Relax: Edition Four

Released in 2009, Relax: Edition Four is a cornerstone of Blank & Jones' long-running 'Relax' series. By this point in their career, the German duo had successfully transitioned from their 1990s trance origins into the world's premier architects of Balearic lounge music. The album is structured to cover the full spectrum of a day in the Mediterranean, moving from the 'Sun' disc (tracks 1-11) to the 'Moon' disc (tracks 12-23). It features a mix of original compositions, sophisticated covers, and 'Relax' versions of their own club hits. The recording is characterized by its extreme hi-fi clarity and the use of guest vocalists who provide atmospheric, often multilingual textures. Critically, it is regarded as one of the strongest entries in the series, praised for its consistency and its ability to evoke a specific sense of place - the Balearic Islands - regardless of where the listener actually is.