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 Blank & Jones have been on the scene many years but over the past few they have evolved into something very different from what you may remember them by in the past. We caught up with them hot off the release of so80s volume three...
The musical style of Blank & Jones has undertaken a noticeable shift in recent years. Back in the early part of the last decade they were pumping out some of the very finest trance around and first two artist albums 'DJ Culture' and 'Nightclubbing' were works of musical art. Over time though the pair have started to move into different avenues of electronic sound and if you heard a set from them now you might think the real Blank & Jones have been kidnapped and replaced with house music producers. They have always been dynamic with their music and never one to be defined to a particular style. There 138BPM trance thumping days may have taken a backseat for the time being but they are still releasing some very exciting music at the moment. Partly its due to their very own label 'Soundcolours' which has given them the freedom to release just about whatever they want. One of their more interesting projects at the moment is their so80's compilation series which has just released its third edition. The focus is on the 80's records that the German pair was born and bread on in full re-mastered and extended edited glory. For anyone who loves the 80's, they are truly essential. We managed to get hold of the pair for a few words on what the Blank & Jones sound of 2010 is all about.
i:Vibes: Guys, thanks for taking some time to speak with i:Vibes.nu. How has your summer been? What was your nicest music experience the past few months?
Blank & Jones: The summer was really great, we were on vacation, played some gigs and did a lot of studio and label work, like always ;-)
i:Vibes: At the start of your career, you were seen as a trance project. But since 2003 when the first Relax CD was released, you have branched out producing many different kinds of styles including compilations like Eat Raw For Breakfast, Milchbar, SO 80s or Mark Breeder CD. How has the Blank & Jones sound and style grown in the last seven years?
Blank & Jones: Yes, we started out as a dance/trance project, but we have always been very open minded.
These days you have much more opportunities, to do different kind of styles. Especially in dance music, the styles are more & more merging. Swedish House Mafia for example, which sounds more trance or even hardstyle, is done by three house guys. We would consider our style for club music as Tech House for now, but there are still a lot of trancy elements in there. We are also doing special Chill out gigs and even thinking about doing so8os shows.
With our own label Soundcolours, our playground for all different styles, we have the perfect platform to expand out variety even more.
i:Vibes: It seems that some of the hardcore Blank & Jones fans form the first hour have not understood this transformation away from the 100% trance from 1996-2003 to this more wide range of releases. What do you tell fans to comfort them that the Blank & Jones trance sound is still around?
Blank & Jones: That’s not absolutely true, because the majority of fans understands, that we have just different paths. We are still committed to dance music, but we never wanted to limit ourselves to just on style. There will be a lot of new club stuff pretty soon, for example a new collab with Martin Roth called KooKoo
i:Vibes: You have released 5 Relax compilations which has soothing lounge music. How much fun is it making these CD’s and will we see more Relax CD’s in the next years?
Blank & Jones: We are listening a lot of lounge music, because we really like it. Of course you will see more Relax CD’s in the future, because it really a pleasure do this kind of music.
i:Vibes: How difficult was it making the transformation form trance to chill out music in the studio?
Blank & Jones: It‘s not really difficult, because it keeps studio life interesting and you will never get bored. After a club session, it’s good to have a change from it and also vice versa.
i:Vibes: How has the Blank & Jones sound form the first Relax CD developed to the fifth Relax CD?
Blank & Jones: Of course, we have our own signature sound, but each Cd has it’s own story to tell. Relax 5 for example, we have given it a more French touch.
i:Vibes: It was never a secret that Blank & Jones have loved the sound of the 80s. Who could forget your 2003 release “A Forest” with Robert Smith. Why did it take so long for 80s music lovers to come up with the SO 80s compilations in 2009?
Blank & Jones: That’s correct, we are absolutely 80s lovers, because this was the first kind EDM we got in contact with. We had this idea for some years, but when we set up our own label Soundcolours they were no more excuses to do it ;)
i:Vibes: How did the idea of making the SO 80s CDs come about? Was this a difficult process or a lot easier since your record label Soundcolours released it?
Blank & Jones: We Soundcolours, we can release any project we want, because we are our own boss, but we also have the financial risk. But we really believed in it !
i:Vibes: How much work does it take to make a SO 80s compilation? Some of the rare mixes that you have featured were very difficult to find? You must almost feel like a detective finding these rare gems?
Blank & Jones: We can tell you, it is really a lot of work. To find, who has rights, clear the rights find the masters. It’s really an investigation
i:Vibes: You have released 3 SO 80s compilations with many great dance classics of the 80s? Do you guys have a special formula which tracks get added since there are so many good tracks out there. How difficult is it narrowing down the tracks and selecting the ones that you do?
Blank & Jones: You’re right, it ‘s really tuff to narrow the track listing, it‘s like gold digging. We always try to find very rare 12” mixes and most of them were never released digitally
i:Vibes: One should always look forward, but how much do you guys miss the 80s and the music. Why was this period so unique with the incredible music?
Blank & Jones: We are not really missing it, because there is still good music out there, but we wanted to show the people the roots of electronic music You’re absolutely right, this period was so unique because it was strongly influenced by the invention of the synthesizer combined with great voices and song writing.
i:Vibes: Can we await many more volumes of the SO 80s?
Blank & Jones: We are already working on number four!
i:Vibes: What is the most enjoyable about putting together the SO 80s compilations and mixing them in the studio?
Blank & Jones: It s all about fun, but mixing it is the toughest part, because the 80s tracks were not designed for mixing like today’s club music. So it is really a lot of editing needed ;-)
i:Vibes: The SO 80s also have the prefect mix of very known tracks and then obscure tracks. How difficult was it getting the rights and getting the tracks on the CD?. How accommodating were the 80s artists with this SO 80s project?
Blank & Jones: Most of the 80s artist are very supportive, even in finding out who got the rights for their songs.
i:Vibes: You have released the SO 80s Volume 3 recently. I had no idea that anyone besides me knew or even remembers the obscure John Taylor track “I do what I do”. Of course 9 ½ weeks is a famous and classic 80s movie but how well known was the soundtrack really? What makes “I do what I do” so unique and unforgettable for Blank & Jones?
Blank & Jones: We always loved the soundtrack, and of course the movie ;). We but we thought it was well underrated, so wanted to give it some new breath.
i:Vibes: The last Blank & Jones trance album was The Logic of Pleasure. When can we await a new Blank & Jones trance album and what can we await sound wise?
Blank & Jones: We have no plans yet of releasing a new club album, because we are not sure, if this format still fits in to the club music context. We will of course release new club tracks or a new mix CD. This would make more sense to us.
i:Vibes: You guys have produced Koo Koo with Martin Roth. What can we await from this production?
Blank & Jones: The production is out now and is really doing well, with support of all major DJ’s. It’s a bit more techy, but with a strong big room break !
i:Vibes: You guys are still touring very much but not always distributing your trance sound. You gave a classical concert in Duesseldorf. How difficult is it putting a show like this together?
Blank & Jones: It s a lot of work, because you have to decide and prepare the live parts, Write the string parts for the orchestra, rehearsals and so on….
i:Vibes: How is it performing with a live orchestra? How does the Blank & Jones Preparation look like?
Blank & Jones: It’s great, because your music is coming to live and is getting more organic. We are doing the electronic parts live and the Orchestra is playing along.
i:Vibes: My dream for Blank & Jones would be to make a 2010 chill out remix album of the legendary Herb Alpert album 1980. Are you guys fans of Herb Alpert?
Blank & Jones: We like Herb Albert, but we are not sure about covering him ,-)
i:Vibes: What are your current five favourite tracks?
Blank & Jones: Blank & Jones .vs Martin Roth – KooKoo
Alpahville –I Die For You Today (Blank & Jones Remix)
Michael Woods – Dynamik
Funkagenda – Astana
Protoculture - Naked
i:Vibes: Who will be DJ Mag number ‘ 1DJ this year? Could it be David Guetta? Or will it be Armin for a fourth time, or Tiesto again or Paul Van Dyk again or can Above & Beyond sneak in for first time?
Blank & Jones: We are not so much into that voting, because most of it is fake. But it should be David Guetta, because he is the most successful.
i:Vibes: What was the last DVD movie that you guys saw?
Blank & Jones: Shrek ;-)
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