NEWS

INKUBATION

“INKUBATION” – NEW SPOKEN WORD BOX SET

Inkubation is a new spoken word collaboration between Martin Hall and Thomas Li, a recording that merges poetry and electronic installation music. The title is released on September 10 as a box set featuring a book, a double-LP and a cd in a limited edition of 250 numbered copies. The book is also released as an e- and audiobook.

Inkubation consists of six new pieces of writing and represents a consecutive exploration of character mutation; the story is a combined personality study and love story. The music on the release is produced by Thomas Li whose main focus over the last few years has been his involvement with the new electronic music scene in Tokyo. By the same token Japanese musician Kazutaka Kuroki makes a guest visit on Inkubation.

Martin Hall and Thomas Li have earlier produced the two Hall albums Random Hold (1996) and Adapter (1999) together.

The box set is sold for 399 DKR (approximately 53 euro) and can be ordered here as long as copies are available:

Inkubation is released with support from Augustinus Fonden, Koda Kultur, MPO and Danish Arts Foundation.

by M H

”TYGER TYGER” FILM

”TYGER TYGER” FILM

SS-Say’s internationally acclaimed track ”Care” has been chosen as the theme song for the American director Kerry Mondragon’s new film Tyger Tyger featuring Dylan Sprouse and Sam Quartin. The release date for the movie is February 26, 2021.

During the recording of ”Care” the members of the indie band SS-Say were Inge Shannon, Martin Hall and Henrik Möll. The group made its debut at Williams S. Burroughs’ visit to Copenhagen in October 1983.

You can see the trailer for the film and listen to the song by clicking on this link.

by M H

LATEST RECORDS AND REVIEWS

In May 2018 Martin Hall released the compilation album A Brief Summary, a title that includes several new recordings – such as the video single ”Lesser Gods”. The album also contains remakes and alternative versions of material recorded during the last twenty years. It’s released as a double vinyl album, a digipack cd and as music cassette. Quite surprisingly A Brief Summary went directly in as #2 on the official Danish vinyl hitlist the week after its release – Hall’s highest chart ranking ever.

In the Danish newspaper Information (the Danish equivalent to The Independent), the reviewer Sophia Handler praised the album in no uncertain terms:

 

“Once again Martin Hall proves that he belongs in the same category as music mythological heroes such as Brian Eno and David Bowie”.

If you have any sense of the Danish language, you can read the full review here:

 

 

“SERVICES RENDERED” AND BREMEN TEATER

As a prelude to his first live concerts for more than five years Hall released the new song Services Rendered as a 12” single in October. The record was also made available on all major digital platforms (Spotify, iTunes, Amazon etc.).

GAFFA – Denmark’s biggest music magazine – awarded the following Copenhagen concert at Bremen Teater, with a staggering 6 out of 6 stars rating. The music journalist Simon Heggum summons up the concert this way:

 

”A breathtaking concert experience – one of the strongest Danish concerts I’ve been to in recent years.”

You can read the full review here:

 

by M H

MEMO

As Season 40 approaches its end, a quick résumé follows – that no news is good news. Updates will follow.

To those of you prefer further subtitles, here we go:

"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."

 

by M H

SPOKEN WORD IN ST. LUKAS CHURCH

On May 31 (9.00 CET) Hall will perform a spoken word performance in the St. Lukas Church at Frederiksberg, Copenhagen.

Collaborating with multi-instrumentalist Johnny Stage the evening will be a one-off session featuring new material as well as excerpts from Hall’s latest book, the autobiographical 1971-1985.

 

Location: Sankt Lukas Kirke, Christian Richardts Vej 1, 1951 Frederiksberg.

 

by M H

HALL FEATURE ON P8 JAZZ

Hall was the Sunday guest in DR’s P8 Jazz radio show Korfix & Coffee on April 7, 2019. The interview features names such as Elisabeth Welch, Sun Ra and Chet Baker (i.e. Derek Jarman, speedballs and teleportation).

You can hear the programme here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elisabeth Welch performing “Stormy Weather” in Derek Jarman’s "The Tempest" (1979).

by M H

ORDKLANG 2019

On March 2 Hall will be performing with the internationally recognized accordionist Bjarke Mogensen at Ordklang 2019 at Gammelgaard, Herlev. Other names appearing at the festival will be Ghita Nørby and Søren Ulrik Thomsen.

As far as Hall/Mogensen are concerned, they will invite the audience on an evocative journey through a traditionally oriented, yet experimental night linked together by Hall's recitals. The repertoire will also offer interpretations of the Russian composer Vladislav Zolotariev's works for accordion (1942-1975) as well as another relatively unknown Russian composer’s, Anatoly Cushakov (1946-2008).

For more information about the event, please visit the festival’s official site.

Bjarke Mogensen has received The European Broadcast Union's "New Talent" award as well as The Royal Couple’s Stardust Award.

by M H

NOMINATED FOR THE GAFFA AWARDS 2019

Martin Hall’s recent concerts and performances have earned him a pre-nomination for The GAFFA Awards 2019 (Denmark’s biggest music magazine) in the category "Best Live Act of The Year". The shows were his first live concerts as a singer with full band for more than five years.

The musicians accompanying Hall at all events were Christine Raft (piano, violin), Johnny Stage (guitar, sitar), Una Skott (guitar, keyboards), Andreas Bennetzen (bass) and Sisse Selina Larsen (drums). Furthermore Inge Shannon, the singer from the post-punk/coldwave bands SS-Say and Pesteg Dred, joined the team to perform the internationally acclaimed single “Care” at all shows.

Although most of the material played at the concerts was gathered from recent years – such as several songs taken from Hall’s collaboration album with Andrea Pellegrini and Tanja Zapolski If Power Asks Why – a fair selection of older were songs also played.

Apart from "Care" featuring Shannon, Martin also played his 1984 club hit "Free-Force Structure" at the end of most of the concerts. It was the first time for more than 33 years that he performed the song. You can see an audience recording of it here:

https://youtu.be/bSooUFHsBz8

In October GAFFA awarded the Copenhagen concert at Bremen Teater with a staggering 6 out of 6 stars rating. You can read the full review here.

by M H

CURRENT RADIO FEATURES

In relation to Martin Hall’s recent concerts and record releases a line of fairly compressive radio features have been made with the singer. The programmes cover everything from the early 70’s tacky pop music, the radical experiments of the post-punk scene at the end of the same decade and Hall’s relation to the metal scene in the 80’s (such as his studio experience with King Diamond). Last but not least, there’s also a documentary made by Hall about 1968.

If you have any understanding of the Danish language whatsoever, the list goes like this:

by M H

IRMA VICTORIA MEMORIAL DAY

Irma Victoria was born September 2, 1923, and died November 10, 2000. She recorded and released a series of songs and records with Martin Hall, the career highlight being an official Grammy nomination in the category “female singer of the year” in 1991 – a decision that is rumoured to have forced the branch organisation IFPI to subsequently change the rules for the special juries’ influence on the prestigious nominations. The other two nominees that year were multi-platinum act Hanne Boel and legendary The Savage Rose singer Annisette.

To commemorate Irma Victoria we bring you one of her lighter songs, “September Song”, taken from the 1994 album Phantasmagoria. The track also appears on the compilation record Memorial – Finest Moments and Famous Last Words released posthumously in 2001 and on the Spotify album September Songs.

 
https://vimeo.com/299883241
 

by M H