Boris Blank (musician)

Last updated

Boris Blank
Boris Blank at TEDx Hamburg, June 4, 2013.jpg
Blank at TEDx Hamburg in 2013
Background information
Born (1952-01-15) 15 January 1952 (age 72)
Bern, Switzerland
Genres Electronic
Occupation(s)
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
  • synthesizers
Years active1979–present
Labels
Website www.borisblank.com

Boris Blank (born 15 January 1952) is a Swiss artist and musician. He forms the musical duo Yello with Dieter Meier. [1] [2]

Contents

Career

Blank was born on 15 January 1952 in Bern, Switzerland. He is the musical part of Yello. He composes the songs and is responsible for the characteristic sound, having the reputation of a perfectionist. [3] Blank considers himself as a constructor of music, starting composing with manipulation of self-recorded samples and finishing the tracks with the participation of invited professional musicians.

Prior to his musical career, Blank worked as a truck driver. [1] As a child he was very interested in music, but had no formal training. He never learned to read musical notation but always was interested in producing new sounds and samples.[ citation needed ] Blank began experimenting with tape loops and echo effects as a teenager. He recorded water sounds from a bucket of water and played sounds on a homemade bamboo flute.[ citation needed ] It was in this period he met Carlos Perón. Later, they formed Yello, with Dieter Meier as a conceptualist, vocalist and lyricist.

He also composes and produces solo music, under the name Avant Garden, for licensing to the film and TV production industry. This music is handled by Extreme Music.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Blank is married to Italian-Swiss restaurateur Patrizia Fontana. They have one daughter, Olivia. [4]

Discography

Albums

YearAlbumPeak positions
AUT
[5]
FR
[6]
GER SWI
[7]
2024Resonance----
2014Convergence
(credited to Malia / Boris Blank)
391072412
2014Electrified----

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yello</span> Swiss music group

Yello is a Swiss electronic music band, which formed in Zürich in 1979. For most of the band's history, Yello has been a duo consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank; founding member Carlos Perón left in 1983.

<i>Stella</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Yello

Stella is the fourth studio album by the Swiss electronic band Yello, first released in Germany, Switzerland and Austria on 29 January 1985, and in the UK and US in March 1985. It was the first album made by the band without founder member Carlos Perón, and with his departure the remaining duo of Boris Blank and Dieter Meier began to move away from experimental electronic sounds towards a more commercial synthpop and cinematic soundtrack style. As well as becoming the first album ever by a Swiss group to top the Swiss album chart, it was the band's breakthrough album internationally, helped by the success of the song "Oh Yeah", which gained the band worldwide attention the following year after it was prominently featured in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off and then a year later in The Secret of My Success.

<i>Solid Pleasure</i> 1980 studio album by Yello

Solid Pleasure is the debut album from Swiss electronic trio Yello. It was first released in 1980 and was reissued in 2005 in part of Yello Remaster Series with rare bonus tracks.

<i>You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess</i> 1983 studio album by Yello

You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess is the third studio album by Swiss electronic band Yello, released in June 1983. It was the last Yello album to feature founding member Carlos Perón. It charted in several countries across Europe, and also peaked at No. 184 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

<i>One Second</i> (Yello album) 1987 studio album by Yello

One Second is Yello's fifth original studio album, having been preceded by a 'new mix' compilation the previous year. Released in 1987, the album is noteworthy for featuring both Billy Mackenzie and Shirley Bassey, the latter singing vocals on "The Rhythm Divine".

<i>Baby</i> (Yello album) 1991 studio album by Yello

Baby is the seventh studio album by the band Yello, released in 1991 under the label Mercury. An early cut of the album was used as the incidental soundtrack for the film The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.

<i>Zebra</i> (Yello album) 1994 studio album by Yello

Zebra is the eighth studio album by the electronica Swiss band Yello. The record was released on 17 October 1994 through 4th & B'way and Mercury labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dieter Meier</span> Swiss musician, vocalist, conceptual artist, and industrialist

Dieter Meier is a Swiss musician, conceptual artist and entrepreneur. He is the frontman of the electronic music group Yello, which was co-founded by music producer Boris Blank. He is a vocalist and lyricist, as well as manager and producer of the group.

<i>1980–1985 The New Mix in One Go</i> 1986 remix album by Yello

1980–1985 The New Mix in One Go is a compilation of remixed songs by the Swiss band Yello. It was released on March 17, 1986. The album peaked at No. 99 in Australia on the Kent Music Report chart in December 1986.

<i>The Eye</i> (Yello album) 2003 studio album by Yello

The Eye is the eleventh studio album by the Swiss electronic duo Yello. It was released on 9 December 2003 on Motor Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Perón</span> Swiss musician (born 1952)

Carlos Perón is a Swiss musician. He was a founding member of the band Yello.

<i>Hands on Yello</i> 1995 remix album by Yello

Hands on Yello is a remix album by Swiss electronica band Yello, released in 1995.

<i>Progress and Perfection</i> 2007 studio album by Yello

Progress and Perfection is a promo album by Swiss electronic duo Yello, released on 21 September 2007. It was not released on a label, and was distributed by Audi officials on special events. The record was limited to 350 copies. Only the first two tracks have vocals; the others are instrumentals.

<i>Motion Picture</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Yello

Motion Picture is the tenth studio album by Swiss electronic duo Yello. The record was released on 14 December 1999 via Mercury Records.

<i>Touch Yello</i> 2009 studio album by Yello

Touch Yello is the 12th studio album by Swiss electronic band Yello. The record was released on October 2, 2009, through Polydor Records label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rhythm Divine</span> 1987 single by Yello and Shirley Bassey

"The Rhythm Divine" is a 1987 song written by Boris Blank, Dieter Meier, and Billy Mackenzie and recorded by Yello with Shirley Bassey.

<i>The Key to Perfection</i> 2012 studio album other by Yello

The Key to Perfection is a promo album by Swiss electronic duo Yello, released on 4 September 2012. It was not released on a label, and was distributed by Volkswagen officials at special events. The record contains additional vocals by Billy Mackenzie, Heidi Happy, and Malia.

<i>Toy</i> (Yello album) 2016 studio album by Yello

Toy is the thirteenth studio album by the Swiss electronic duo Yello. It was released on 30 September 2016 on Universal Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bostich (song)</span> 1981 single by Yello

"Bostich" is a song by Swiss synthpop band Yello, released in 1981. It is the third and final single to be released from their debut studio album Solid Pleasure. "Bostich" appears on the band's compilation album Essential Yello. The song peaked at number 23 on the Billboard dance chart.

<i>Point</i> (Yello album) 2020 studio album by Yello

Point is the fourteenth studio album by the Swiss electronic duo Yello. It was released on 4 September 2020 on Universal Music.

References

  1. 1 2 Entertainment Weekly , "Essential Yello" Reviewed by Marisa Fox. 30 April 1993.
  2. "News Züritipp". Tagesanzeiger.ch. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  3. "The Yello Site". Theyellosite.com. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  4. "Ravioli mit musik". emotion.de. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  5. "Boris Blank discography". austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 February 2014.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. "Boris Blank discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  7. "Boris Blank discography". hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 February 2014.