ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Above & Beyond - Group Therapy
Firmly established as the UK’s most popular DJ/producers, Above & Beyond are at a tipping point with the release of their second album ‘Group Therapy’. Selling out famed concert halls on both sides of the Atlantic (including solo shows at L.A.’s Hollywood Palladium and Brixton Academy), the globetrotting Anjunabeats bosses have maintained a relentless weekly gigging diary at the biggest dance events on the planet
The first single from the album, the synth-driven stadium dance of ‘Sun & Moon’ is hooking major props from dance music mogul Pete Tong and getting playlisted on BBC Radio 1 - topping both the iTunes Dance and Beatport Trance charts along the way. The success is the result of years of hard work for Above & Beyond, with a CV that includes performing to 1 million people on Barra Beach in Rio and soundtracking the launch of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo. Building up an unstoppable momentum in the past 12 months, the UK-based trio made their debut at the legendary Glastonbury festival last year and saw the 350th episode of their TATW radio show become the world’s top trending topic on social network Twitter in December.
Long respected as musicians of pedigree, Above & Beyond’s debut album ‘Tri State’ in 2006 was celebrated as “the fulfillment of any dance act’s ultimate album aspiration” in DJ Magazine’s 5/5 review. Unanimously praised, it transformed them from the standard-bearers of classy modern trance to genre-crossing electronic music greats.
Bringing Above & Beyond’s renowned blend of classic song-writing values and sleek electronic production into a contemporary context, their second album ‘Group Therapy’ will extend their appeal into the furthest reaches yet. Combining elements of trance 2.0, house, electronica and even modern classical, ‘Group Therapy’ is a complete listening experience that includes the bittersweet orchestral beauty of piano opener ‘Filmic’, the dark tale of edgy electronic-house anthem ‘Black Room Boy’ and the ambient electronica of ‘Sun In Your Eyes’ – a track which recalls ambient’s early-90s glory days of Global Communication, Pete Namlook et al.
With tales of loves lost, found and confused at ‘Group Therapy’s heart, highlights like ‘Alchemy’, ‘You Got To Go’ (both sung by former Faithless/Bent vocalist Zöe Johnston) and future single ‘Thing Called Love’ (feat. Richard Bedford) are the antithesis of throwaway club music – adding depth, meaning and classic songwriting values to an album destined to go down as one of electronic music’s classic moments.
Dimitri Kechagias review: It’s time to welcome in the beginning of the most anticipated season of the year, the most anticipated album of the year so far by the finest trance and not only UK group. Above and Beyond are back in full force and present their brand new high class and really eclectic album cleverly entitled “Group Therapy”. At this age that group therapy sessions are organized very often in order to support people in need, Above and Beyond offer their soundtrack for an unforgettable Group Therapy session in your favorite club or in your most lovable open air festival along with other like minded individuals. If you were expecting a full on clubbing album on the way that this trio rock the most known clubs all over the world it’s better to think twice as the trance masters decided to offer us a whole listening experience that includes ambient, electronica, trance, house and progressive in the best possible mixture and in a way that captures the prevailing sounds of 2011. It’s better to abandon any preconceptions and stereotypical way of thinking about Above and Beyond and allow yourself to get immersed and fully identify with each single track.
The album opens with a superb Filmic that as the title suggests it sounds like a soundtrack in your favorite movie. The perfect deep and moody sounds to set the right atmosphere and create the right state of mind for the rest of the tracks. Alchemy features the sensitive vocals by Zoë Johnston that is the main vocalist of the album along with Richard Bedford. Once again Zoe touch you deep and she delivers the lyrics in a very expressive way that is hard not to become one with her and identify with the situation that she sings about. Sun & Moon feat. Richard Bedford was the first single released from the album that manage to enter the B playlist of the most important and influential radio station in the world BBC Radio 1 in UK and the club mix reach the number 1 position at the Beatport trance chart. You Got To Go feat. Zoë Johnston is a deep mesmerizing vocal anthem that take you on wonderful melodic journey with techy parts and the well known driving euphoric melodies that we used to get from Above and Beyond.
Black Room Boy (vocals by Tony McGuinness and Richard Bedford) is definitely a surprising track that recalls the 80’s pop style from groups like New Order or Pet Shop Boys. This particular track signals a change in the direction that maybe the group thinks to follow in the coming years and bridge the world of trance with that one of pop. Giving It Out feat. Zoë Johnston is a short electronic groovy housey track with a difference for sure. On My Way To Heaven feat. Richard Bedford starts with a long intro where Richard delivers his exceptional vocal and along with the luscious strings and epic film like melody makes you imagine him sitting in a cloud and singing this exceptional melancholic and very sweet track. Prelude is a big room proglifting trancer with choir like vocals that we expect to see it released as a single soon that many trance fans will adore. It sounds like the track that can manage in just second to unite together the masses with plenty of hands in the air euphoria recalling classic A & B moments. Sun in Your Eyes is a blissful chill out lounge tune that will be first choice for any dj who will compile this year’s Café del Mar style compilation. Love is not Enough continues the groovy root with cheeky prog tech beats and Zoe offering her magic touch once again with a voice that is impossible to pass unnoticed and definitely is not your average trance diva. Every Little Beat feat. Richard Bedford starts on the ambient intro style and then goes all prog trance with an Ibiza summer Balearic style feel to it. While you listen you can imagine yourself having this in your i-pod and travelling with a boat towards your favorite Mediterranean island with dolphins popping up from the calm sea waters. Sweetest Heart is warm feel good trance with electronic elements performed once again perfectly from Zoe. Thing Called Love is the 2nd and current single taken from the album featuring Richard Bedford sings what people missing when they forget to express the thing that we all used to describe as Love. Only A Few Things is the final vocal track featuring once again Zoë Johnston singing upon a blissful ambient soundtrack like a fairy tale that comes to an end. Lastly Eternal closes the album in the best possible way in a very sensitive and fragile way tightening up our relation with Above and Beyond to last forever.
Overall Group Therapy is released on the most appropriate season as it has that Balearic feel to it. It’s for sure a very mature album that draws influences from variety of E.D.M genres with 80’s pop sensibilities merged them and worked them out in the finest possible way with a feel good and positive vibe that we all need during our summer holidays and the cold lonely winter nights. With this album we witness the transformation of Above and Beyond from a trance project into an EDM group similar to Faithless for instance. It’s a natural progression for them and we will be there by their side shouting and supporting them eternally.
Above and Beyond - Group Therapy Tracklisting
01. Filmic
02. Alchemy feat. Zoë Johnston
03. Sun & Moon feat. Richard Bedford
04. You Got To Go feat. Zoë Johnston
05. Black Room Boy (vocals by Tony McGuinness and Richard Bedford)
06. Giving It Out feat. Zoë Johnston
07. On My Way To Heaven feat. Richard Bedford
08. Prelude
09. Sun In Your Eyes
10. Love Is Not Enough feat. Zoë Johnston
11. Every Little Beat feat. Richard Bedford
12. Sweetest Heart feat. Zoë Johnston
13. Thing Called Love feat. Richard Bedford
14. Only A Few Things feat. Zoë Johnston
15. Eternal
Above and Beyond support the release of this album by hosting their own Group Therapy stage on many well known summer festivals including Tomorrowland in Belgium. The line up of their stage: Above & Beyond, Sander van Doorn, Jaytech, Cosmic Gate, Mat Zo, Daniel Kandi & Super8 & Tab
Visit for additional info: www.tomorrowland.be & www.facebook.com/tomorrowland.be
Additional info about Above and Beyond : www.aboveandbeyond.nu
www.anjunabeats.com
Below you can enjoy the promo video of the album and the podcast that Above and Beyond present the back stage story for each track of the album, sit back and enjoy your Group Therapy.
