Boris Blank along with Dieter Meier as Yello are one of the most influential electronic bands of the last 40 years, with pioneering tracks like ‘The Race’, ‘Oh Yeah’ and ‘Bostich’ impacting as hip leftfield dancefloor anthems and world-wide hits alike. Now Blank returns with ‘Electrified’…a collection of soundtrack work from the celebrated composer containing 3 hours of unreleased music spanning 5 decades. Dan Prince gets the World Exclusive
Boris welcome to DMCWORLD…where on Planet Earth are you today?
“In my hometown of Zurich Dan, enjoying beautiful sunshine while answering your questions.”
What is the first piece of music you heard today?
“I just listened to some tracks I created for the new version of ‘Yellofier’, with the name ‘Electified’, like the box-set.”
A very exciting time for yourself and lovers of music right now with the release of ‘Electrified’ – a massive collection of soundtrack work spanning 5 decades of unreleased music from 1977 to 2014 that traces the roots of Yelloe obvious question first, why Kickstarter?
“I think, there are two important points for crowd-funding:
1.A set of this complexity would never be published by a record company, because it would be too expensive. I also have complete control of content and packaging.
2.You have an immediate feedback from your fans, so you can see very quickly whether the project is concluded or not. This saves energy.”
You have write many soundtrack ideas that were never publicly released over the years…what pieces of your music do you think are going to surprise your fans around the globe?
“I belive very strongly in ‘The Time Tunnel’ because I love how the video of Dirk Koy is maching the music in a perfect way. But my favorite track is ‘Electrified’. After listening to this song quite a lot, I still love it.“
“I never saw myself as a live musician rather as a sound painter.” Discuss…
“The way I`m doing music is not the way to create songs like a lot of musicians. I start with a certain basic idea, with a tempo, bassline ect. Then I add step by step, almost like a painter does with his colour on a canvas – different sounds, noises effects etc. to create a well-tempered mood. I call it the ‘Sound Picture’.”
Electronic music has finally taken over the world after the US finally succumbed. Yello were of course one of the originators, you were recognized as trying to give these cold machines some soul…to give them a human touch – humour even. Do you think this is something lacking with new artists in 2014…and if not…who gets your foot tapping out there musically right now?
“I think that humour always accompanied the music of Yello. An old proverb says: ‘Humor is the life jacket on the river of life’. I like to play dramatic music. I love the versatility.”
One of your favourite bands of the moment said this recently…”We do not think it is possible for a band to make it today without the use of the internet. Thoughts on that?
“The internet is indispensible nowadays, but every day a few hundred thousand new songs and videos are posted on the platforms, it gets more difficult to touch the surface of success.”
Do you think that today’s music fan expects something for nothing?
“Yes definitely. Yello has the good fortune that the fans still prefer the physical product. You can touch it, and as an the example from the box set ‘Electrified’ you can enjoy the detailed content.”
We understand at DMCWORLD that the preparations for the next Yello album are well advanced. Can you please give us an idea of what to expect…the world is waiting with bated breath!
“Yello will allways sound like Yello. We can’t change our musical face every second year. What I can say is, it’ll be more song-oriented and, as usual, we’ve invited some guests to play and sing.”
What films, past and present have and continue to inspire your creative process?
“I’m a big fan of old French black and white movies. I like Luis Bunuel, Pierre Paolo Passolini or Hitchcocks Vertigo or Schrei Wenn Du Kannst by Claude Chabrol. The film which still sticks in my head is The Usual Suspects by Bian Singer or Despicable Me.”
You are still a regular club goer, you love the whole tech-house movement and in your own words…” I love to watch girls dancing. I love it anyhow when people dance.” What clubs and DJs over the past couple of years have impressed you?
“I`m not going to clubs that often, but when, then i like it quite eccentic, with a good sound-system and not too big.”
What are your thoughts on celebrities such as Paris Hilton entering the world of DJing…she earn’t $200,000 a set in Ibiza this summer…
“This is not my department. But if people like to spend their money this way…?”
Before you entered the world of music you were a truck driver. Who would have the artists you would have been listening to whilst driving all those years ago?
“Truck driver was just a temporary job besides music. My favourite music at the time was: Pink Floyd, Miles Davis, Tito Puente, The Stooges, Sergio Mendes, The Rolling Stones, Raymond Scott and everything that had heart and soul.”
You are renowned for sampling anything you hear in day to day life be it a clock or a motor…to you the world is music. What are some of the strangest sounds you have recorded and then used in your sounds…?
“It was Winter 1980.
The snowflakes are dancing in a temperature around zero degrees.
The best conditions to form a nice snowball.
I quickly installed a good microphone in front of my studio wall and
threw with full force a few snowballs against the wall. Recorded it and – that became one of my strongest bass drum ever.”
What is the record that…
…reminds you of your childhood?
The Banana Boat Song 1956 by Harry Belafonte
…always get you dancing?
Doing it To Death“ by James Brown
And finally, over here in Ibiza Carl Cox just picked up the Best Techno DJ at The DJAwards. In his own words…”Boris Blank always sounds like a bit more than just music.” How would you like to answer that…?
“Thank you for such a charming compliment Carl. We had a good time Carl and myself in the 90s in the Yello studio in Zurich recording a track for the’Pocked Universe’ album. I regret that I did not reach him to contribute a song on my Yellofier App. Maybe if he’s reading this he’ll get in touch.”
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Artist: Boris Blank
Box set: ‘Electrified’
Format: 1 box containing: 3 X 12” vinyl, 2 X CD, 1 X DVD, 1 X MC and 36 page booklet
Label: Blank Media
Release date: Out now
‘Electrified’ is a collection of soundtrack work from the celebrated composer. This limited edition solo box-set will contain 3 hours of unreleased music spanning 5 decades, from 1977 to 2014.
Boris Blank ‘electrified’: http://borisblankelectrified.com
Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inkyblackness/boris-blank-electrified
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/boris-blank-electrified
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yello.ch
Twitter https://twitter.com/borisblankyello
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/borisblankag
Vimeo http://vimeo.com/borisblank
Yello http://yello.com
