English trio Above and Beyond have spent a career delicately developing a sound that has paved the way for what is essentially its own subgenre within trance music. Today, they anniversary that progress with the release of Anjunabeats Volume 10, the tenth compilation in their masterfully mixed Anjunabeats collection. Made up of Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäki, the group has come a long way to get to this point. Starting in the late 1990's producing under the same namesake as their music label, Grant and Siljamäki worked under multiple different pseudonyms until finally linking up with record executive McGunness and settling on the inspirational tag name Above & Beyond.
Celebrating other artists that have helped make their label and its subsidiaries so successful and recognizable, Anjunabeats Volume 10 is two discs that if this is your first time listening to this type of music, will make you understand why the label has gathered such a following. The first disc really works to stick to the classic sound of the Anjunabeats label: euphoric, soothing sounds.
With multiple appearances from the guys themselves both in original mixes and remixes, the The trio has had a monumental past few months: being voted by DJ Magazine's readers to the 8th spot on their poll, ending their popular Trance Around the World radio show after 450 episodes, they launched the new and updated vision for their radio show entitled Group Therapy. And after hosting a hugely anticipated launch party at Roseland Ballrom in New York City, Anjunabeats Volume 10 finally gets released today.
I personally am more drawn to the second disc of this album. While keeping the sound we know them best for as a starting point, the energy is kicked up a notch and we get a little glimpse into what the harder sounds of Anjunabeats look like. After a few listens to the album in full, I made one conclusion: this compilation is made to be listened to in one piece. While it's nice to have some stellar tunes in iTunes to listen to whenever you want, the real impact of Anjunabeats Volume 10 comes from the feeling of each track juxtaposed against one another. It's exciting, and after a full listen we are left with a full understanding of what Above & Beyond is all about.
Now with the release of the tenth album celebrating their work and their talented partners, the Anjunabeats team is gearing up for a serious trip down south for Miami Music Week. With a lineup that includes a main stage appearance on Friday of weekend 1 of Ultra Music Festival and their own exclusive pool party the next day, we can expect big things from the guys during the biggest time of year for their music. Check out the lineup below for the Anjunabeats Pool Party and click here to get tickets for the show.
Above & Beyond
Anjunabeats Volume 10
