Submitted By: zonaw

Genre: Trance

Date of Set: Jul 4th, 2006

Filesize: 110.00 MB

Total Downloads: 194

Above & Beyond are undoubtedly one of the most exciting talents in the global dance music scene today. Their genre-defining productions - often released on their own Anjunabeats label - have become an essential tool for the world's leading DJ's and have set the benchmark for the new generation of trance producers. Above & Beyond - aka Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki - have recorded under a number of different aliases including Aalto, Free State, Nitromethane, Oceanlab, P.O.S and Tranquility Base.

Above & Beyond came together in 2000 originally to complete a remix of Chakra's club classic 'Home' for WEA.

Jono Grant and Paavo Siljamaki had met at Westminster University and kicked off the Anjunabeats label in summer 1999 with 'Anjunabeats Volume 1', a massive club track which gained support from Pete Tong, Oakie and P.V.D.

Alerted to the pair by his brother Liam, producer Tony McGuinness called in Jono and Paavo to help him complete the Chakra remix while he was still working at Warners. They plucked the name Above & Beyond from a web page belonging to an American motivational trainer called Jono Grant which was stuck on the wall of the studio. Although they were unknown at the time, the Above & Beyond remix of Chakra 'Home' was picked over remixes by Rob Searle and Tilt to be the A side mix, and after plays on Pete Tong reached number one in the UK club charts.

Soon the trio had many of the world's leading labels knocking at their door, offering some interesting remix opportunities. Aurora 'Ordinary World', Fragma 'Everytime', Armin's Perpetuous Dreamer 'The Sound Of Goodbye' and Adamski 'In The City' quickly followed and began to build a reputation for the team as the UK's leading vocal trance remixers.

Their most famous remix was for Madonna, who's single 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' was originally given the Above & Beyond treatment on spec, but the result so impressed Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie that they decided to make the video for the track to the A&B mix.

As Above & Beyond's profile as artists grew, so did the Anjunabeats label. It provided the perfect outlet for their numerous production projects ' OceanLab (Above & Beyond plus Justine Suissa), Tranquillity Base, Tongue of God and Rollerball (all Above & Beyond in disguise) plus side projects like Aalto, Freestate, Nitromethane and POS. Every release was warmly received by elite DJ's and club-goers across the globe.

After conquering the remix world and spawning a number of pseudonyms, the first Above & Beyond single 'Far From In Love' was released in 2002 to widespread critical acclaim. Featuring the vocals of trance legend Kate Cameron (who'd provided many vocals for the Chakra team, including 'Home') this sad song became a club anthem.

In 2002 the boys began their DJ career in earnest, making their debut in Japan in front of 8,000 crazy Tokyo clubbers, on a bill featuring Ferry Corsten and DJ Tlesto. Pretty soon Above & Beyond were DJ'ing all over the globe, with residency at UK club Passion, dates for Gatecrasher in the UK and abroad, appearances at Godskitchen and tours of Canada, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Russia and the USA.

Late in 2003 the boys flexed their remix muscles again, breathing new life into club classics 'Loneliness' (Tomcraft) and 'When The Rush Comes' (Motorcycle), as well as being asked back by the Queen of pop Madonna to give a bit of edge to 'Nobody Knows Me'.

2004 was something of a breakthrough year for Above & Beyond. As DJ's they regularly rocked dancefloors at the likes of Godskitchen, Gatecrasher and Cream, as well as internationally. The boys also performed a critically-acclaimed 2 hour Essential Mix on Radio 1, leading Radio 1 resident Pete Tong to describe them as 'the UK's new trance superstars'. On the production side, Above & Beyond feat Zoe Johnston 'No One On Earth' and Tranquility Base 'Surrender' each became global club anthems in 2004, earning huge support from the likes of Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk, Armin Van Buuren and Pete Tong.

A great year was capped with a ranking of 39 in DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJ's poll, meanwhile iDJ Magazine featured A&B in its list of top 10 players of 2004, alongside the likes of Sasha and Mylo.

Having recently remixed Dido, Ferry Corsten and trance classic Delerium 'Silence', Above & Beyond are now busy in the studio writing more solo material. Forthcoming in 2005 is a new track under their Tranquility Base guise, as well as new Above & Beyond and Oceanlab singles.

With the world's coolest trance label, the fastest growing radio show and a blossoming reputation as DJ's, the future looks very bright indeed for Above & Beyond. You can catch them every Tuesday on their Trance Around Radio Show, 8-10pm GMT on www.ministryofsound.com.

'I can't remember my last set that didn't have an Above & Beyond production in it. They sound great on the radio and rock any dancefloor. I think all the Anjunabeats tunes are in my box at the moment.' Armin van Buuren

'They are a great team and have released some fantastic tunes.' Paul van Dyk.

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