New Bernard Sumner collaboration with Blank & Jones

Jed Stephens wrote:

Steve Uno wrote:

Jeffari-al-Texani wrote:

Chris Nash wrote: What would have been exciting is if Steve had played/programmed the drums and Hooky had played bass. Oh... that would be New Order, wouldn't it?

So what would you have Phil doing???

Hopefully back to making the tea. He'll never be New Order to me.

and showing bernard chords that hurt his small fat hands

You mean bastards!

Aries wrote: Blank & Jones collaborated with Robert Smith a few years ago on a new version of "A Forest." It wasn't too bad.

Yeah, it wasn't too bad at all. It seems B&J just do a variation of things, trance, acoustic, and atmospheric. They're kinda like a weird mix between Orb, Massive Attack (ie., "Teardrop" style), and maybe Enigma. Personally, I'd like to see Barney work with the Chemical Brothers again. Or even Crystal Method. Or Enigma! But, I think he's just too good for some of this other stuf. But if that's what he wants to do, and B&J seems pretty cool, then that's cool, too. I haven't hear a shitty Barney collab yet. He can take simple, boring shit and turn it into another world, so I have lots of hope.

Now as for Hooky and this Freebass thing....?

I reckon we should all have faith, he's never really let us down in the past with his collaborations. I can't wait.

. It says something about the reputation and ability of blank+jones that the discriminating Sumner, a genius of melody, wished to work with blank+jones, and that the collaboration has produced a song that can live with the best of Sumner’s ingenious, smart and infectious pop songs.

Was it him really wanting to collaborate, or are the bills piling up after NO broke up?

EdelBrock wrote:

. It says something about the reputation and ability of blank+jones that the discriminating Sumner, a genius of melody, wished to work with blank+jones, and that the collaboration has produced a song that can live with the best of Sumner’s ingenious, smart and infectious pop songs.

Was it him really wanting to collaborate, or are the bills piling up after NO broke up?

Either way! Its still humble. Don't think they're in any financial situation anywhere close to say Bon Jovi or Morrissey, or spending it all on drugs and filth like Shaun, so, more power to Barnster.

But, I think it was probably more initiated on Blank and Jones end, them being huge New Order/Barney fans. Anyone seen any other articles anywhere on this collab? I'm curious.

Spotnick wrote: Funny... it's like some people have no faith in Bernard...

Did he actually do something that sucked in all his collaborations?

Exactly. I can't see anything remotely shit that he's done collab-wise. Even "Rockin Over the Beat" is brilliant, though many people think its cheesy turd. (And I actually like Technotronic, so that helps.) Hell, if he came out and announced he was gonna work with Britney Spears, I'd still have faith in it being something really awesome. And I can't even stand Britney. He may seem lazy, but he puts a lot into them.

Meatballs586 wrote: Hell, if he came out and announced he was gonna work with Britney Spears, I'd still have faith in it being something really awesome. And I can't even stand Britney.

Brtitney's people won't let Bernarnd even close to her, not to mention to work on her new album. :(

|| | ||| 6217|| 8 || 3 wrote:

Meatballs586 wrote: Hell, if he came out and announced he was gonna work with Britney Spears, I'd still have faith in it being something really awesome. And I can't even stand Britney.

Brtitney's people won't let Bernarnd even close to her, not to mention to work on her new album. :(

This is true.

That fuckin bitch.

BERNARD SUMNER IS THE MAN NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE SAY, IF HE DOES A SONG OR A COLLABRATION WITH SOMEONE IT IS BOUND TO BE GOOD , HE IS SUPER TALENTED, HE HAS A GOLDEN VOICE THAT SOUNDS GOOD WITH ANYTHING

I've never heard Barney's remixes with Technotronic.:(

Apparently they were released as "Rockin' over Manchester" or something like. I'd love to hear them.

yeah, it might end up lame, but you never know...

besides, bernard has all sorts of techno / trance in the past..

beat club - security until the end of time - mixes second nature - trance mixes etc etc...

so its not really that new for him to do tracks like these.

later -1

Liz wrote: I've never heard Barney's remixes with Technotronic.:(

Apparently they were released as "Rockin' over Manchester" or something like. I'd love to hear them.

I believe that would be the 'Rockin over the beat (Rockin' over Manchester Hacienda Mix)' or something like that.

I thought it was quite good, although I must admit I do like a lot of dance music from that period (early 90s), however.

Anyway, I don't think the new collaboration would turn up really bad, though.

Another piss-poor choice of collaborators just reinforces how utterly out of touch Mr Sumner is from contemporary music of any value... Blank/Jones ply the usual hairdresser techno that is the very modern epitome of what punk was trying to destroy... facile, efficient, complacent, predictable, paint by the numbers air conditioned doodahmuzak...

Where is the collaboration with the likes of Bernard Fleischmann or Matthew Dear or Burial?

Tell me that a track like Duo505's Dont Turn The Music Down is not tailor made for a Sumner vocal...

I cant wait for da "Bad" Lieutenant

Ajw

True that Barney probably has his pick of atrists of a certian age, who liked NO in their yoof.

I'd like to see him raise his production and remixing game rather than puffing around the stage as an esteemed guest.

We'll see, anyway. I've still not heard anything by this Blank and Jones, but I will be straight round to Our Price with my Christmas tokens as soon as it's released.

AJ Wells wrote: Another piss-poor choice of collaborators just reinforces how utterly out of touch Mr Sumner...

Beware! The grizzliest old troll himself is back in the village.

What lured him out from under his bridge this time? Must be more NO-related fare imminent, destined to further sour the troll's leathery ears as he demands his artists maintain their teenage rage forever.

Does citing Burial still make you feel relevant? Bet you haven't even logged off Pitchfork yet.

:\pimp3:

Oye, people! Maybe the guy is just trying to have a good time and do something fun? Does every decision he makes have to be weighed on a scale? "Will my fans approve?" "Is this up to the standards everyone thinks I should have?" It's MUSIC. It's supposed to make you happy and come from a creative place. Everyone has different tastes. I'm sure Barney wouldn't be working with them if he didn't think they had some merit. Even if it turned out to be complete garbage, which I HIGHLY doubt, isn't he entitled to just want to have some fun or do work with someone new? I, for one, can't wait to hear it! Bring it on, Bernard! Anything from you has to be better than most of the junk out there!

This is terrific news. I didn't figure Barney would hibernate for too long. Our Mr. Sumner is a great song writer. He has more than often been as good as it gets. He has also turned out a few that few short on logic and execution, but the heart and mindset have been constant. He has a deep wellspring of talent and in the right environs he can pen as good as song as you ever heard.

This new mix of talent and energies has my attention. Unrestricted, he's capable of something grand. Timing and chemistry is essential. It feels right. I expect to be happy with their results. Good luck, guys. Knock it out, out of site.

Blank + Jones aren't that bad, check out the song Cream.

just typical of the NOOL mentality lately: let's shoot it down in flames before we've even heard it !!!! Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and listen to it first ...

Bernard could work with anyone he wanted of any age or genre... if he knew who was doing the interesting music of the moment he would seek them out and the project would take on a natural aspect of innovation... rather than just the pastiche we have become accustomed to

The point of course is that the reason that NO lost the magic in their music is that they lost touch with and lost their interest in vital contemporary music... so it could no longer infuse their attempts to copy it and thereby stumble upon something truly new... if Blank/Jones and these Oasis/Doves soundalikes that will be part of Bad Lieutenant is really what Bernard is listening to then no wonder his music sounds like it does...

There are plenty of over 50 artists who regularly work with younger collaborators... Neil Young, Lou Reed, Thurston Moore and others I cant think of at the moment (I'm getting old) show that if you are really an interesting, searching, curious artist that doesnt change with time... you remain deeply interested in the important work going on and you often seek out the makers of that work to collaborate with...

Bernard could easily work with any of the artists who currently are pushing forward many of the ideas that defined NO's innovative period... the fact that he had never heard of the Notwist when asked about their record tells you pretty much all you need to know...

Ajw

AJ Wells wrote: the fact that he had never heard of the Notwist when asked about their record tells you pretty much all you need to know...

Who, or what, is "Notwist"?

Nick King wrote:

AJ Wells wrote: the fact that he had never heard of the Notwist when asked about their record tells you pretty much all you need to know...

Who, or what, is "Notwist"?

They are a German indie band. I had to look it up myself on Wikipedia because I had never heard of them either.

Notwist

AJ is actually making some pretty good points.

But so is Liz.

It's supposed to make you happy and come from a creative place.

(With under 20 posts she makes more sense than most here with 1000s)

Sometimes our silly American optimism is ok, right? ??

We need it to offset the AJs of the world. heh.

peace.

Why not Mission of Burma?

Pros:

• Post-punk namedropping cred
• Burmas in only slightly better physical shape than Bernard
• Only post-punk group still extant who yells and screams on-stage almost as often as Bernard
• Strike only slightly less embarassing Gods of Rawk poses on stage
• One of the comatose post-punk groups who shuffled back together at the turn of the century and secreted a straightforward guitar-based album (ONoffON is at least better than Wire's Send and as good as Get Ready)

Cons:

• They don't use auto cues
• They tour often and extensively
• They don't put the harder guitar parts on tape loop

The world premiere of the song will be with Pete Tong on BBC Radio One's WMC miami special on March 28th.

AJ Wells wrote: Neil Young, Lou Reed, Thurston Moore and others I cant think of at the moment

You speak in revered tones about these American artists who are so far removed from the NO experience that it's not even worth mentioning them in the same sentence. I suspect a lot of their latter-day output would bore the average NO fan sh*tless.

In the past, Bernard has collaborated with artists like Johnny Marr, Karl Bartos and the Chemical Brothers because he's into their kind of music, not to position himself in some sort arty music vanguard. Turns out a lot of us are into this stuff too. JD/NO may have carved an avante-garde niche for you early on, but since the mid-80s they've simply been about quality pop/indie-dance. You're forever lamenting some sort of paradigm-shifting creativity that hasn't existed within them for decades. Chin-stroking nonsense.

:\pimp3:

Anyone planning on bringing it over here later today?:)

BTW....is there anyone left here on this forum that actually likes Bernard's singing besides me? I'm getting the distinct impression the answer is no and that's pretty sad considering this is a FAN forum!