If you’ve spent some time exploring the world of Electronic Dance Music, I’m sure you’ve come across the name Above & Beyond. If you’re a veteran in the scene then you understand the exploration that comes when you discover your favorite DJ trio has their own label, and how exhilarating it is to dive into the archives! I’ve been a loyal listener of Above & Beyond and all things Anjunabeats for roughly a decade now. The label and all things A&B were already in full swing by the time I joined the family. They’ve been home to over 700 incredible dance tracks over the last two decades. The label of Anjunabeats came to be in 2000 which means it’s about damn time we dove back into that archive of gold-laced gems.
Above & Beyond themselves have been cemented in Electronic Dance history for a hot minute now. Through their label, they’ve launched the careers of massive names in the Dance scene like Mat Zo, Andrew Bayer, and Seven Lions. Over the past twenty years, the sounds of Anjunabeats has exploded as a significant presence in the Trance world. Looking beyond what the three boys and their team of signed artists have to offer musically, they took it a step further by cultivating a worldwide community of like-minded music lovers. It’s near impossible to count all the different Anjuna based groups that have popped up across the various social media platforms. Some are geographically relevant, while others have grown to support specific artists under the Anjunabeats umbrella, but the message of Anjuna carries through all the spaces. For me, Anjuna has provided hope, confidence, excitement, support, opportunity, and true joy. To think I’m just one person who is a part of this international community blows me away at times. I feel connected to AnjunaFamily because they view the world with the same lens I do. With compassion, empathy, excitement, and fascination.
Moving into their 20th year, I’m sure we can assume the boys and the entire Anjunabeats team had a massive year in the works and were ready to stun with a summer-long celebration. With our fall bill of events still hanging in the balance, it’s uncertain if we will have the opportunity to reunite on the dancefloor during 2020. Thankfully, the boys of A&B have already given us a treat for our home dancefloors. You can now stream The Club Mix Collection featuring 24 essential A&B hits. This selection is available as the mixed, unmixed, and extended mix versions giving everyone access to their favorite way to enjoy.
Jono gave all of us in the Anjuna Family some wonderful news during the ABGT 382 show. He shared with us that Anjunabeats has carefully selected a group of 20 artists on its label to be given a key to the record vault. Anjuna is giving these artists an opportunity to show all of us eager listeners exactly how they connect with and admire all the different layers that encompass Anjunabeats. A&B and Anjuna have always been extremely intentional about the moves they make, both in the music they produce and the respect they give the artists signed to the label. They’re kicking off the bi-weekly “20 Years of Anjunabeats” feature mixes by handing the controls over to Oliver Smith, the first artist to ever be signed to Anjunabeats. His mix is available to stream now and it features a delicious selection of tracks from the vault. This feels like a unique opportunity to get a glimpse into the artistic mind of the DJs that have blossomed under the Anjuna label.
If the usual weekly Group Therapy sessions happening on Fridays at 7 P.M. BST and the bi-weekly “20 Years of Anjunabeats” artists mixes aren’t enough to keep you going, don’t you worry! Every Wednesday at 6 P.M. BST, Tony is treating us to a live stream via Twitch where he reconstructs the sets and radio shows that have defined Above & Beyond’s career so far. Tony has given us a recreation of the Group Therapy Weekender set from last summer, a few of the very first episodes of Trace Around The World, two of their BBC Radio Essential Mixes, one from 2004 and another from 2011, bringing it full circle by reconstructing the set from their debut gig in 2000 playing in Tokyo. I’m positively giddy thinking about all the incredible sets he may be revisiting over the coming weeks!! If you’re still craving more Anjuna in your life, your luck hasn’t run out! Jono has started a weekly broadcast, Anjunafamily, where he is counting down the best tracks of years gone by with a tracklist selected by our community. This is going down every Tuesday at 6 P.M. BST. You can be sure to catch all of the live streams happening at twitch.tv/anjuna and join in the year-long celebration of Anjunabeats!
With so much being announced for the label it’s hard to believe there is more to come but, of course, Anjuna is ready with a BIG bag of surprises. They’re going to be coming at you with more archive merchandise, deluxe catalog re-releases, and many more goodies to desire. You should absolutely keep your eyes out if you’re looking to expand your collection of Anjuna swag. I know I’ve been hunting down certain vinyl albums, so I’ve got high hopes I’m finally coming upon my chance to round out my collection.
“Our twentieth year certainly turned out to be a memorable one, didn’t it? We never saw that coming. But one of the many positive things to come out of Lockdown is that it’s given us, our family of artists, and our team in London a chance to reflect upon the incredible records we’ve been custodians of for the last twenty years. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’ll be looking back at the songs that brought this community together through the eyes of the artists that made them and played them.” – Above & Beyond
*Featured Images via Anjunabeats, Amelia Troubridge, and Insomniac*
