It started in 1997 with their debut single Sunrise, the first step towards producing their own tracks. Nowadays, one cannot imagine the electronic elite without BLANK & JONES. 13 of their singles made it into the German Top 50, and three into the Top 20. Each and every album hit the Top 50, including two which climbed into the Top 10. They also scored a spectacular triple whammy by occupying the Top Ten album, singles and compilation charts simultaneously with Substance, Desire and The Mix respectively.
BLANK & JONES have teamed up with a number of top international stars in their career to date. The Cure mastermind Robert Smith, Bernard Sumner (New Order), Anne Clark, Sarah McLachlan and Claudia Brücken (Propaganda) have been immortalized on BLANK & JONES tracks, giving them a certain credibility way beyond the boundaries of dance music. Further evidence of their versatility can be seen in their contributions to the Café del Mar compilation series and their own chill-out albums, Relax and Relax (Edition 2). Next up, the people behind the Buddha Bar series have also made enquiries..
The release of the A Forest single and the accompanying album Monument in the USA last year also laid the foundations for BLANK & JONES to create a solid fanbase across the Atlantic.
Seven albums, 3 mix albums (The Mix 1-3) and 15 singles later, BLANK & JONES and their longstanding production colleague Andy Kaufhold have chosen this moment to collate their finest material on one release - The Singles. Comprising the best tracks and greatest successes of BLANK & JONES plus two brand new tracks, recorded exclusively for this album. “We felt the time had come to put all our singles together on one CD, “ Piet and Jaspa explain. “We prefer to see it as one step along the way, rather than a mere retrospective. A little breather before we move on to pastures new.“
Over 20 tracks were in the reckoning for The Singles collection, most of them penned by BLANK & JONES themselves. From the first single Sunrise via chart smashes such as Desire, DJ Culture and Beyond Time all the way to entrancing collaborations with the like of Elles DeGraaf on Mind Of The Wonderful, Claudia Brücken on Unknown Treasure and Steve Kilbey (The Church) on Revealed, the album is packed with original material. One of the few covers is, of course, A Forest with Robert Smith of The Cure on vocals.
An absolute must for fans is the all new WMC Retouch version of Nightfly, direct from the Miami Winter Music Conference (WMC), where BLANK & JONES headlined in March of this year. So new, the track was hot to the touch as it made its way onto the album, having been premiered to rave reactions at the dance convention. BLANK & JONES’ Nightfly WMC Retouch was the talk of the town the following morning on various online sites and blogs.
The album also features two completely new tracks. One is Somebody and the other is Catch, the newest single, based on Kosheen’s 1998 tune. Vocals supplied once again by the fantastic Elles DeGraaf.
BLANK & JONES have taken the utmost care in getting the sound right. Tracks have been remastered but not remixed. “Our aim was to retain the flair of each original track“ Piet and Jaspa elucidate. “We wanted them to sound just as they did when we made them, but clearer, in the same way as one restores a painting. You don’t paint it from scratch, you just bring out the colours again.“ Such loving attention to detail is typical of BLANK & JONES, making them the artists they are today, ready and able to see the bigger picture.
The album is also being released in Limited Edition format, in which The Singles are complemented by an additional DVD, bringing together all BLANK & JONES videos on one disc for the first time. The BLANK & JONES clips are something worth seeing, with a artistic quality rarely seen in such a genre. BLANK & JONES’ dramatic credentials are matched by their sense of humour. Numerous famous names have featured in their videos, including Estella Warren and Til Schweiger in Beyond Time, the latter having also directed the clip.
The DVD was produced and designed by Thomas Jahn, renowned as scriptwriter and director of “Knocking On Heaven’s Door“ and also the man responsible for The Hardest Heart, Mind Of The Wonderful, Perfect Silence and Desire.
The video for the latest single, Catch, was directed by Conchita Soares and Toni Froschhammer and features the thespian talents of TV actress Nadine. The piece will not only be presented on the music channels, but will also be shown at short film festivals over the summer.
BLANK & JONES’ roots are firmly placed in DJ culture. Year after year, millions of ravers around the globe feel the heat of their sensational sets at major events like Mayday, Nature One and Love Parade as well as in clubs all over the world. BLANK & JONES mix DJ and live, making the most of today’s technology. “We do everything digitally, on the basis of Final Scratch, which allows us to use our own edits and mixes, nothing comes straight from tape. Every set we play is unique, not only sound-wise but also in terms of what we play and how we play it. Roughly 60% of our set consists of our own repertoire, as where better to present our own material than via the DJ decks.“
BLANK & JONES are global players in the best sense of the word, with a worldwide reputation to match. They are more than welcome guests at the major festivals and raves in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Russia. At the beginning of the year, they played to 15,000 fans in St. Petersburg! They also travel further afield on a regular basis, to Canada, Mexico, South America and Australia.
2005 saw BLANK & JONES spend a lot of time in the USA, where A Forest proved to be a big success. Electronic music is growing and growing Stateside, so BLANK & JONES will return to LA, San Diego, San Francisco and many more cities in North America this year. Overwhelmingly positive reactions to Catch on the initial installment of the BLANK & JONES tour mean that the American fans can hardly wait for The Singles to be released. This will be the third BLANK & JONES US album.
Not content to rest on their laurels, Piet and Jaspa are already preparing an exciting, new and unusual project. On May 26th, BLANK & JONES will perform together with the Robert Schumann Kammerorchester conducted by Alexander Shelly in the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. The definitive electro-classical crossover extravaganza!
www.blankandjones.com
www.myspace.com/blankandjonesinfo
www.myspace.com/relaxedition
www.blankandjones.com/rlx09
Eyes
Blank & Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Think straight
Ain't at a level that's final
Eye done got sharper off demons like Hiei
See all this pain and ya eyes closed
I been giving what it take to control it
I gotta live with mistakes and atonement
I gotta look in yo face doing what you hate
I never question it's worth it yeah I deserve it
When I tell em to send me the the whole band
Never to come in a person such as a serpent
When it's lurking I seen em approach man
Never depend on how dark it seem
I was told it was bleak before I could read
Idle eyes watch 'em fade but know I'ma eat
Each his own but they gone before I could grow
Follow code I ain't many to my degree
Wasn't round all them birds but I'm Allan Poe
I'm a poet you niggas more cap and stone
Cap and gone appropriate the streets
Cap and gown now they teach and you learn it wrong
Never seen all this reaching it's just a song
I'm aware of my weakness address the known
I'ma pick up the pieces address the chrome
I'm better than decent right here and now
Had to use my past as the Stepping Stones
Don't ya ever forget just reflect ya own
Don't ya ever forget I was destined from
The beginning
I can't remember where pain is
I need to ride in a holy ghost
Often wit lucid dreaming
Eye for an eye I question the cost
Like I just need way more payment
What you decide when you feeling lost
Know that it's different stages
Know that this life what I made it
Still can't remember where pain is
I need to ride in a holy ghost
Often wit lucid dreaming
Eye for an eye I question the cost
Like I just need way more payment
What you decide when you feeling lost
Know that it's different stages
Know that this life what I made it
The song "Eyes" by Blank & Jones captures the emotions and frustrations of a child who has grown up with an overbearing and controlling father. The lyrics reveal the struggle for independence and individuality in a relationship that is characterized by the father's need for control and the child's need for self-expression.
The first verse suggests that the father tries to control everything in the child's life and lives vicariously through him/her. The tone is resentful as the lyrics describe feeling trapped and unable to break free from the father's grasp. The second verse elaborates on the psychological damage caused by the father's manipulation and the fear that the child now feels for the world surrounding them. The chorus expresses the child's sense of rebellion against the father's expectations but also acknowledges the sense of failure that comes with not fulfilling them.
The bridge is where the child begins to reclaim autonomy and reject the father's influence. The lyrics speak to the emotional damage that the father has caused over time through broken promises, betrayal, and a lack of identity. The song ends with a final assertion of independence that is driven by a sense of strength and self-awareness.
Overall, the song is a powerful depiction of the complexities of a toxic parent-child relationship and the struggle for independence that is so often necessary to break free from it.
Line by Line Meaning
You tried to control everything
You attempted to have power over everything.
You tried to live through me
You tried to have my life unfold the way you wanted it to instead of letting me do what I please.
You tied my hands with your condescension
Because of your condescending nature, I felt like I couldn't make decisions for myself.
I was always walking on glass
I felt unsure about everything because you made me feel that everything I did was wrong.
You kept me locked in the past
You stopped me from moving on from my past experiences and living in the present because of your actions.
Everything I did was to get your attention
I was desperate for your attention, so I did everything to ensure that you notice me.
You twist my thoughts with your ways
Your ways of manipulation made me see everything in a twisted way that suited only you.
You let my feelings decay
You caused my emotions to fade away because you didn't acknowledge them.
And now I'm afraid of the world around me
Now I am scared of everything, including the world around me because of the way you raised me.
Don't let me think for myself
You always told me what to think and never gave me the chance to make my own decisions.
You wish I was somebody else
You wanted me to be someone other than who I am.
Everything I did was for you, what about me
I did everything to please you, but you never considered what I wanted.
All the things you broke
You broke several things, not just material possessions but may also be trust or relationship.
All the things you took away
You took away valuable things from me, and it might have hurt me.
All the things you lost
You lost things that were vital to me and our connection as a result of your actions.
All the promises you made
You promised several things that you failed to deliver on.
Never giving in
I don't give in to your ways anymore.
Always feeling betrayed
I feel like I was misled and betrayed by you due to the broken promises and mistreatment.
I won't let you get inside my head
I refuse to let your actions and words affect me anymore.
I'll withstand the pain inside
I'll endure the pain and emotional distress that you caused.
I'll always let you down
No matter what I do, I'll always disappoint you.
Yeah, but I don't care
However, I don't care about disappointing you anymore.
You'll never understand
You will never understand or comprehend how I feel about your actions, at least to the extent that you would like to.
I wasted all the time in the world in your eyes
I spent much time and energy attempting to please you, but I see that it was pointless in the end.
(Father's eyes)
The song refers to a father figure who has had a significant impact on the singer's life.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Gary King, James Huang
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Zizousef
Like a ghost that came from an old beginning
you heated up the freezing destiny
but I told myself I had a chance to live a better life by loving someone new
I miss the mind of the wonderful
I let the icy thoughts run through me cold
and no one knows
I keep the pain of a broken soul
wounds that just won't heal and no one knows
not even you!
We had a love, a future - we were honest
but my truth held so many little lies
Can't turn the page, can't rearange
It's written in the sand and tide is moving in.
Cold is the night
Cold are my hands
Cold as my heart
@MateuszMysza
Chciałbym żeby wróciły tamte czasy, tamci ludzie, tamta muzyka... było biedniej, ale prawdziwiej.
@tomaszrudnik4748
Nawiązując do tego utworu 2004 rok z perspektywy czasu, gdy sobie wszystko przypominam, było jakoś fajnie. Wchodzenie w dorosłe życie. Pierwsze miłosne epizody, pierwsza praca, zakup własnego samochodu itp 😃 Czy było biedniej? Nie uważam
@michalpoznan8252
Milion razy lepiej
@PATRYKOS1988
pięknie napisane
@nicolehaupt7992
Was waren das noch für schöne Zeiten als die Musik noch interessant war und den Körper zum tanzen brachte! Mir fehlt die Disco Zeit total! Die 80er, 90er und 2000er haben einfach zeitlose Musik hervorgebracht. Nicht so einen unkreativen, langweiligen Einheitsbrei wie heute läuft. Wir brauchen wieder mehr gute Musik! Daumen hoch für dieses Remaster.
@druese1970
Bin voll deiner Meinung
@oakcherry
Bin absolut bei Dir. Da fühlte sich alles noch viel offener an :(
@gloriamartincalavia7900
Totalmente deacuerdo
@blueberry3806
Wir wollen alle zuruck... egal welche land. Das war echt gute zeit...mfg
@manumanson8181
😊wohl wahr 🎉.. das war noch music.. tolles Lied immer noch