Above & Beyond (band)

Above & Beyond began in London in 2000 as a production partnership between Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäki.¹ Grant and Siljamäki had already been working together, while McGuinness joined the project after introducing the others to a remix opportunity. Their early work drew on trance structures, melodic synthesizers, and extended dance-floor arrangements, but the trio gradually developed a more song-oriented sound.

The group’s name became closely linked with Anjunabeats, the label established by Grant and Siljamäki and later run with the wider Above & Beyond team.² Anjuna functioned both as a record company and as a community around progressive and trance music, releasing the trio’s records alongside music by other producers. Above & Beyond also worked through side projects such as OceanLab, a collaboration with singer Justine Suissa.

Above & Beyond’s albums trace a movement from club-focused trance toward expansive electronic pop and acoustic performance. The studio album Tri-State established the group’s album format in 2006, followed by Group Therapy in 2011, We Are All We Need in 2015, and Common Ground in 2018.³ These records combine programmed rhythms with prominent vocals, piano, strings, and lyrics concerned with separation, recovery, memory, and collective experience.

The trio has also made the contrast between electronic production and live instrumentation a central part of its catalogue. Acoustic and Acoustic II reinterpreted selected songs with singers and chamber-style arrangements, while Flow State presented largely instrumental material intended for relaxation and reflection.¹ This range helped the group reach listeners beyond the conventional trance audience without abandoning its club foundations.

Above & Beyond built its reputation through a participatory live culture as much as through recorded releases. The trio’s performances often combine long-form DJ sets, visual production, guest vocalists, and messages displayed for the audience; fans commonly submit personal dedications that become part of the event itself. The approach turns a dance performance into a shared ritual rather than a sequence of songs.

Its broadcast platform, Group Therapy Radio, developed from the earlier program Trance Around the World and became a major channel for new music, guest mixes, and announcements.¹ Group Therapy-branded events have included large-scale milestones such as ABGT 100 at Madison Square Garden and ABGT 250 in Amsterdam.⁴ The associated events and label showcases have helped connect international club scenes that might otherwise remain separate.

Several less prominent features explain the group’s unusually durable identity. The name OceanLab refers to the trio’s project with Justine Suissa, whose vocal performances became especially influential among trance listeners. The group has also released music under or alongside related Anjuna projects, making its discography broader than the Above & Beyond name alone suggests.

Another distinctive detail is the coexistence of two careers: the trio remains a touring electronic act, yet its catalogue includes acoustic rearrangements and ambient-oriented music that are not designed primarily for clubs.³ Its label activities, radio programming, fan dedications, and festival-scale gatherings form an ecosystem around the music. Consequently, Above & Beyond is often discussed not only as a recording act but also as a particularly organized example of electronic-music fandom and artist-led community building.

Anjunabeats

A record label founded by Jono Grant and Paavo Siljamäki and associated with trance, progressive, and melodic electronic music.

Group Therapy Radio

Above & Beyond’s radio and podcast program, developed from the earlier Trance Around the World broadcast.

OceanLab

A collaborative project involving Above & Beyond and vocalist Justine Suissa.

Trance

A form of electronic dance music commonly characterized by repetitive four-on-the-floor rhythms, melodic development, and extended arrangements.