I was fortunate enough to get access to Above & Beyond’s only WMC performance this year. They’re currently on tour supporting their recently released album We Are All We Need and Miami’s show wasn’t set at one of the cramped, lavish ultra clubs, but at Mana Wynwood – a raw, scaled down sound stage that made the perfect party backdrop.
A&B has been one of my favorite EDM acts since I first discovered them through OceanLab’s Sirens of the Sea in 2008. Their production qualities are second-to-none and given that Jono, Tony and Paavo have been at it for fifteen years and were all musicians for a long time prior to that, their experience and chemistry translates to elements of musicality that seem to be more the exception than the rule these days.
From Group Therapy to the astounding Acoustic album to their latest We Are All We Need and all the podcasts and remixes in between, they’ve always had a knack for making and mixing music that tugs at the heart strings, takes you on an emotional journey and delivers an enjoyable, uplifting listening experience.
Also on the lineup were friends and Anjunabeats artists 16 Bit Lolitas, Lane 8, Fehrplay, Seven Lions, Ilan Bluestone and Super 8 & Tab.
Unfortunately Mana was a bit behind and doors weren’t opened till 10:45. Dom Donnelly, who handles A&R for Anjunadeep, was practically finished by the time people started flowing in. 16 Bit Lolitas and Lane 8 took over at 11 PM and double-teamed the decks. They worked well together, dropping a collaborative mix of slow tech and deep house that got the crowd moving.
Fehrplay was up next. He’s been putting out some solid remixes and original productions that have worked their way into podcasts and earned him a spot on a few guest mixes, including A&B’s Group Therapy and BBC’s Radio 1. You can get a taste of Fehrplay and a free download here:
The tempo started to pick up and Mana began to swell to capacity as the remainder of the 6,000+ sellout crowd trickled in, anticipating Above and Beyond taking the stage shortly to begin their two hour set.
At 1 AM on the dot Tony and Jono hopped on, much to the delight of their Miami faithful, who welcomed them with screams, cheers, raised hands and signs begging the duo to pick them to push the button.
I’ve seen A&B a handful of times in different venues and Mana was hands down my favorite and everything a rave should be – a huge open warehouse with a crisp, clean sound system, fun lights and some of the best, most passionate fans any group could ask for. I digress.
They played a great blend of familiar classics including “Alchemy”, “Black Room Boy” and “Thing Called Love” from Group Therapy (one of my favorite albums of all time), while working in a few throwbacks like “Alone Tonight” off Tri-State and remixes like their take on New Order’s “Blue Monday”.
They’re on tour for a reason though and that’s to promote their new release We Are All We Need, so they selected a few great tracks from the album to highlight including “Sticky Fingers”, “Counting Down the Days”, the eponymous “We Are All We Need” and “Blue Sky Action”, who’s futuristic video you can watch right here:
Above and Beyond has one tour date left at Hakkasan in Vegas and will return to Vegas in June to perform at the Wet Republic Ultra Pool. Short of that you’d have to travel internationally to see them any time soon, but it’d be worth the trip.
