Music Therapy

UK-based collective Above and Beyond bring an array of different sounds with their three-city tour.

A year after the London-based EDM collective Above and Beyond launched the reincarnated version of their radio show Group Therapy Radio in Bangalore,they are back with a three-city tour to explore India and its music trends. The show,which was originally called Trance Around the World,was renamed Group Therapy Radio after their second studio album. The main reason of renaming Trance Around the World was to remove the genre from the title. Now,a wider range of guests are open to join the show and make new music every week. Music,around the world is changing at such a fast pace,there are lesser separations now, says Paavo Siljamäki,a member of the collective. The collective also features Jono Grant and Tony McGuinness.

From their debut album Tri State (2006) to their upcoming acoustic album,though the collective has undergone a significant change in its sound,Siljamaki claims that the soul of their music remains the same. We had been thinking about the acoustic project for a very long time. We have heard many of our songs being stripped down to an acoustic version by different artistes. Sometimes the real beauty of a song can come out only with a guitar and a singer. The album has become much bigger than we originally thought it would be, says Siljamaki.

He reveals that along with the acoustic album due to release in 2014,they are currently working on an EDM album,which will feature their music in a new light. Our songs need to have a feeling of reality and some kind of emotion, says Siljamaki. Elaborating on the unpredictability of music,he recalls how the collective was stuck for over two years while working on one of their greatest hits,Sun and Moon. While some of their tracks were worked out and produced in a single afternoon,some underwent several transformations. Siljamaki explains,My two children have taught me our songs in a certain manner. Like our kids,when we produce songs,we cant plan their lifetime. They have a life of their own. They dont remain our songs,they become everyones songs and develop relationships with other musicians as well. You reach a point where you cant plan whats going to happen to it. With Sun and Moon,we couldnt find a way to produce it the way we wanted to,but I am glad with the way we finally did it.

Music,for the trio,is not a profession but a lifestyle in itself. Ask them what are their interests apart from music and they are at a loss for answers. When they arent producing music,they are on the hunt for new talent. Recently,the collective hosted a party to celebrate the 500th episode of the podcast (GTR),at Alexandra Palace,London.

Over 10,000 people turned up for the event. It was a very emotional event for us because we traced the show from its start,as a very small initiative,taking baby steps to becoming something so vital to us and our listeners. It is because of the show that we are more closely connected to musicians and DJs around the world and our listeners. It has become the centre of our lives, says Siljamaki.

Above and Beyond will perform at the launch of Blue Frog Amphitheater in Ishanya Mall,Kalyani Nagar, on November 21

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories