The name "Above & Beyond" was picked from a web-page stuck to the studio wall - while the bike waited outside to collect the Chakra ‘Home’ mix. A certain Jono Grant (no relation) was advertising his brand of motivational training on the web and our Jono had come across the page while surfing the net. The words "Above & Beyond" were across the top of the web page Jono had printed out, and seemed to fit perfectly with the aspirations of Jono, Paavo & Tony - better quality trance.
After Chakra, mixes for Aurora, Fragma and Delerium quickly followed and the success of these mixes put the boys in contention for a spec mix for Madonna in late 2000. Their mix of "What It Feels Like For a Girl" was such a hit in the Madonna camp that it produced the reaction "probably the best remix I have ever heard" from her management, and a request for another version to shoot the video to from Madonna and husband/director Guy Ritchie.
This unprecedented decision added serious weight to the Above & Beyond story, and soon the remix requests were coming in from all over the world. Most notable, perhaps, was their work with Japan's biggest pop star, Ayumi Hamasaki The Above & Beyond remix of her song "M" was picked to be the lead single to promote an album of remixes from a "who's who" of world producers, including Push and Ferry Corsten.
The release of their debut single "Far From In Love" confirmed their position at the top table of trance. A firm favourite with Judge Jules and Dave Pearce at Radio One, this big, sad song still raises the roof at Gatecrasher, Godskitchen and Passion.
On the DJ’ing front, Above & Beyond have performed regularly at Passion, Gatecrasher, Ministry of Sound and Godskitchen in the UK, as well as making frequent trips to Canada, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, Holland, Russia, Australia and New Zealand trio’s increasingly frequent gigs have provided the perfect opportunity to road test any new tunes made under their many production aliases (which also include: Nitromethane, Tranquility Base, POS, Aalto and Free State).
The boys have also recently returned to remixing, turning out a great twist on the international Number One Tomcraft's "Loneliness" for Ministy and another exciting Madonna remix after the boys were asked back to add their magic to "Nobody Knows Me". A remix swap with Gabriel & Dresden has also led to an Above & Beyond reworking of Motorcycle ‘As The Rush Comes’, one of the biggest club records of 2003.
Meanwhile Above & Beyond’s work with vocalist Justine Suissa - under their Oceanlab guise - has emerged as one of clubland’s favourite vocal trance acts, with 4 releases to date: Clear Blue Water, Sky Falls Down, Beautiful and forthcoming in 2004, Satellite.
In 2004, watch out for the new Above & Beyond single 'No One On Earth ', featuring a sublime vocal from the lovely Zoe Johnston, out in April and complete with a Gabriel & Dresden remix.
