![]() So we’ve naturally found ourselves at a crossing point. “And!” adds Paavo Siljamäki, the final third of this exuberant, savvy and brutally honest trio, “…everyone thought it was a Paul Oakenfold track ’cause he’d remixed it as well! But,” adds the Finn who met Grant at the University of Westminster where both were on music courses, “…the dance music scene has got much, much bigger and the sound that used to be called underground is a lot closer to the mainstream. “We thought we’d won the pools but no one saw it. “It’s got car crashes and everything,” laughs Tony McGuinness. We did remix Madonna, though…” In 2001 Above & Beyond were hired to create a club mix of “What It Feels Like For A Girl.” Then the video was banned by MTV. We’ve flirted with mainstream things, but we’ve not really gone all out. “It’s a case of we’ve built it very, very slowly, and we haven’t had massive career spikes. But they have that fanbase that they’ve built up over a long period of time, rather than going for a money shot and having the big-name vocalist,” he adds, referring to the default option of many a dance outfit that started off as “just” producers. Explaining the trio’s huge popularity-meets-curious obscurity, Jono Grant thinks, “it’s similar to a heavy metal band in that they they’re not on the radio so much. It’s with the summer-colored, electronic-soul epic “Blue Sky Action,” the secret is out. With the first single from their fourth album, Above & Beyond are ready for their close-up. To their fans, Above & Beyond are just the biggest band in the world. The band they’ve followed around club gigs, arena shows, American dance festivals, European rock festivals and parties from Bangalore to Beirut, from Branson’s rocket (they soundtracked the launch of Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two) to Brazil’s beaches (one million fans in Rio for New Year’s Eve ’07). Above & Beyond are not, to those fans, “The Biggest Band You’ve Never Heard Of.” They’re just their band. As artists they have sold a million records. There have been dozens (and dozens) of singles and mix albums and offshoot projects, all snapped up by a devoted worldwide fan base that has happily, passionately followed this London-based electronic trio since their formation in 2000. Their own labels, Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep, are among the most respected imprints in the global dance music scene and have released some twenty-three Above & Beyond albums and compilations in the last twelve years. They have released three studio albums, two remix albums, one side-project album. Their radio show, recently renamed Group Therapy, has broadcast over 500 episodes since 2004 and reaches 30 million listeners in 35 countries – every week. In the U.S., they’ve sold out Madison Square Garden and The Hollywood Palladium, the latter more quickly than any act in history. In the U.K., they’ve sold out London’s Alexandra Palace. The story is a simple one: Above & Beyond are the biggest band you’ve never heard of.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |