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!
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Summer Sun
Blank & Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics of Blank & Jones's song Summer Sun present a vivid picture of a beautiful summer day. The first verse describes a clear blue sky and a gentle breeze, prompting the singer to feel light and carefree. The chorus emphasizes the warmth of the sun and the joy it brings, inviting the listener to bask in its glow and forget their worries. The second verse paints a scene of children playing in the water, capturing the exuberance and innocence of youth. The bridge adds a touch of nostalgia, acknowledging that seasons change and time passes, but that the memories of summer sunshine will always remain.
Overall, the lyrics of Summer Sun celebrate the power of nature to uplift and inspire. Whether through the simple joys of a clear day or the carefree spirit of childhood, the song encourages us to embrace the present moment and appreciate the beauty around us. By capturing the essence of a perfect summer day, Blank & Jones have created a timeless tribute to the warmth and joy of the season.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer sun, I feel you on my face
Oh the warm and beautiful sun of summer, I can sense your rays touching my skin and it feels invigorating
And I'm warmed through, trace the outline of your grace
Your radiance has brought me so much comfort and now I'm enveloped in its warm embrace, I can't help but trace the outline of your grace
But don't leave me in the dark
Please don't go away, don't leave me in the dark without your brilliant light and warmth
Just hold me in your arms
Stay with me, keep me safe and warm, embrace me with your radiant arms
I'll never let you go
I don't ever want to lose your warm embrace, I'll hold on to you tightly and never let go
Summer sun, I always feel you near
No matter where I am, I can always feel your presence nearby, warming my heart and soothing my soul
But when the night falls, you seem to disappear
As the night draws near, I can no longer feel your radiant light and warmth, and you seem to disappear into the darkness
If I could, I'd make you stay
If only I had the power to keep you with me, I would make you stay forever and never have to say goodbye
But I know you'll be back, and that's enough for me
I know that you will return, and that thought alone is enough to keep me going until the next time I feel your warm embrace
Summer sun, you always make me smile
Your warmth and light always brings joy to my heart and puts a smile on my face, no matter what else is going on in my life
And when you're gone, it seems like life's not worth the while
When you're no longer with me, life seems dull and uneventful, like it's not even worth living without your radiant presence
But I know you're coming back, and that's enough for me
I have faith that you will return soon, and that's enough to keep me hopeful and looking forward to your next appearance
Summer sun, I feel you on my skin
You touch my skin and it feels like pure bliss, your warmth and light engulfing me in a sense of peace and contentment
And oh, the light you bring, it's shining from within
Your light isn't just external, it's shining from within me, bringing hope, joy and positivity to my life
I know you'll go again, but I'll see you soon my friend
I know that you'll have to leave again soon, but I'm content in the knowledge that I'll see you again soon, my dear friend
Until then, just hold me in your arms again
Until your next visit, please just stay a little bit longer, hold me in your warm embrace and wrap me in your radiant arms once again
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andreas Kaufhold, Jaspa Jones, Jan Blank, PIET BLANK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind