I HAVE SEEN YOU THROUGH THE YEARS, WORN BY DIFFERENT FACES
PESTEG DRED/SS-SAY
CD/LP
SEPTEMBER 2010
PANOPTIKON/DARK ENTRIES (OPTIK 24)
A long awaited hole in the Martin Hall back catalogue was filled when the obscure art rock project Pesteg Dred and now internationally renowned group SS-Say (both bands featuring the singer Inge Shannon in the vocal front) were re-released as one cd with the album I Have Seen You through the Years, Worn by Different Faces in September 2010.
1. Salt (Pesteg Dred) (3:42)2. Postcards and Reasons (Pesteg Dred) (3:56)3. 20th Century Superior (Pesteg Dred) (4:08)4. Cold Impressions of Perhaps (Pesteg Dred) (4:21)5. Light, More Light (Pesteg Dred) (12:51)6. Untitled (Pesteg Dred) (4:05)7. Almost (Pesteg Dred) (2:30) 8. Transaction (SS-Say) (7:45)9. Care (SS-Say) (4:48)10. Fanfare (SS-Say) (4:19)
TRANSACTION
You say you’ve tried
Well try harder
Change it
Re-arrange it
The turning point’s getting closer
I’m gonna take it where it comes from
I’m gonna give it to whom it belongs
Without delay
Take a chance now
Take it
Reinforce it
So make a move, make it happen
I’m gonna take it where it comes from
I’m gonna give it to whom it belongs
You say you’re sorry
Well you’d better learn to forgive yourself
‘Cause there’s no one here who can do it for you
In this twentieth century
Emotional sell-out
Be what you wanna be
Get out
Shout it out loud
You talk about a truth
Well it’s all an illusion
So what you have to do is to make your own fusion
Do what you wanna do
Be what you wanna be
Take what you wanna have
Just remember to give
I’m gonna take it
Moving slowly
Master planning of the means
Make it happen
Fight the limits you obey
Burning fire
Feel it as a part of you
Make it happen
Fight the limits you obey
You say it’s like all words are used up
Well I’m not
I’m standing right here
Look into my eyes
Take me by the hand
I will never let you down again
All together and no excuses
Turning every weakness to strength
CARE
Moments of love
Distant from darkness
Overturning the balance with the power of doubt
Caring for the first time
See you for the first time
Feel you for the first time
Need you for the first time
Don’t you recognize yourself in the mirror?
Far too involved to cancel the care
The nameless games and the real thing
The final solution and emotional stunts
Viewing for the first time
Value for the second
I have seen you through the years worn by different faces
FANFARE
Come on
Come on
Come on
Let it shine on you
Knowing what I feel
Knowing I’m able to give
Knowing what I need
Willing to risk all my love
The Wire: ”Years of Struggle is a hitherto rarely heard album that exemplified the black-hole nihilism and hostile theatrics found in the abstractionist fractions of the post-punk movement. After this sole Pesteg Dred recording Hall formed a number of darkwave projects in Denmark with considerable aplomb, but the innovation coupled with the claustrophobia of Years of Struggle is so strong that I have to wonder where Pesteg Dred might have gone if they had had the opportunity back in the day.“
Boomkat: “Uncompromising seriousness and unfettered urgency … It’s kinda easy to become blasé with so many ****wave reissues around, but this is simply one of the most essential we’ve stumbled upon.“
Igloo Magazine: “Industrial solitude pours forth in a haunted Kirlian Camera style work of lonesome isolation. The album progresses along sepulchral darkwave lines. Desperation cascades over angst … I don’t know where Dark Entries scare up these obscurities, I only know I’m glad that they do.“
Aquarius: “Martin Hall appears to be the figure who defined the Danish New Wave scene. We’ve never heard of any of Hall’s other projects, but if any were half as good as Pesteg Dred, they’d be worth the price of admission. Death disco? You bet! Dark Entries scores yet again with a really great re-discovery on Pested Dred.“
Sideline Music Magazine: “Immerses you into another world immediately.”
Henrik Möll: Bass
Inge Shannon: Vocals
Martin Hall: Vocals, drums, keyboards, piano, bass, cello, violin, guitar, tapes, percussion, trumpet, balalaika, autoharp
Per Hendrichsen: Treatments, guitar, synthesizers
Design: Kenneth Schultz
Artwork: Christian Skeel
The original Pesteg Dred album Years of Struggle against the Lies, the Stupidity and the Cowardice was recorded by an 18-year-old Hall with vocalist Inge Shannon and guitarist/noisemaker Per Hendrichsen (later Under For) in December 1981. The album stayed unreleased until the summer of 1985 where it featured as a bonus cassette tape with the Danish art magazine Atlas.
In comparison to Pesteg Dred the later SS-Say project (and particularly the group’s 12″ single Fusion) received much more attention. The first constellation of the band made its debut at William S. Burroughs’ legendary visit in Denmark in October 1983 and ever since the reputation of the group has grown, both in Europe and in the United States – apparently because a French DJ kept playing the Fusion tracks at the New York club The Batcave.
Apart from the Scandinavian re-release in September 2010 the Pesteg Dred album was also released in America in a limited vinyl edition by the San Francisco based label Dark Entries (late October 2010). This edition received an abundance of international praise … such as when the illustrious English music magazine The Wire wrote the following about the record in their January 2011 issue (#323):
”Years of Struggle is a hitherto rarely heard album that exemplified the black-hole nihilism and hostile theatrics found in the abstractionist fractions of the post-punk movement. After this sole Pesteg Dred recording Hall formed a number of darkwave projects in Denmark with considerable aplomb, but the innovation coupled with the claustrophobia of Years of Struggle is so strong that I have to wonder where Pesteg Dred might have gone if they had had the opportunity back in the day.“