Above & Beyond: From 0 to 300
In the world of trance music, Paavo Siljamäki, Tony McGuinness, and Jono Grant, better known as Above and Beyond, are among the leading artists.
Therapy, by any use of the word, is frowned upon, however Above and Beyond have managed to turn the negative connotation into a positive and beloved one; an experience that their fans can never forget. Group therapy provides a environment of love and acceptance that extends past the duration of their sets and bleeds into their fans everyday lives.
With the release of their studio album Group Therapy in 2011, which featured favorites like Thing Called Love along with Sun and Moon, Above and Beyond realized this name was a better representation of the type of experience they wanted to provide to listeners and live audiences. This in turn prompted the name change in 2012 of their long time show Trance Around the World to Group Therapy. Since the radio show’s new branding, Group Therapy has reached 300 shows, with a milestone celebration that was held in Hong Kong on September 29,2018.
Being a long time fan of Above and Beyond and traveling to see them in different locations, I’ve always been asked how I can attend multiple shows for the same artist and the answer is simple... the music. I’ve always been able to relate to it in some level and as cliché as it sounds, it’s inspired me and gotten me through difficult times. I can go as far as saying as I’ve been able to recommend certain songs to friends as well for different points of their life and everyone has come back praising the recommendations for hitting so close to home. Being in a crowd at one of their shows, is like being among family; there is so much love present and it truly is a magical experience. There’s something to be said about artists who can bring an entire arena of people to tears during a single set.
Besides the music, their visuals or visual display projected during their set also have a way of uniting the crowd and adding to the feel good mood. They can remind us to love one another, remember that life really is made up of small moments, and keep those that we’ve lost in our hearts. Not to mention that besides being dj’s, the trio has also performed acoustic shows of their beloved club tracks, bringing back to the roots in which they are first created.
It may be a biased opinion, but I think everyone should give their music a listen, even if it’s just one song. If you don’t know where to begin, although it is not their first album, I suggest starting with Group Therapy (link provided below), since it is the start of what has amassed into a community of love and support.
As a note to this trance trio…Thank you Above and Beyond for what you do for your fans and with your music. You truly are a treasure in the music industry.
