BIOGRAPHY
- Danish singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and author (born 1963).
- Admitted to The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Schools of Visual Arts) in Copenhagen in 1983.
- Received the prestigious three-year grant as a composer from The National Fund for the Endowment of The Arts in 1995.
- Included in Krak’s Blue Book in 2003.
- Founded his new label Panoptikon during the same year.
- Major participant to approximately 100 records and author of a number of books.
- Nominated for the Danish National Radio’s P2 Award 2013 for the album If Power Asks Why.
Musical profile
Began his musical training at the age of ten at the Piano and Music Academy of Copenhagen. First record release at the age of 17 as singer and composer in the avantgarde ensemble Ballet Mécanique whose debut album The Icecold Waters of the Egocentric Calculation from 1981 is regarded as a cornerstone in contemporary Danish music history (figures on the list over the 50 most important releases in Danish rock ever in the esteemed Danish rock encyclopedia Politikens Rockleksikon).
In 1995 Martin Hall was awarded with the prestigious three-year grant as a composer from The National Fund for the Endowment of The Art. He used the price to break with his current record company and single-handedly finance the production of Random Hold (1996), an album generally regarded as his most significant record release during the 90′s (the album being his second title to figure on the already mentioned Politiken chart).
During the 00′s Hall has collaborated with younger Danish artists such as Efterklang, Marybell Katastrophy, Bjørn Svin and Tone. His album Hospital Cafeterias from 2009 is considered to be yet another milestone in a still evolving career.
Hall’s classical album If Power Asks Why was nominated for the Danish National Radio’s P2 Award 2013 “Lyt til Nyt”.
Principal musical works:
Literary profile
Made his debut as an author in 1983 with the book The Reconstruction Is Greater, a release described as “the most total and extreme expression of implacability I have ever encountered” in Denmark’s prime literary weekly review (Weekendavisen) – a quite fitting summary of the equal amounts of excitement and furore the book aroused at the time.
In 2005 he released the two-volume novel The Last Romantic, a monumental work reflecting a young man’s journey from the summer of 1980 up until present day and a book that – apart from getting brilliant reviews – constituted Hall’s literary breakthrough in Denmark. His latest novel is Kinoplex, a piece of writing endorsed by The Danish Arts Council.
During 2011 and 2012 Hall has written a line of extensive essays about experimental music for various Danish magazines. His current book release, Nostatic! from October 2012, is a collection of these articles.
As a writer Hall has already received several grants from The National Fund for the Endowment of The Arts as well as having been translated into several European languages.
Principal literary works:
Various activities
At the beginning of his career Martin Hall published a line of magazines such as Consumer’s Guide to Welfare. During the 80′s he also collaborated with theatre ensembles such Billedstofteateret and Nyt Dansk Danseteater as well as writing and directing several multimedia-performances with his own The Art Ensemble of Copenhagen. Continued the development of his work with video, design and installation art throughout the 90′s and has worked for theatres such as Operanord, Østre Gasværk and Gladsaxe Teater during the 00′s.
In 2001 Hall wrote the music for the inauguration of Swedish artist Ingvar Cronhammar’s grand scale monument Elia. In 2006 he created the sound environment for the ARoS exhibition Racing Cars, so far the museum’s most visited event ever. Made his debut as an actor in the Danish film The Flame & The Lemon, the most seen Danish motion picture in 2008.
During 2010 Martin Hall once again returned to his theatrical work with the staging of Kinoplex. At the end of this year he also hosted his own television talkshow Salon Midwelt. During 2011 and 2012 Hall has been a recurrent guest in several cultural programmes on Danish national television such as Smagsdommerne and Kunstnermøder. As a producer he has been active in a series of video productions throughout 2012.
Martin Hall released the critically acclaimed solo album Phasewide, Exit Signs in April 2013.
Timeline:
Danish
English