Interview: Above & Beyond
21st February 2012
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In the world of trance there is no argument that Above & Beyond are in the big leagues. Need proof, the group were placed number five in the world in DJ magazine’s Top 100 DJ Poll in 2011.
TNS caught up with the group before their UK tour.
What differentiates an Above & Beyond show from other electronic shows?
Hopefully we connect with the audience both personally and through the visual aspect of our show, and of course the most important thing – the music.
Your sets are famous for their visual interactivity with the crowd, do you plan these before the event or is it very much live on the night?
A mixture of both planned and off the cuff. Obviously the more intricate video aspects are planned as they need to be created before the show. I think it’s important to keep things a little spontaneous too to keep it interesting for us.
What technology is exciting you at the moment, are you thinking of integrating any new technology into your UK Tour?
We are constantly integrating new technology into the show as and when it becomes available and feels appropriate for us. However, we always feel that the ideas should come first rather than just using new technology for the sake of it.
You’ve just sold out Brixton academy and announced a second night, are you doing anything different for the second night?
We have a different line-up on the 2nd night and will play some music that we didn’t get to play on the first night, but the main reason for doing the 2nd show is for those who missed out on the first. That said, some hardcore fans seem to have bought tickets for both which is pretty cool!
You've also announced a tour of North America; electronic music is becoming massive over there, what's the American clubbing crowd like?
The American crowd is one of the best in the world to play to. Electronic music has certainly taken off over there in a big way, particularly in the pop area, so it’s nice to go there and hopefully do something a bit different from that.
You recently won Essential Mix of the Year taking the crown for a second time. How did you go about putting the winning mix together?
We spent a few months obtaining the best material we could – having time to do this is the key. Then it’s a case of seeing what will fit to tell the story you want to tell. We also collected a lot of spoken voice quotes to pepper the mix with. Doing an Essential Mix is always a great opportunity to do something different, and I think it’s one of the few things at Radio 1 that has retained such prestige over the years thanks to Pete Tong’s involvement.
You also came 19th in Mixmag's poll to find the Greatest Dance Act of all Time among the Prodigy, Daft Punk and Plastikman to name a few, how did you react when you found out? Have any of the acts in the poll inspired you as a group?
I consider all these poll results outcomes of what you do, and consequently try not to focus on the outcome too much, but that said it’s always nice to do well in them of course! Certainly Daft Punk for me are one of, if not the greatest dance act of all time, so I would have to say yes – I’m personally definitely heavily inspired by them. Their Homework album is one of the most influential dance albums of all time I think.
Judge Jules will be leaving Radio 1 soon, do you think this is a sign that the electronic sound is changing?
Judge Jules is one of those people who has remained true to himself over the years, side-lining himself from the politics that exist in any industry, which can only be commendable. I don’t think Jules leaving Radio 1 signifies any change in the sound of electronic music as such – he has had a great run at Radio 1 and I’m sure they like to mix things up once in a while as with any form of media. Nothing lasts forever, though he will be missed.
What differentiates an Above & Beyond show from other electronic shows?

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