from Random Hold.
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You can order the release here:
ORDER ”RANDOM HOLD” VINYL LP (incl. download codes)
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On Thursday the 20th of April Copenhagen Main Library presents a night about the album. You can find further information concerning the here:
HALL AT COPENHAGEN MAIN LIBRARY
In relation to the re-release of Random Hold on Record Store Day 2017 Copenhagen Main Library presents a night about the album on April 20 (7 PM). On this occasion Martin Hall will be interviewed by Danish Broadcasting Corporation P6 Beat’s Anders Bøtter.
Although the remastered vinyl edition isn’t released before two days later, you will be able to both buy the record as well as getting it signed on the night.
You can find further information about the arrangement here:
POLISH BAND COVERS HALL SONG
On March 24 the Polish indie-band Hidden by Ivy releases the album Beyond, on which they’ve recorded a cover version of Martin Hall’s Another Heart Laid Bare. Originally the song was featured on Hall’s Random Hold album released in February 1996 (a remastered vinyl version will be available in April 2017).
The members in Hidden by Ivy are Rafal Tomaszczuk (vocal) and Andrzej Turaj (instrumentalist). The Band comes from Warszawa and has so far released two albums.
You can hear the band's new version of the song here.
You’ll find further information about the current re-release of Martin Hall’s original Random Hold album here:
CHANGES
CHANGES
ANTHOLOGY
NOVEMBER 2016
TURBINE (ISBN 978-87-406-1217-2)
The Danish book Changes is a literary statement about David Bowie’s legacy written and edited by the Danish journalists Klaus Lynggard and Henrik Queitsch.
Originally the book was planned to mark the singer’s 70th birthday in January 2017, but when Bowie died in the beginning of 2016 the editors wanted the writing to become a collective memory written by a line of Danish artists and journalists.
Apart from the two main authors the book includes reflections and essays written by contributors such as Martin Hall, Asger Schnack, Kristian Leth, Benn Q. Holm, Ralf Christensen, Jakob Levinsen, Lars Movin, Jens Unmack, Jan Laursen, Bo Green Jensen, Signe Høirup Wille-Jørgensen, Søren E. Jensen, Lars Bukdahl, Nicolaj Stochholm, Katrine Nyland Sørensen, Anna Ullmann, Anne Sperling, Pernille Jensen and Kira Skov.
The cover is made by the Danish painter Lars Ravn. The book is designed by Sigrún Gudbrandsdóttir.
MARTIN HALL AT BANDCAMP
Stream and listen to a large selection of Martin Hall solo albums and related side projects at Bandcamp. All titles are available as both physical and digital albums at the site. If you acquire a cd or vinyl version, you automatically get the record as download as well.
At Bandcamp you can furthermore buy downloads in the FLAC format (audio files in a much quality than the mp3 standard).
You can use Visa, MasterCard and several other credit cards on the site. Obviously it’s also an option to pay via PayPal.
