Grammy-nominated electronic act Above & Beyond are due to showcase their latest anthology of their Anjunabeats series this Thursday, in a live pop-up gathering in London. ‘Anjunabeats Volume 17’ boasts 35 new mixes across its two discs, and will be the first works from the series to be pressed to vinyl.
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The London-based trio of DJs Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki have been producing a diverse assortment of electronic music for over 25 years, and are the founders of EDM labels Anjunabeats, Anjunadeep and Anjunachill. As Above & Beyond, they earned nominations for the Grammy Best Dance Recording category in 2016 with ‘We’re All We Need’ featuring Zoë Johnston, and in 2018 for ‘Northern Soul’ featuring Richard Bedford. Following on from the success of their fourth album ‘Common Ground’ debuting at third on the US’s Billboard Hot 200 chart, their fifth album ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ took them on a massive US amphitheatre tour, bringing their Anjunabeats sound to over 130,000 fans.
The last issue of the series, ‘Anjunabeats Volume 16’ released on the Anjunabeats label in 2022, with ‘Volume 17’ set to contain more of the progressive trance and house that Above & Beyond are so well known for, plus features from a range of emerging talents that are actively shaping the club scene. A press release from Anjunabeats describes the story behind the latest mix, saying “following the release of Bigger Than All Of Us, it felt important for this next chapter to celebrate the artists that make Anjunabeats such an exciting label to be a part of. Volume 17 includes music from artists we’ve worked with for years as well as new faces representing the future of the label.”
The 35-track compendium was curated at Above & Beyond’s London studio, and is split into two discs with branching styles – from a statement: “Disc One explores a deeper, progressive palette – from tribal grooves to ‘90s trance nostalgia,” while “Disc Two captures the high-energy Anjunabeats sound built for festival moments around the world.” The lead single from the release, ‘When I Look In Your Eyes’, features vocals from long-time collaborator Justine Suissa, and carries that live festival-feel of Disc Two with its club-ready pulses and pounding beats. The trio played it to 15,000 fans at their Group Therapy 600 set in Mexico City, with it fast becoming one of their most popular tracks.
To celebrate the release of ‘Anjunabeats Volume 17’, Above & Beyond will be performing a special pop-up evening at 26 Leake Street in London this Thursday, the 28th of May. It’s set to be a deeply-intimate, sweaty affair, capturing the boiler-room style live energy that EDM is so well suited to. The whole evening will be recorded, starting with a set by J Ribbon from 7PM to 8PM, and followed-up by Above & Beyond playing the new music from ‘Volume 17’ from 8PM to 11PM. Tickets for the pop-up are only available to ticket-holders for Above & Beyond’s Silverworks Island show on Friday the 3rd of July.
‘When I Look In Your Eyes’ featuring Justine Suissa is out now, while ‘Anjunabeats Volume 17’ releases on Friday the 5th of June. Digital pre-orders are available exclusively on the Anjuna Music Store, and physical versions will be released as a CD, and for the first time a 2-disc vinyl sampler featuring 12 tracks hand-picked by Above & Beyond. Tickets for their Silverworks Island show in July are available here, and if you’re lucky you can grab a ticket for their pop-up this Thursday too.
