Everything you need to know about the band Above and Beyond
Above and Beyond are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of the past two decades. The trio make electronic music and are made up of British DJs and record producers Juno Grant, Paavo Siljamäki and Tony McGuiness. They also own their own EDM labels called Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep.
At first, they kicked off their career doing remixes for high-profile songs like Madonna’s popular hit, What It Does To A Girl, but soon broke into the mainstream music industry. Many of their songs have been certified hits and topped the UK and US music charts. They are the first UK DJs to sell out the iconic Madison Square Garden. They also sold the Hollywood Palladium and London’s Alexandra Palace.
The main genre of the band is trance, progressive house and big room house; over the years, they have captivated many listeners around the world. They became famous overnight in the underground music scene. Their very first feature attracted a massive audience of 8,000 people. A few years later, over a million fans gathered in Rio de Janeiro to see them perform at a New Year’s concert. Above and Beyond also aired a radio show called Trance around the world. Given their massive fan base, it’s no surprise that the show has managed to reach an audience of 30 million since it first aired in 2004.
As you would expect from a musical group of this caliber, there are many questions people have about Above and Beyond. From detailed descriptions of each member’s life to their professional lives and other useful facts, below are answers to most frequently asked questions about these guys.
Who is the musical group above and beyond?
Jono Grant
Jono Grant is one-third of the world’s leading music group, Above and Beyond. He was born and raised in Britain where he learned to play the piano classically. He started composing some of his own music, then he went to college to study business and music production. It was at university that he met his next partner and friend, Paavo Siljamäki.
Paavo Siljamaki
Paavo Olavi Siljamäki is a trance and dance musician from Finland. He is the second member of Above and Beyond. It is said that Paavo became interested in music after his parents brought home a piano when he was five years old. He quickly learned to play the piano and the cello. As his passion for music soared, it was only a matter of time before he started making music with computers. By the age of 15, he had composed his very first musical. He attended Finland’s top-rated music high school, Sibelius Lukio, then moved to England where he graduated with a degree in music business from West Minister University. He met Jono Grant while he was in college. They bonded over their love for EDM and decided to form a band called Anjunabeats, which later became the name of their label. His first single,Remember (Summer Sun) became a recognized anthem, as did her second single, Gravity.
Tony McGuiness
The third member of Above and Beyond, TonyMcGuiness plays guitar for Sad Lovers & Giants, an English indie band. Tony also had a very lucrative and successful career as Marketing Director for Warner Music Group; he received awards for several of his campaigns. While working with Warner, he transitioned from alternative rock to EDM. Tony later created a band with his brother called Nitromethane, the band is known to have made electronic dance music.
As fate would have it, Tony was asked to do a remix of Chakra Accueil, so he sought out Anjunabeats to collaborate with them on the project. The remix proved to be an instant hit upon release, and Tony, Paavo and Jono decided to form a new band consisting of all three. This marked the birth of the music group Above and Beyond.
Their professional achievements
The newly formed band returned to work, creating a remix for Madonna’s What It Feels Like for a Girl, which was released in 2000 to acclaim from all walks of life. Offers started pouring in from labels and artists looking for remixes. They remixed songs like Ordinary World by Aurora, Whenever You Need Me by Fragma, In Town by Adamski, Nobody Knows Me by Madonna, Everytime by Britney Spears, Sand in My Shoes by Dido, and The Sound of Goodbyeby Perpetual Dreamer. The success of these tracks cemented their growing reputation as one of the best vocal remixers in the world. As their fame grew, they became regulars at some of the world’s biggest music festivals, delighting thousands of fans with their performances.
In 2004, Above and Beyond released their single titled Nobody On Earth, featuring Zoe Johnston singing. It was voted one of the best tracks of the year.
The trio released their debut album, Three States in 2006 and it was widely hailed as a brilliant effort. A number of songs from the album, including Air for Life, Alone Tonight I Can’t Sleep, and Home, garnered two awards. On New Year’s Eve 2007, they headlined their biggest show in Barra Beach, Rio de Janeiro, with around a million people in attendance.
Above and Beyond showcased at Virgin Galactic’s launch of SpaceShipTwo in the Mojave Desert. The event was hosted by Sir Richard Branson and had prominent figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger on the guest list.
The eclectic musical group released their second album, Group Therapy on June 6, 2011 to critical acclaim, reaching No. 1 on the iTunes Dance Album charts. It was hailed Artist Album of the Year by Mixmag. While Billboard called the official album single, Sun Moon,the saddest dance music song of all time, DJ Magazine described the trio as “the greatest DJ/production collective the UK has ever produced”. The band toured to promote the album and continued to headline or perform at dance music festivals. They celebrated the 50th episode of Group Therapy Radio – their 500th overall radio show – at Alexandria Palace, London. The show was also broadcast live.
In 2014, Above and Beyond celebrated the 100th group therapy radio show at Madison Square Garden, which completely sold out the venue. They played for two hours, debuting unreleased music from their soon-to-be-released third album, We Are Us All We Need
The group released the singles, Tightrope, My Own Hymn, Northern Soul, and Always in 2017, as a prequel to their fourth album, Common Ground, which was later released on January 26 and into 2018.
On the side, Above and Beyond aired a radio show called Trance Around the World. It aired weekly from 2004 to 2012, reaching 30 million listeners in 35 countries. It is one of the most listened to radio shows in the world. They launched a new show called Group Therapy in 2012 which also attracted millions of listeners and fans around the world.
What is their net worth?
Among other things that people have shown interest in knowing about the music group Above and Beyond is the extent of the wealth they have accumulated from their musical endeavours. This has inspired more than a handful of sources to estimate the total value of their wealth, according to them.
Unfortunately, it was difficult for us to authenticate any of the figures quoted as net worth. So, we just want to point out that these guys have had such a successful music career that translates into millions in income. They are considered among the richest electronic DJs in the world.
Interesting facts you need to know about them
Here are some interesting facts you need to know about the formidable musical collective known as Above and Beyond.
1. Their band’s name was inspired by a slogan used by an American motivational trainer who shared the same name with one of the band’s members, Jono Grant. The group’s Jono had one of the other motivational posters on his wall with the slogan “Above and Beyond” boldly inscribed on it. When they started looking for a name for their band, the slogan was there for the taking, so they ran with it.
2. The band once played a full acoustic set while flying in a hot air balloon. An incredible feat without a doubt.
3. Jono Grant has composed music for over 300 episodes of TV shows, including channels like MTV, Family Channel, as well as the LifeTime movie, An Officer and a Murderer.
4. Tony McGuiness became obsessed with electronic dance music after first clubbing at age 26. He is a man of many talents, one of which is scuba diving. Tony is a certified rescue diver.
5. Paavo Siljamäki is the man behind the incredible visual systems that can be seen at every Above and Beyond show.
6. At some point in their career, the band released music or performed, using other stage names, including OceanLab, Tongue of Gold, Rollerball and Tranquility Base.