Above & Beyond are by far my favorite EDM/Trance group.
Consisting of Jono Grant, Paavo Siljamaki, and Tony McGuinness, Above & Beyond have quickly risen to the top of the EDM heap.
The trio have also released recordings under various nom de plumes, most notably Tranquility Base and of course, OceanLab.
Although the trio only have 3 artist albums as of this writing, all are must-haves for the serious EDM/Trance fans.
In addition to their artist album releases, they also mix and release a compilation album series for their self-owned Anjunabeats label.
These compilations feature songs from top trance producers, including many in the Anjunabeats stable, such as Mat Zo, Boom Jinx, Super8 & Tab, Arty, and many others.
So far they've produced 9 volumes in the Anjunabeats compilation series, and they occasionally drop an original track or two of their own on these albums.
Since I can safely say that there isn't an A&B track I don't like, this short list was extremely difficult to arrive at.
However, here they are: 5.
Anjunabeach (Anjunabeats Vol.
7) This track is just such a fun one.
What I really like about it is the way A&B forms and controls the energy curve; a long smooth buildup into the break, and then a long smooth buildup from the break into the final section and outro.
Favorite moments:
) 4.
If I Could Fly (Sirens Of The Sea) This song was released under another moniker that A&B uses when they collaborate with vocalist Justine Suissa: OceanLab.
Sirens of the Sea is OceanLab's debut album, although they've had success with the release of the single Satellite.
Every track on this album is good, but I think this one is the best, and deserves the #4 spot in this list.
Favorite moment: 3:00.
Nice smooth chord progression in the bridge section.
3.
Hope (Tri-State) The first song I heard from A&B's debut artis album Tri-State was the title track, Tri-State, a superb downtempo/ambient piano/pad introduction.
And based on that 30-second clip, I bought the whole thing.
Again, every track on this album is fantastic, but Hope gets the #3 spot.
Others might stick Air For Life or World On Fire here, but for me the title of this track and how it makes me feel when I listen to it are what made me put it here.
For whatever reason, I do feel hopeful when I hear it.
Favorite moment.
0:01 (no joke).
The piano bit introduced here is used throughout, and its great.
2.
You Got To Go (Group Therapy) From A&B's sophomore effort Group Therapy, this song deserves #2 for several reasons; here are a couple of them.
First, listen to the lyrics.
In today's musical landscape, there are just not enough songs that carry positive and uplifting messages.
You Got To Go does.
Second, that message is delivered in an irresistible package; driving bass, infectious beats, and soaring pads.
True, there are other absolutely wonderful tracks on this album...
well, all the rest of them, really, but You Got To Go is my favorite.
Favorite moment: 1:30.
This line in the chorus -- "You gotta know that the sky belongs to no one.
" 1.
TIE: Good For Me and Home (Tri-State) One of the things that makes Above & Beyond my favorite Trance group is that their writing is so full of emotion, and what a song means to the listener during and after they've listened to it for the first time.
That said, these two songs from Tri-State are co-#1 songs.
Both evoke deep feelings I have for those I love.
Zoe Johnston does the amazing vocal work in Good For Me, and Carrie Skipper does an equally laudable vocal performance on Home.
And both of these tracks have fantastic club remixes that shouldn't be missed, either.
Good For Me favorite moment: Zoe Johnston's vocal performance -- the whole thing.
Home favorite moment: 2:16.
Again, this is a piano entrance, and I'm a sucker for piano.
(Trivia corner: Yeah, I use these two songs as ringtones as well: Good For Me for when my wife calls from her cell phone, and Home for when someone from my home calls.
) There are so many excellent A&B songs to choose from, it was quite difficult coming up with this top 5 best songs.
It's a rare thing when every track on an artist's album is great, but that's really the case with Tri-State, Sirens Of The Sea, and Group Therapy.
Consisting of Jono Grant, Paavo Siljamaki, and Tony McGuinness, Above & Beyond have quickly risen to the top of the EDM heap.
The trio have also released recordings under various nom de plumes, most notably Tranquility Base and of course, OceanLab.
Although the trio only have 3 artist albums as of this writing, all are must-haves for the serious EDM/Trance fans.
In addition to their artist album releases, they also mix and release a compilation album series for their self-owned Anjunabeats label.
These compilations feature songs from top trance producers, including many in the Anjunabeats stable, such as Mat Zo, Boom Jinx, Super8 & Tab, Arty, and many others.
So far they've produced 9 volumes in the Anjunabeats compilation series, and they occasionally drop an original track or two of their own on these albums.
Since I can safely say that there isn't an A&B track I don't like, this short list was extremely difficult to arrive at.
However, here they are: 5.
Anjunabeach (Anjunabeats Vol.
7) This track is just such a fun one.
What I really like about it is the way A&B forms and controls the energy curve; a long smooth buildup into the break, and then a long smooth buildup from the break into the final section and outro.
Favorite moments:
- 1:13.
It's all hands on deck here with a full complement of rhythm, bass, and pads.
I particularly like the bass rhythm here.
It does an excellent job of driving the energy of this section.
1:13 is also the last 8 bars before the break, so here's where the aforementioned buildup transitions smoothly into a nice, ethereal breakdown. - 4:36.
The piano.
I am a sucker for piano in EDM (since that's my instrument as well).
Here A&B recapitulate the theme they introduced during the breakdown.
Oh yeah.
) 4.
If I Could Fly (Sirens Of The Sea) This song was released under another moniker that A&B uses when they collaborate with vocalist Justine Suissa: OceanLab.
Sirens of the Sea is OceanLab's debut album, although they've had success with the release of the single Satellite.
Every track on this album is good, but I think this one is the best, and deserves the #4 spot in this list.
Favorite moment: 3:00.
Nice smooth chord progression in the bridge section.
3.
Hope (Tri-State) The first song I heard from A&B's debut artis album Tri-State was the title track, Tri-State, a superb downtempo/ambient piano/pad introduction.
And based on that 30-second clip, I bought the whole thing.
Again, every track on this album is fantastic, but Hope gets the #3 spot.
Others might stick Air For Life or World On Fire here, but for me the title of this track and how it makes me feel when I listen to it are what made me put it here.
For whatever reason, I do feel hopeful when I hear it.
Favorite moment.
0:01 (no joke).
The piano bit introduced here is used throughout, and its great.
2.
You Got To Go (Group Therapy) From A&B's sophomore effort Group Therapy, this song deserves #2 for several reasons; here are a couple of them.
First, listen to the lyrics.
In today's musical landscape, there are just not enough songs that carry positive and uplifting messages.
You Got To Go does.
Second, that message is delivered in an irresistible package; driving bass, infectious beats, and soaring pads.
True, there are other absolutely wonderful tracks on this album...
well, all the rest of them, really, but You Got To Go is my favorite.
Favorite moment: 1:30.
This line in the chorus -- "You gotta know that the sky belongs to no one.
" 1.
TIE: Good For Me and Home (Tri-State) One of the things that makes Above & Beyond my favorite Trance group is that their writing is so full of emotion, and what a song means to the listener during and after they've listened to it for the first time.
That said, these two songs from Tri-State are co-#1 songs.
Both evoke deep feelings I have for those I love.
Zoe Johnston does the amazing vocal work in Good For Me, and Carrie Skipper does an equally laudable vocal performance on Home.
And both of these tracks have fantastic club remixes that shouldn't be missed, either.
Good For Me favorite moment: Zoe Johnston's vocal performance -- the whole thing.
Home favorite moment: 2:16.
Again, this is a piano entrance, and I'm a sucker for piano.
(Trivia corner: Yeah, I use these two songs as ringtones as well: Good For Me for when my wife calls from her cell phone, and Home for when someone from my home calls.
) There are so many excellent A&B songs to choose from, it was quite difficult coming up with this top 5 best songs.
It's a rare thing when every track on an artist's album is great, but that's really the case with Tri-State, Sirens Of The Sea, and Group Therapy.