Above & Beyond Getting Ramped in Miami Up For Upcoming New Album

Above & Beyond, composed of Paavo Siljamäki, Tony McGuinness, and Jono Grant, may very well be the modern definition of trance: Heartfelt music that is Sexy. As. F*ck.

We’ve been incredibly lucky to get regular doses of Above & Beyond here in the Pacific Northwest. Although heavy fog prevented the group from making it to Resolution in January, they were able to join us for not one, but two special performances at the Showbox SoDo in February. The only thing better than reminiscing about past Above & Beyond shows though is thinking about their second ever appearance at Paradiso this June.

Above & Beyond performing at Paradiso in 2012. Credit: oregonmusicnews.com

Above & Beyond has continually been celebrated for placing real musicianship and songwriting at the heart of what they do. While their well-known club mixes have resonated with the dance generation, the songs behind them have touched fans of all ages across the globe. Influenced as much by classical and folk as their deep love of electronic music, Above & Beyond’s songs and lyrics have been sung back to them at the world’s biggest stadiums and stages. Back in 2007, the talented trio even entertained a crowd upwards of one million people in Rio de Janiero for New Year’s Eve.

Given the group’s eclectic musical influences, it was no surprise seeing Above & Beyond’s stirring acoustic performances last year, along with the release of their studio album Acoustic, out January 28. In a recent interview with Billboard Magaznine, Paavo and Tony told us what to expect from Above & Beyond in 2014.

[quote style=”1″ author=”Above & Beyond”]We’re back in the studio now writing and producing what will be our fourth electronic album. I’d like to return to the acoustic thing if we can with the songs from the new album added into it.[/quote]

Also announced during their acoustic shows at Porchester Hall in June of last year was their third artist album set to release this year. Two months ago, Vocalists Alex Vargas and Justine Suissa were confirmed as collaborators on new material.

Last weekend at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Above & Beyond gave an incredible performance in a wild rain storm that fried all of the group’s equipment, causing outages in both video and audio feeds, ultimately forcing them to resort to backup equipment (not to mention having to turn away from the crowd and face the back of the stage to finish their set!).

That Ultra performance wasn’t just monumental proof of Above & Beyond’s willingness to battle the elements for their fans; it was also an incredible array of material, blending electronic and acoustic both new and old, hinting at the shape of the artist album to come. We were treated to several collaborations with the likes of German producer Jerome Isma-Ae, and fellow Brit Ilan Bluestone. Several songs also featured the voice of the newest Above & Beyond fixture Alex Vargas, including newly electrified Blue Sky Action and a beautiful acoustic rendition of Sun & Moon.

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