Comprised of Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamaki, Above & Beyond have been described as “the biggest DJ/production collective the UK has ever produced” by DJ Magazine. A band first and foremost, their story has been one of constant evolution and countless accolades. From their early days as hotly tipped producers to their current global standing, Jono, Tony and Paavo have remained as down-to-earth and determined as ever – always focused on the next goal.
The only dance act in history to win the Essential Mix Of The Year twice (for both their 2004 and 2011 efforts), the London-based trio have remixed greats like Radiohead and Madonna, played to one million people on the Barra Beach in Rio de Janiero (New Year’s Eve in 2007) and even had their track “Buzz” chosen to soundtrack the launch of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo in the Mojave desert.
As these landmarks rack up, the non-stop pulse of their global touring keeps them connected to their growing international fanbase. Each week brings another crowd, another country and often another continent, with thousands singing their lyrics back at them, while their weekly TATW radio show now reaches over 30 million people worldwide.
Songwriters as much as they are DJs, their second album “Group Therapy” has taken their sound to new heights. The follow-up to 2006’s widely acclaimed debut “Tri-State”, the album draws on musical reference points as diverse as French cosmic pop heroes Air, American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley and modern soundtrack genius Hans Zimmer. The combined result, however, was unmistakably Above & Beyond – a cohesive body of work that was described by Mixmag as “the artist album of the year”.
Featuring two BBC Radio 1 playlisted singles (“Sun & Moon” and “Thing Called Love”), the album’s many songs were sung by Richard Bedford and former Faithless singer/songwriter Zoe Johnston and have connected in a way that so few dance tracks – vocal or otherwise – ever manage. At the same, Above & Beyond have continued to released forward-thinking instrumental club music – such as the climatic “Formula Rossa” – with equal force.
Since its release, the atmosphere at Above & Beyond’s increasingly ambitious live performances has redrawn the parameters of the DJ set with thought-provoking visuals and customised Group Therapy ‘ribbon’ lasers. Always focused on getting closer to their crowd and making them part of the action, recent shows have seen them bringing fans up on to the stage to press the play button on their CDJs or communicating with the fans via their visual screens. The effect makes everyone in the room feel like they are part of an experience that is at once epic, immersive and interactive.
An essential part of Above & Beyond’s story, of course, is the legacy of their Anjunabeats label – now in its 11th year. Independently spirited but run with ambitious vision, the label has grown like a family; helping to nurture artists like the London-based innovator Mat Zo, the eclectic genius Andrew Bayer and Russian star Arty.
Like just about everything they turn their attentions to, it is labour of love as well as a collaboration of the trio’s energies. De La Soul weren’t wrong. Three is the magic number. And in Above & Beyond’s case, the magic is spreading faster than ever before.
