Piet Blank & Jaspa Jones have finally finished their latest album, 'Monument'. Its been a long time in the making, so there are high expectations of this one - how does it live up to them...?

Blank & Jones are responsible for producing a number of quality singles, albums and releases throughout their production career. After two years of work, they have created and crafted together 'Monument', their sixth album to date. Highlights of the album include a version of 'A Forest' and the newly released 'Mind Of The Wonderful'. Also, this album isn't just pure trance from start to finish - Blank & Jones have worked hard to create an entire range of sounds and genres, all merged together into an impressive and immersive world of music. 'Monument' contains 12 tracks...

:: Blank & Jones - Monument
:: Gang Go Music

01) Monument
The first track on the album is 'Monument' itself. Instead of being a full on track in its own right, it is actually more of an intro track - which may come as a bit of a surprise to some. It is a short montage of various sfx and samples, which introduce Blank & Jones and Monument itself. This works in a way which draws you away from anything else and get you quickly engaged into the album...

02) What You Need
The second track, 'What You Need', promptly and fittingly jumps into the fray. It is breakbeat in style, with nice strong and hefty beats backed up by deep bass instruments and a whole host of slightly industrial sfx. To break things up, a rather nice sounding acoustic guitar solo is used, along with some vocal samples. There are a lot of nice sounds to listen to here, this is a nicely engaging track.

03) City Of Angels
'City Of Angels' blends in with the sound of a siren which then fades into some nice, calm and soothing synths. You can feel the trance elements being introduced as the synths increase in intensity and extra synth instruments build themselves into the sound. A more regular 4/4 kick is introduced and gets the track moving. This is only a taster and a warm up for what is to come, because even though there is a constant beat now things are toned down with some very soft and reverbed female vocals. This slightly melodic track gives out a very chilled feeling without breaking the way in which the album, as a whole, is building the pace.

04) Mind Of The Wonderful
'Mind Of The Wonderful' is the first single on release from the album and with about six mixes that are to be available, it is safe to say it comes in many forms and covers nearly all possible angles. The album version continues to build on the onset of trance which 'City Of Angels' began. A simple percussion and beat steadily knock on along with some quiet synth chords and the vocals. As the track progresses, smooth synths are introduced and the vocals are sung more and more prominently. The talent behind them is Elles De Graaf. She sings very well to capture and work with the way the track is required to, and has been engineered to, sound. Elles sings with emotion and the results speak for themselves. As the synths pick up, the final round of vocals are slightly chorused, working well with the ongoing progression Blank & Jones are creating.

05) Zero Gravity
'Zero Gravity' is a very floaty (funnily enough!) sounding track and its emphasis is on sweeping long synths and calming female vocal "Aaaahs". There is a more melodic element, driven by a light yet defined synth playing high above the soothing chords. The track does gain a feeling of pace, driven by the bassline and intermittent synth chords but on the whole retains a light and agile feeling.

06) A Forest
'A Forest' should need no introduction. This was made even more popular by the stunning Rob Van Den Beuken remix. On the album, we are treated to the more relatively laid back version, still very trancey in style, but notably driven by the male vocal talent of Robert Smith. Again the vocals work more as part of the music than as a separate vocal element, which is nice to be able to say. Also, the distinct 'A Forest' melody features, being played single-notedly by a lone piano. As this track moves along, its mood changes to something a little darker, with stronger emotional feel behind it, before the piano returns to calm the mood. This is another example of how the listener is made to feel the music and be a part of what it is creating around you.

07) Stars Shine Bright
'Stars Shine Bright' enters the arena abruptly with a small blast of sfx and a fairly short breakbeat section. The main body of the track consists of a deep and rolling bassline, backed up by a deep acid style bass synth. Periodic stabs of synth strings are slotted in very well to the track. 'Stars Shine Bright' is a prime example of what helps to make this album so special, and why Blank & Jones should be proud of what they have achieved - there are so many elements to each track, so many different sections, breaks and things that might only occur once but that help to make all the difference. The housey feel of this track is overtaken when, near the end, a long sustained synth plays a chord progression. Coupled with the jingly melody played by a nimble little synth - which fits the track title perfectly - you have something which is interestingly between house and trance.

08) Perfect Silence
'Perfect Silence' initially adopts a more standard trance approach - a simple kick and light percussion with some not too heavy vocals by Bobo. The vocals remind me of the vocal sound created by Lost Witness' 'Happiness Happening', while the short guitar based section at the start reminds me of a short section of a track from Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells II. Some very trebly synths soon take over and you're back in the trance groove. 'Perfect Silence' is driven vocally and lays off the bass, so you can focus more on the lighter elements which make up the bulk of this track.

09) Flowtation
'Flowtation' begins with a high pitched note which paves the way for a rather hefty and driving bassline and kick to be filtered in and out repeatedly until they are properly introduced and snapped in with a stab of sfx. This track immediately conveys a more progressive and driving feeling, even though it pauses for a short melodic break, it soon jumps back in with the bassline and beat. As you get further into the track, it does become more melodic. Again this is a trait all the tracks possess - in some way they all progress and continually morph into something else. It is not just a progression and transformation from track to track, but within the tracks too. There is a synth melody based break in the middle of this track, which builds up and drops in true trance style to a great sounding synth playing a nice sounding and not overly complicated melody.

10) Waiting For The Light
This track, has a light sounding start, which gives way fairly quickly to a steady beat and easy going bass. The light feeling is maintained throughout, though, through the use of a quiet, jittery chord progression and a simple melody played by a gentle synth. Synth pads are used, creating on overall effect of something extremely light and floaty - calm, but with an edge created from the high pitched notes. This track is also quite sparse when compared to some of the other ones before it.

11) Urban Hymn
'Urban Hymn', as the name somehow suggests, is a very different sounding. It is essentially breakbeat, backed with deep rumbling basses, plenty of percussion tapping away and a lot of sfx in the background. Stabs of various synth chords also add well to the melodic beatiness. This track is reminiscent of Hybrid's own unique style - very engaging and plenty of things to listen to. There is a long section in the middle which cuts out the main beat and bass, and focuses on a synthed string melody, sounding very much like a reverend hymn. The breakbeat element is re-introduced and this carries the new hymn-like melody on towards the end of the track.

12) That's Right
This final track is something very different. In a way, it really snaps you out of the world the rest of the album has taken you into. "That's Right" is basically an outro track - it starts with a very easy going chilled bass and percussion. Out of nowhere, a very metal/rock sounding guitar begins strumming out a fast rhythm. This continues until you are dropped back in with the chilled bass and percussion, which fades out the final track and marks the end of this fine album.

Conclusion:
This album was definetly worth the wait. It has a wonderfully varied selection of tracks, all masterfully produced and equally masterfully mixed together, forming a journey of sounds and music which you won't be able to resist being drawn into. Although in the main trance genre, many different styles are touched upon here, and I think this album would appeal to many different kinds of music lovers. 'Monument' is definetly Blank & Jones' best album to date, and it really is something special to listen to.