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BLØF

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BLØF
BLØF performing in Emmen, 2006
BLØF performing in Emmen, 2006
Background information
OriginVlissingen, Netherlands
GenresRock, pop
Years active1992–present
LabelsEMI, Capitol
MembersPaskal Jakobsen
Peter Slager
Bas Kennis
Norman Bonink
Past membersHenk Tjoonk
Chris Götte †
Websiteblof.nl

BLØF is a Dutch rock band from Vlissingen, Zeeland, founded in 1992 by Peter Slager. Current members are Peter Slager (bass), Paskal Jakobsen (lead vocals and guitar), Bas Kennis (keyboards) and Norman Bonink (drums). Former members are Henk Tjoonk (drums) and Chris Götte (drums).

The group in one of the most popular bands in the Netherlands and has won 8 Edison Awards. In 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004 they received the Edison Award for “Best Band in the Netherlands”.

Outside of the Netherlands, they are best known for their collaborations with international bands and musicians.

When BLØF played in Bhutan as part of their Umoja project in 2006, it was the biggest concert in terms of attendance the country had seen to date.[1]

Biography

Beginnings

BLØF was founded in 1992 by Peter Slager, and originally consisted of Peter Slager (bass guitar) , Paskal Jakobsen, (guitar) Bas Kennis (keyboards), and Henk Tjoonk (drums).

They recorded their first album in 1994, Naakt Onder De Hemel, in just one week. Drummer Henk Tjoonk suggested they distribute the album themselves. The self-produced, self-promoted album was a hit in their home province of Zeeland and the single "Aan de Kust" became a local hit, despite it having little airplay on national radio stations. The album was well received by the critics and through this positive attention, the band secured a national distribution contract with EMI Music,[2] Keyboardist Bas Kennis credits their early success partly due to the rudimentary website they had live already in 1995, giving fans access to the band and a direct way to find out more about their music and tour dates .[3] For this album, BLØF received a "Best New Talent" award and with the prize money they recorded their second album, Helder, released in September 1997.

Early years

In 1997, internal struggles almost led to the bands break up, and saw drummer Henk Tjoonk fired and replaced by Chris Götte. With the help of ex-Doe Maar manager Frank van der Meijden, the band landed a full recording contract with EMI. The first single released after these changes, Liefs uit Londen, was a national success. The band released two additional singles, updated versions of Aan De Kust and Wat Zou Je Doen, from a live recording of a performance in The Nighttrain, a discotheque in Middelburg. The original versions of both songs appeared on their first album. Both songs became hit singles.

Breakthrough

In the summer of 1998, they released XXL Live Met Het Zeeuws Orkest, a live album recorded with an orchestra from Zeeland. With the help of Peter Bauwers (2 Unlimited) and Ronald Vanhuffel, they released studio album Boven. This album had a stronger rock sound and saw the single Harder Dan Ik Hebben Kan become a hit in less than a month. In 2000, the band received an Edison Award for Best Dutch Band and the group performed for the Dutch Olympians and their crew at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

After this, the successful Watermakers was released and in 2001, the band once again won an Edison for Best Dutch Band.

On 17 March 2001, Drummer Chris Götte was killed in a motorcycle accident while riding from his home to the venue where the band was scheduled to perform later that day. The band took a hiatus from performing and one year later, they released a live CD Oog In Oog — Live In Ahoy, the last concert with Götte. Götte was replaced by drummer Norman Bonink, who had previously played in Frank Boeijen's band. Their next album, Blauwe Ruis, released in 2002 was dedicated to Chris Götte and his family. In 2003 the band released a lighter, more positive album called Omarm.

In 2003 BLØF travelled to Kenya to play with local musicians. They used this experience as an inspiration for their seventh studio album.

In 2004, the American band Counting Crows toured with BLØF, and together they rerecorded "Holiday in Spain", a duet sung in both English and Dutch, which gave BLØF exposure in the United States.

In 2005, BLØF traveled around the world in order to be exposed to new cultures and inspirations for a new album. These efforts saw the release of a new album, Umoja in 2006. The goal of the Umoja project was to raise awareness for the Millennium Development Goals. The band collaborated with artists from the 12 countries they visited. [4] The project resulted in a book, Umoja Travel Lodge, concerts in the Netherlands and a DVD of the Umoja concerts the band performed in Netherlands with some of the international musicians that participated in the project. The project was very demanding for the band and they have said they greatly underestimated the amount of work involved with a project like this.

For BLØF's next album, Oktober, released in October 2008, the band decided on a stripped-down sound. All tracks were recorded in one take with no overdubs. Further recording sessions in January and February 2008 produced enough additional material so a next album, was released in early 2009.

Neither Oktober nor April were successful,[clarification needed] so the band went back to the drawing board with the promise of returning to the sound that made the band successful previously. This album, Alles Blijft Anders, was released in February 2011.

In 2015, BLØF celebrated the 10th edition of Concert at SEA, an annual multi-day music festival organized by the band in Brouwersdam in Zeeland.

In 2016, the band members took time out for solo projects: Jakobsen embarked on a theater tour performing his favourite songs and Slager released a solo album (Slik).

In April 2017 BLØF released the album AAN, featuring a collaboration with rapper Typhoon and a tribute to the late frontman of The Scene, who was a close friend of Jakobsen's. Zoutelande, a Dutch cover of the German song "Frankfurt Oder" by Bosse was rerecorded as a duet with Belgian singer Geike Arnaert. It reached #1 in January 2018 and stayed there for more than ten weeks. Later in 2018 they released Omarm me in collaboration with Dutch rapper Ronnie Flex.

Band Members

  • Paskal Jakobsen
    Paskal Jakobsen
  • Bas Kennis
    Bas Kennis
  • Norman Bonink
    Norman Bonink
  • Peter Slager
    Peter Slager

Line-ups

(1992–1997)
  • Paskal Jakobsen - lead vocals, guitar
  • Bas Kennis - keyboard, backing vocals
  • Peter Slager - bass, backing vocals
  • Henk Tjoonk - percussion, backing vocals
(1997–2001)
  • Paskal Jakobsen — lead vocals, guitar
  • Bas Kennis — keyboard, backing vocals
  • Peter Slager — bass, backing vocals
  • Chris Götte - percussion, backing vocals
(2001–present)
  • Paskal Jakobsen — lead vocals, guitar
  • Bas Kennis — keyboard, guitar, backing vocals
  • Peter Slager — bass, backing vocals
  • Norman Bonink - percussion, backing vocals

Discography

Main article: BLØF discography
  • Naakt onder de hemel (1995)
  • Helder (1997)
  • Boven (1999)
  • Watermakers (2000)
  • Blauwe Ruis (2002)
  • Omarm (2003)
  • Umoja (2006)
  • Oktober (2008)
  • April (2009)
  • Alles Blijft Anders (2011)
  • In Het Midden van Alles (2014)
  • De Grasbroek Sessies (2015)
  • Aan (2017)

References

  1. ^ Bløf in Bhutan | Bhutan + partners (archived)
  2. ^ Search for Music: Blof
  3. ^ Van Dusseldorp, Monique (August 28, 2008). "Keyboard player Bas Kennis presents 'Pickering Player' at PICNIC". Interview with Bas Kennis. PICNIC. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  4. ^ BLØF Band (2005). "Official Website for BLØF". Official Website/Umoja (in Dutch, English, and Spanish). BLØF. Archived from the original on 4 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-08.

Listening

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