Is there any act in electronic music quite like Above & Beyond? Songwriters, musicians, producers of forward-thinking club anthems and curators of a label responsible for nurturing talents such as Dusky and Mat Zo, Above & Beyond aka Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki have set themselves even further from the pack in the past 12 months.
Recently announced as the first British DJs to headline Madison Square Garden, Above & Beyond picked up their instruments and performed two acoustic shows at LA's iconic Greek Theatre last October, before returning to the UK for a sold out DJ show at London's Alexandra Palace - broadcast to 20 plus million people via their globally syndicated Group Therapy show. The end result? Two weekends, three headline shows, 20,000 tickets and a #1 Twitter trending topic.
The band's first vocal single of 2014, "Sticky Fingers" (feat. Alex Vargas) is a unique, festival-ready anthem that brings together all that Above & Beyond do best in one deliciously dark hit.
Owing more to Depeche Mode and Coldplay than it does to what commonly gets termed EDM, "Sticky Fingers" opens with a mesmerising piano line, before Alex Vargas's haunting Jeff Buckley-esque vocals tap into the anxiety within a relationship's immediate break-up - and the psychological hold of a recent ex. Climaxing in a suckerpunch riff that recalls the intense energy of the band's recent club smash "Hello" (Danny Howard Future Anthem - BBC Radio 1) but hits with a much darker and edgier vibe, "Sticky Fingers" manages to sound like no-one else around right now.
With a packed summer season and a new album in motion, Above & Beyond will be performing at UK festivals Glastonbury, SW4 (mainstage headliners), Creamfields, V Festival and T In The Park - as well as Spain's legendary Benicàssim.
Having become a regular fixture on Group Therapy radio, American producer Pierce Fulton makes his label debut with an electro tinted twist that keeps the deep musicality at its heart.
Having become a regular fixture on Group Therapy radio, American producer Pierce Fulton makes his label debut with an electro tinted twist that keeps the deep musicality at its heart.
Pierce Fulton remix included on the latest Group Therapy radio show
Dimitri Kechagias review: Finally the waiting time has ended. After the exceptional instrumental club bombs the legendary trio from London is back with a vocal anthem that is absolutely stunning and on the high class level we always expect from them away from the obvious. Above & Beyond challenge their listeners and offer thought provoking tracks like their breathtaking Sticky Fingers featuring on vocals the uprising highly talented Alex Vargas who impressed us all with his performance at the Above & Beyond acoustic concert. Sticky Fingers is an emotional progressive trancer with groovy housey beats, electro inspired edgy basslines and slightly distorted synthy lead at the top that drive the track forward plus hints of the vocal. The track builds up intensively until to land on the fantastic breakdown. The romantic melancholic piano melody appears to support Alex hair raising theatrical performance that sounds so expressive that you feel that you are part of the story he sings about and so it's not uncommon to observe some clubbers cry along as they recall personal moments that they have passed through in their relationships. The pay off moment comes on the huge drop that is bouncy, demanding, dominating, bone cracking and explosive to say the least. Powerful moment that the crowd actually gets the relief is waiting for from the breakdown that anxiety and darkness was prevailing. The climax is the moment that we feel confident and dynamic to continue our lives away from people who attempt to put their sticky fingers in our minds and change our views. Its liberating, exciting and fantastic climax with that electro synthy lead working subconsciously and without being overtly euphoric! The first additional remix comes from the hands of super talented Lane 8 who is highly appreciated in the deephouse /deep progressive house scene and is considered to be one of the biggest hopes in the electronic dance music scene. His version is stunning and perfect for deep house or even deep trance sets as an intro track. Deep haunting basslines and techy kicks create the bubbly relentlessly repeated groove along with warm hair raising strings and cool synthy layers. Dark and moody cinematic dreamy atmosphere characterise his remix that seems to be the perfect eclectic soundscape for Alex Vargas breathtaking performance to fit perfectly and bring tears in our eyes. Lane 8 as this remix proves has very bright future ahead of him and he deserved it. Pierce Fulton from Brooklyn USA transforms the instant classic original into a very powerful, dynamic, sharp,edgy and noisy epic prog house meets electro house version that will excite the big summer festival crowds and will widen the appeal of the single in a whole new audience. Rough and punchy in your face drops followed by melancholic moody and absolutely unforgetable vocals along with the classy piano melody! If you play mainstage set this summer you can not afford to be with this mega hit in your cd case! #PureGold Love iT
Additional info:
http://www.aboveandbeyond.nu/
http://www.facebook.com/aboveandbeyond
http://twitter.com/aboveandbeyond
https://www.facebook.com/alexvargasofficial
http://facebook.com/lane8music
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