Crowned Pete Tong’s Essential Mixof the Year 2011, Above & Beyond take us on a journey through life’s highs and lows in one of the best-constructed sets of our time. Using quotes from movies such as The Notebook & Million Dollar Baby to integrate emotions of both happiness & heartbreak over trance classics, it’s easy to see how the fathers of Group Therapy beat out contenders Eric Prydz, Kaskade & Carl Craig. If you’re somewhat new to trance, we recommend using this as your gateway to begin to explore the genre– you won’t be sorry. Tracklist after the break.
It’s quite evident that Pryda-protégé Fehrplay is gearing up for a big year. After the successful release of “I Can’t Stop It,” the Norwegian-born producer is already teasing his next big release. Premiered yesterday on Fehrplay’s guest mix for Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy 011, “Phantom” is a charming progressive house production more than a year in the making. Raining chord stabs are immediately reminiscent of Pryda, as the masterful Swede’s influence is present throughout the production. “Phantom” has potential to be Fehrplay’s best work yet, but we’ll wait for the final, mastered version to make that call. No info on the release date yet.
As a trailer for their 450th and final Trance Around The World and first Above & Beyond Group Therapyshows, the A&B team released a visually stunning trailer showcasing a cute acoustic cover by Lagori of their megahit, “Sun and Moon.” The show airs live this Saturday evening and will broadcast sets from Jody Wisternoff, Andrew Bayer, Norin & Rad, Mat Zo, and Above & Beyond in a marathon six hour event. Read more about the lineup and when you can listen live in your time zone here.
Trance fans around the world were shocked and saddened following Above & Beyond’s announcement that their 450 show in Bangalore would be their last (ever). They began this Trance Around The World #449 as a retrospective, but only framed it as a lead up to TATW 450. The episode is a touching recap of some of the most beautiful Anjunabeats releases, and will now be looked to as a trance milestone.
Episode #449 opens with Parker & Hanson’s “Arabesque,” and moves through favorites from Jaytech, Mat Zo, Andrew Bayer, and many more. The legendary trio appropriately ends with their own Analogue Haven remix of OceanLab’s “Breaking Ties.” To conclude the episode’s final track, the trio — who have been releasing this radio show weekly for the past nine years — state, “finally some news just in.. Trance Around the World 450 will be the last ever Trance Around the World…bye for now.”
We’re not sure what this means for the future of Above & Beyond, their releases, or touring plans but we’ll keep you updated as more information comes in. The announcement marks the end of an era and is, for many, a hard pill to swallow. Click the jump for the full tracklist and audio of the episode.
In celebration of their one million Facebook fans milestone, Above & Beyond have released “Tokyo” as a free download. The delicate, orchestral production has pervaded their sets for quite some time, and was previously included on Anjunabeats Volume 9. This is not the first time Jono, Tony, and Paavo have generously rewarded their fans for their unfaltering support. Earlier this year, the trio gave away “Small Moments Like These” upon the culmination of their Group Therapy Tour. Pick up the free download of “Tokyo” below.
It was a crazy Tuesday in the world of music news, but we here at Dancing Astronaut don’t like to leave our readers hanging. That’s why we’re sharing the Best of the Rest — the stuff we didn’t get a chance to post earlier in the day, but think you should know about anyway. We’ve got a few new previews, some free material to download, and a few good articles from around the web. Follow along while we complete your daily dance music education with the Best of the Rest, for Tuesday July 10th, 2012.
Above & Beyond are just about ready to kick off part two of their Group Therapy North America tour, and we’ve been provided with some tickets to give away. One lucky DA reader will win a pair of tickets to their show at the Congress Theater on May 12th in the Windy City, Chicago. You’ll also win a signed poster from A+B to make the deal sweeter — as if seeing one of the biggest groups in trance wasn’t enough. To enter, all you need to do is hit the Punchtab giveaway below, and we’ll choose a winner by Wednesday at Midnight Eastern time. Don’t forget, you can still purchase tickets to upcoming Group Therapy events around the country through their Facebook page.
Last week we told you that Above & Beyond would be bringing their Group Therapy event back to Los Angeles, and now we have the details you’ve been waiting for. On Friday May 18th, Paavo, Jono, and Tony will take over Shrine Auditorium in LA for the event — a historical venue that the trio has never yet played in. Much like SHM’s “Originals” program, A&B will have a priority list to guarantee that the most devoted fans don’t get shut out like last year’s sellout show. Unlike SHM’s Originals plan, anyone can sign up at A&B’s Facebook page. Pre-sale tickets will be on sale Wednesday March 7th at 12PM PST, at which time the link will be sent out to those who sign up early. The hotly anticipated event is being hosted by Insomniac, who will also be hosting EDC New York that same weekend.
Anjunafans: get ready to party! Today, Above & Beyond will celebrate the 400th episode of their weekly radio show, Trance Around the World, in Beirut, Lebanon. In typical fashion, the British legends are putting on a hell of a show. The 8-hour trance extravaganza will feature performances from Gareth Emery, Kyau & Albert, Mat Zo, and Jaytech, as well as a 2-hour set from Above & Beyond themselves. For complete info and set times, click past the break. (more…)
What many seem to forget is that EDM was formed on the basis of eliciting emotion – something Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäki of Above & Beyond have not lost sight of.
The Music Video
Hot off the release of their newest album, Group Therapy, we found it only appropriate to revisit the stunning MV to “Sun & Moon,” one of this year’s biggest hits being been played by every single relevant DJ one can think of. The video’s bittersweet tone matches that of the song’s lyrics, gracefully walking you through the events of a man’s grief-stricken life; much the same way the best songs create a bond between the lyrics and composition, the video for “Sun & Moon” complements the song’s tone beautifully, almost enhancing the despair communicated through to the viewer. Anyone who has had their heart broken can and will relate to this video.
Disclaimer: Fanatics of uppity mindless live set footage that are inclined to comment on how “boring” this MV is beware – this video is not for you.
Be sure also to check out Above & Beyond’s dedicated Group Therapy podcast where the trio offer insight into the origins of each track on the new album. There is something here for hardcore DJs and casual listeners alike, so click below to get the full scoop on method behind the genius that is the current iTunes Dance Chart #1 album, Group Therapy. If you’re currently subscribed to the Trance Around The World podcast, this will already be sitting in your iTunes library.
Above & Beyond’s 34-date North American leg of the ‘Group Therapy’ tour came to an end this past weekend, but relive the magic with the above podcast and get ready go beyond your iPod – they will be back for Electric Zoo: New York’s Electronic Music Festival this September 2-4, 2011.
