MARTIN HALL AT BANDCAMP
You can now stream and listen freely to all songs and tracks from a large selection of Martin Hall solo albums and related side projects at Bandcamp. You can also buy the titles 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.
An important feature in the Bandcamp context is that you can buy downloads in the FLAC format – audio files in a much higher quality than the mp3 standard. In comparison this is not possible if you buy downloads of services such as iTunes.
VISIT THE NEW MARTIN HALL BAND CAMP PAGE HERE
You can use Visa, MasterCard and several other credit cards on the site. Obviously it’s also an option to pay via PayPal.
Among the many titles you can find albums such as Inskription, Apparently All the Same, Relief, Cutting Through, Presence, Random Hold, Metropolitan Suite, Camille, Das Mechanische Klavier, Facsimile, Catalyst, Hospital Cafeterias, If Power Asks Why and Phasewide, Exit Signs. SS-Say, Pesteg Dred and Before material is also available.
SUBLIME REVIEWS TO THE "H" EXHIBITION
The Ingvar Cronhammar exhibition "H" – featuring new music written and performed by Martin Hall – has been awarded with a line of sublime reviews. An unanimous press has praised the installation with highlights such as these:
Politiken (the Danish equivalent to The Guardian): "Overwhelming ... the perfect combination of something industrial and something sacred." (rating: 6 out of 6)
Berlingske (the Danish equivalent to The Times): "A unique installation in Frederiksberg's underworld." (rating: 6 out of 6)
Fyens Stiftstidende (major sectional newspaper): "Extraterrestrial magic!" (rating: 6 out of 6)
Information (the Danish equivalent to The Independent): "An underground cathedral of light and water … an extremely successful installation." (no rating system)
Weekendavisen (the Danish equivalent to The Observer): ”Eminent.”
"H" is open until November 29, 2015. Read much more about the exhibition and the artists involved here.
[hr]
You can hear interviews with both Martin Hall and Ingvar Cronhammar about the process of creating "H" via the following link. The interviews are made in Danish, but musical excerpts from the exhibition can be heard during the features.
THE QUEEN OF DENMARK VISITS “H”
On Friday the 22nd of May Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark visited the exhibition “H” at The Cisterns where she met the artists Ingvar Cronhammar and Martin Hall. You can watch a news feature on the Danish television channel TV2 Lorry regarding the Queens's visit by clicking on the following link.
"H" has received sublime reviews. The New York Times has recently recommended The Cisterns as one of only twelve sights you have to see, if you visit Copenhagen.
You can read much more about the exhibition here.
”H” – CRONHAMMAR AND HALL AT THE CISTERNS
33 years after The Cisterns were drained, the water returns to the 4.320 square metre wide water reservoir below Søndermarken (a large park in Copenhagen, Denmark). The new exhibition “H” by Ingvar Cronhammar is an ambitious installation created in accordance to the site-specific challenges and climate of the place. The music for the project is made by Martin Hall.
As a visitor you will be surrounded by water, both in form of a large water surface covering the floor and columns of luminous, falling water as well as water dust appearing like haze in the rooms. The water will mirror and reflect the visual and musical aspects of the project.
“H” opens on March 3 and runs until November 29. You can find more information about the exhibition here.
Foto: Dan Møller, LAF (12.2.2015).
On the musical part Martin Hall has collaborated with participants such as Daniel Ostersen (a young boy's voice singing the main theme), the classical ensemble Lydenskab and Maiken Kildegaard.
Martin Hall and Ingvar Cronhammar have worked together several times before, first in relation to Elia in 2001 and later on with Racing Cars at ARoS in 2006.
Recently The New York Times recommended The Cisterns as one of only twelve places you have to see, if you visit Copenhagen.
[hr]
Ingvar Cronhammar: Born December 17, 1947, and educated at the Aarhus Art Academy 1968-1971. Head of the School at Funen Art Academy from 1990-1995. Served as a member of the Danish Arts Foundation Committee for Art in the Public Space in 2002-2004. Cronhammar received Eckersberg Medal and Thorvaldsen Medal and in 2007 was appointed to the Order of Dannebrog. His art is represented in most Danish art museums and in public spaces. In 1995 he was awarded the National Arts Foundation grant for life.
NEW SPOKEN WORD ALBUM OUT ON JANUARY 15
Efterladt – a Danish word that means both “abandoned” and “left behind” – is a posthumously released spoken word album featuring the Polish-Danish author Janina Katz’ last readings made shortly before her death in October 2013. Already then the plan was to produce an album with a musical setting – however, at the time no one knew how ill she was.
During 2014 Martin Hall continued to work on the project, assisted by the project's original initiator, journalist and writer Søren E. Jensen, and it is this work that is now finally ready to be released in its final form. The album is produced and musically staged by Hall.
Among the musicians on Efterladt you’ll find several artists featured on Hall’s latest solo album, the critically acclaimed Phasewide, Exit Signs – names such as Greek-English pianist Othon Mataragas (probably best known from his works with names such as Marc Almond, Current 93 and Peter Christopherson from Coil and Throbbing Gristle), the young Danish musician Linus Carlsen, producer and visual artist Christian Skeel as well as The Vista Dome Ensemble.
You can pre-order the album and read much more about the release here.
Janina Katz was born in Krakow. She lost most of her relatives in the Plaszow concentration camp in Poland from which she was smuggled out in 1943, three years old. As an adult Katz studied Polish literature and sociology at the Jagielloński University in Krakow, but left Poland in 1969. After a short stay in Germany she moved to Denmark where she made her debut as a writer at the age of 52 – 22 years after her arrival. During her authorship she released 18 books, novels as well as poetry. Her writing especially reflects her Polish Jewish origin and experiences during World War II.
In 1993 she received the National Arts Foundation prize for best novel, My Life as a Barbarian. In 1998 she received the Beatrice Award and in 2002 she was awarded the National Arts Foundation grant for life. In 2012 she was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize for his poetry collection Written in Polish.
Janina Katz died on October 18, 2013, at the age of 74.
[hr]
Portrait taken by Piotr Topperzer.
EFTERLADT
EFTERLADT
JANINA KATZ/MARTIN HALL
LP/CD
JANUARY 2015
PANOPTIKON (OPTIK 45)
Efterladt – a Danish word that means both “abandoned” and “left behind” – is a posthumously released spoken word album featuring the Polish-Danish author Janina Katz’ last readings made shortly before her death in October 2013. The record is produced by Martin Hall.
At the time of the recordings no one knew how ill Katz actually was. During 2014 Hall continued to work on the project, assisted by the project’s original initiator, journalist and writer Søren E. Jensen, and the final album was released in January 2015.
1. I (0:55)
2. II (1:41)
3. III (3:50)
4. IV (1:21)
5. V (1:01)
6. VI (2:35)
7. VII (0:54)
8. VIII (1:27)
9. IX (1:59)
10. X (2:44)
11. XI (2:22)
12. XII (2:42)
13. XIII (0:21)
14. XIV (2:38)
15. XV (0:32)
16. XVI (2:10)
17. XVII (1:32)
18. XVIII (1:13)
19. XIX (0:44)
20. XX (3:33)
JANINA KATZ (1939–2013)
Janina Katz was born in Krakow. She lost most of her relatives in the Plaszow concentration camp in Poland from which she was smuggled out in 1943, three years old. As an adult Janina Katz studied Polish literature and sociology at the Jagielloński University in Krakow. Then she worked for several years as an assistant at the Department of Sociology and Polish philology. She left Poland in 1969 for to live in Germany for a short while, but just one year later she moved to Denmark where she worked as a literary critic and translated Polish literature into Danish. For 13 years she worked at the Royal Library in Copenhagen. In addition, she worked for Radio Free Europe and later the BBC.
Janina Katz made her debut as a writer at the age of 52 with the poetry collection My Mother’s Daughter (1991), 22 years after she had come to Denmark. During her authorship she has released 18 books, novels as well as poetry. Her writing especially reflects her Polish Jewish origin and experiences during World War II. Janina Katz has mainly written in Danish despite her Polish mother tongue.
In 1993 she received the National Arts Foundation prize for best novel, My Life as a Barbarian. In 1998 she received the Beatrice Award and in 2002 she was awarded the National Arts Foundation grant for life. In 2012 she was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize for his poetry collection Written in Polish.
Janina Katz died on the 18th of October 2013.
Martin Hall: Electronics, keyboards, environmental recordings and tape material
Linus Carlsen: Mandolin, e-bow, guitar, melodica, piano, bass and glockenspiel
Christian Skeel: Orchestration
Othon Mataragas: Piano
Johnny Stage: Ring modulator and keyboards
Tag Brass Band: Brass band
The Vista Dome Ensemble: Strings
Design: Kenneth Schultz
Photo: Johnny Stage
Janina Katz was born in Krakow. She lost most of her relatives in the Plaszow concentration camp in Poland from which she was smuggled out in 1943, three years old. As an adult Katz studied Polish literature and sociology at the Jagielloński University in Krakow, but left Poland in 1969. After a short stay in Germany she moved to Denmark where she made her debut as a writer at the age of 52 – 22 years after her arrival. During her authorship she released 18 books, novels as well as poetry. Her writing especially reflects her Polish Jewish origin and experiences during World War II.
In 1993 she received the National Arts Foundation prize for best novel, My Life as a Barbarian. In 1998 she received the Beatrice Award and in 2002 she was awarded the National Arts Foundation grant for life. In 2012 she was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize for his poetry collection Written in Polish.
Janina Katz died on October 18, 2013, at the age of 74.
Among the musicians on Efterladt you’ll find Greek-English pianist Othon Mataragas (probably best known from his works with names such as Marc Almond, Current 93 and Peter Christopherson from Coil and Throbbing Gristle), the young Danish musician Linus Carlsen, producer and visual artist Christian Skeel as well as The Vista Dome Ensemble.
The release is funded by grants from Danish Arts Foundation (Statens Kunstfonds Projektstøtteudvalg for litteratur), Andreas Harboes’ Foundation, Danish Artists Union and DJBFA. Apart from the cd and download versions of the album, a limited edition of 100 vinyl copies were made available in relation to Martin Hall’s and Søren E. Jensen’s presentation of the project at Bogforum 2014 (a yearly Danish bookfair in Copenhagen in November).
Special thanks need to be credited Jytte Nordholt and Den2Radio in regards to the recordings. Acknowledgements also go to the publishing agencies Gyldendal, Rosinante and Lindhardt & Ringhof.
The portrait of Janina Katz is taken by Piotr Topperzer.
Written and read aloud by Janina Katz. The record’s musical staging is produced, composed and arranged by Martin Hall – track 3, 10 and 20 in collaboration with Linus Carlsen, track 6 with Othon Mataragas and track 16 and 18 with Christian Skeel. The album is mixed by Martin Hall. Final mastering made by Johnny Stage.
PROTOTYPE/PROTOKOL
PROTOTYPE/PROTOKOL
In November 2014 Martin Hall wrote and directed the performance play Prototype/Protokol, an inter-aesthetic meeting between Martin Hall, the avant-garde ensemble Lydenskab and Staal Film. In this relation a program containing stills and texts from the show was made available to the guests.
Prototype/Protocol is a story based on the broken chain of connection between three generations – a fragmented, highly personal memory protocol made up of letters, recordings and fictitious memories.
Via videos, recited pieces of text and an ever-changing musical setting a collage-like story is told – a story about consequences; how the loss of hope in one generation may affect the next. The lyrical content of the show is both abstract and easily recognizable, an emotional biopsy of personal decline.
During November 2014 the play was performed at KØS (Museum for Art in Public Spaces) in Køge (14/11), Gran Teater in Aarhus (16/11), Københavns Musikteater in Copenhagen (21/11) and The Royal Danish Embassy in Berlin (25/11).
In August 2015 it was staged once again in relation to Odense Spoken Word Festival (21/8).
Martin Hall: Voice
Maiken Kildegaard: Performer
Eskild Winding: Piano (Lydenskab)
Thea Vesti: Guitar (Lydenskab)
Sofia Olsson: Cello (Lydenskab)
Michael Dinesen/Staal Film: Video
Design: Kenneth Schultz
Poster photo: Maiken Kildegaard
“In the attempt to uncover clues and traces you go backwards. You begin with the misunderstandings. The nodes. You let your thoughts run along a constantly moving boundary of interacting fields, in an attempt to correct what you still have access to. It’s a matter of tidiness – of plain vanity.”
