“This album is us appreciating how amazing this thing we have is. The realisation of how lucky we are that we get to be part of something like this for 25 years, and to have built a community that cares for each other in the way it does. It’s not about any of us individually. When we all work together to make something happen, something bigger happens.” - Jono, Paavo and Tony – Above & Beyond. 

If much of the mindset and mantra behind Above & Beyond over the last quarter of a century has been born from the idea of connection, then their fifth artist album ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ is best summed up in one word: reconnection. 

Introducing, then, Quicksand (Don’t Go), the new single that is, in all the right and best ways, the comeback of Above & Beyond. The lead track from a record where the power, strength, range, appeal and adaptability of the band is baked into the title: their fifth album is Bigger Than All of Us.

Debuted during the bands’ sold out global Group Therapy 600 broadcast in Mexico last October, it reunites Jono, Paavo and Tony with Zoë Johnston – partner in ‘We’re All We Need’, ‘Good For Me’ and ‘Love Is Not Enough’ among countless other favourites. 

“It's classic Zoë Johnston”, explains Above & Beyond. “We've been working with her for 22 years now, so she's a part of the band. By that token, a song with her vocals is a very reassuring thing for our audience. It says: Above & Beyond are back, in a very recognisable form.”

As Johnston puts it of her deeply personal but sublimely universal lyrics: “I think most of us can relate to that feeling of desperation and dread when it comes to losing someone we love so deeply. The despair can be massive when you’re watching the grief rattle down the track towards you for quite some time before the moment of impact actually happens. Disappearing into quicksand. It’s scary, it hurts, and it’s lonely. Hopefully a song like this one makes anyone going through the pain of a seismic loss feel a little bit less alone.”

‘Quicksand (Don’t Go) with Zoë Johnston is out now on Anjunabeats.

Quicksand (Don't Go)

Buy/stream

“This album is us appreciating how amazing this thing we have is. The realisation of how lucky we are that we get to be part of something like this for 25 years, and to have built a community that cares for each other in the way it does. It’s not about any of us individually. When we all work together to make something happen, something bigger happens.” - Jono, Paavo and Tony – Above & Beyond. 

If much of the mindset and mantra behind Above & Beyond over the last quarter of a century has been born from the idea of connection, then their fifth artist album ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ is best summed up in one word: reconnection. 

Following their first single, ‘Quicksand (Don’t Go)’, Above & Beyond are back with the latest chapter of their ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ story, ‘Carry Me Home’. This latest single is the second of several contributions to the album from longtime collaborator Zoë Johnston, who has worked with the band since the 2004 classic ‘No One On Earth’. 

“I think sometimes we’re so used to carrying everything (worries, responsibilities, fears) by ourselves, that we forget how blissful it can be to have someone step in and say “let me help you”. Carry Me Home is a celebration of being seen and being loved”, Zoë Johnston explains. 

Debuted live on SiriusXM, ‘Carry Me Home’ has become a staple in recent live performances, played out to tens of thousands of fans across Ultra Music Festival and two weekends of Coachella, where the band debuted their brand-new stage production - showcasing an elevated live show experience like never before.

The band’s fifth studio album, ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’, explores the theme of reconnection – a message that will come to life on their upcoming tour, both musically and visually, through their bold new stage concept. 

“Our music has always been about togetherness, connection, and the shared emotional experience,” the band says. “This tour—and this stage—is a celebration of that feeling, brought to life in a new way.”

‘Carry Me Home’ with Zoë Johnston is out now on Anjunabeats.

Carry Me Home

If much of the mindset and mantra behind Above & Beyond over the last quarter of a century has been born from the idea of connection, then their fifth artist album ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ is best summed up in one word: reconnection. 

The depth of those intuitive reconnections, both between the three band members and with their inner circle of trusted collaborators, is evidenced in the latest single 'Start A Fire’. Originated as a deep instrumental cut from Paavo Siljamäki’s vaults, it’s a demo that he estimates is “easily seven, eight years old. Tony [McGuinness] had always said: ‘I like this...’ Then as we were entering this album process, Tony's like: ‘Hey, I've written something on this! Then everybody's going: ‘Oh my God, this is great!"

"I have a notebook that I keep for song ideas", says McGuinness. "I had this thought a few years back, 'There’s enough of you in me to start a fire' and after dwelling on it for a few months I found that it worked great over a piece of music Paavo had written. I had just that one line for years, until I went to The Gorge two years ago and one afternoon the verses came together. I was trying to do something conversational, like one of Dire Straits love songs. I think it’s ended up being one of our favourites."

“That’s been really nice for me,” continues Siljamäki, “because it's something that I completely forgot that I'd created. Then I get something fresh from Tony, and his input reignites my excitement. And then, it would have never been as good if it didn't have Richard’s new vocal.” It is, he concludes, “that thing where it's the power of a team.”

Now in its completed form, the track features Richard Bedford singing Tony McGuinness’s lyrics and melody line.

Of course, it’s not the first time Richard Bedford has teamed up with Above & Beyond on a Tony McGuinness-written song — see beloved classics “Sun & Moon”, “Thing Called Love”, and "Northern Soul", to name a few.

Debuted at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this past April, "Start A Fire” kicked off an Above & Beyond set that would become a defining moment in the ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ campaign.

’Start A Fire’ feat. Richard Bedford is out now on Anjunabeats.

Start A Fire

Start A Fire (feat. Richard Bedford)

Bigger Than All Of Us

Heartland

If much of the mindset and mantra behind Above & Beyond over the last quarter of a century has been born from the idea of connection, then their fifth artist album ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ is best summed up in one word: reconnection. It’s been seven years since the trio released their last electronic dance album, Common Ground. Now, in 2025 the trio return with a collection of 16 brand new tracks showcasing their signature emotional songwriting and melodic depth.

At the heart of the album is the sound and sentiment encapsulated in the title track, a sweeping, embracing, anthem of encouragement and inclusion. In the studio with Justine Suissa, a foundational Above & Beyond family member, Jono found some chords “and Justine really liked and connected with them," he says. "She tends to write pretty fast, and her words come together pretty quickly."

After that initial writing session with Justine several years ago, the song remained in the vaults as so many do. But when it came time to put together the album, the band fell back in love with it. 

“Living in volatile times is nothing new, but I believe that if we understand the power we wield as individuals then maybe we can also appreciate the possibility of effecting extraordinary change as a collective,” says Justine, reflecting on her writing of ‘Bigger Than All Of Us'. "If I can be instrumental in that change through a simple melody and a handful of words then I am grateful beyond measure. Being a songwriter is an incredible privilege and so is working with Above & Beyond and being able to speak to such a loving and receptive audience.”

That loving and receptive audience came out in full force at Coachella, where Above & Beyond debuted a higher tempo version of the record during their set. "We decided that 'Bigger Than All Of Us' would be the title track because we thought it would connect with fans in a sort of classic Above & Beyond sense," says Jono. "So even though it's a downtempo song, we wanted to make sure a version of it was in the Coachella set, so we made a club mix for it that ended up being one of the most powerful moments in the set.”

The Above & Beyond family, the Anjunafamily: it's bigger than us. It's the way that our community treats each other and the stories that come out of that," says Jono.

"When we started thinking about calling the album, 'Bigger Than All Of Us' I was instantly thinking that that is exactly what's happening here," says Paavo.

Alongside the release, Above & Beyond have launched their ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ gallery, the new home for memory sharing, storytelling, and celebrating the impact of Above & Beyond’s music and the Anjunafamily community. The website launches alongside the ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ single release, ahead of the album’s full release next month.

"The community that we've built is the source of friendship and love," says Tony. "And in some ways I think that it's like an eggshell around us, bringing love, respect and inclusivity to every show that we do. It really is bigger than all of us."

'Bigger Than All Of Us' with Justine Suissa is out now on Anjunabeats.

Letting Go

Join the Anjunafamily and ‘Subscribe’ to our YouTube channel: https://lnk.to/YTA_B
Stream us on Spotify: https://Anjunabeats.lnk.to/AboveBeyondSpotifyYo
Replay on streaming: https://anjunabeats.ffm.to/abgtyt

Live dates: https://aboveandbeyond.nu/tour
Website: https://aboveandbeyond.nu
Facebook: https://facebook.com/aboveandbeyond
X: https://x.com/aboveandbeyond
Instagram: https://instagram.com/aboveandbeyond
Discord: https://discord.gg/anjuna

01. MYRNE - Field (This Never Happened)
02. Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør - Running To The Sea [anamē Remix] (True Electric)
03. Matt Fax - Spectrum (Ame)
04. ilan Bluestone, ALPHA 9 & H.E.A.R.T.S. - Paradise (Anjunabeats) [RECORD OF THE WEEK]
05. HANA - Cahethel (Anjunadeep)
06. Will Clarke feat. blythe - You Alone [PARIS Remix] (Armada)
07. John Monkman - Jungle (Anjunadeep)
08. Digital Drift - You Don’t Mind [Midnight Evolution Remix] (Argento)
09. Colyn and Sultan + Shepard - 1973 (This Never Happened)
10. Nora En Pure - Senses of Comfort [Club Mix] (Enormous Tunes)
11. Avenue One & Lilu Cerf - How Broken Is Your Heart (Black Hole)
12. PROFF & Tim Green - Philos (Anjunachill)
13. Romain Garcia - Used To (Anjunadeep) [PUSH THE BUTTON]
14. Cubicore feat. MARIIA - Breathe (Armada)
15. Kasablanca & Innellea - Lost (Experts Only)
16. Abakus - Profundities (Anjunadeep Explorations)
17. Deep Dish feat. Malou - Dreaming (Armada)
18. Jody Barr - Eleanor (Anjunadeep)
19. Above & Beyond - Stepping In (Anjunabeats) [GUEST MIX: BIGGER THAN ALL OF US]
20. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Start A Fire (Anjunabeats) [GUEST MIX: BIGGER THAN ALL OF US]
21. Above & Beyond and Justine Suissa - Bigger Than All Of Us (Anjunabeats) [GUEST MIX: BIGGER THAN ALL OF US]
22. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Blood From A Stone (Anjunabeats) [GUEST MIX: BIGGER THAN ALL OF US]
23. Above & Beyond and Zoë Johnston - Quicksand (Don’t Go) (Anjunabeats) [GUEST MIX: BIGGER THAN ALL OF US]
24. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Sailing Off The End Of The World (Anjunabeats) [GUEST MIX: BIGGER THAN ALL OF US]
25. Above & Beyond and Malou - Letting Go (Anjunabeats) [GUEST MIX: BIGGER THAN ALL OF US]
26. Above & Beyond and Zoë Johnston - Lullaby (Anjunabeats) [GUEST MIX: BIGGER THAN ALL OF US]

Group Therapy 637 with Above & Beyond

Quicksand (Don't Go) [Sultan + Shepard Remix]

Quicksand (Don't Go) (Sultan + Shepard Remix)

In this installment of Sound we delve into the creative minds of stadium-filling electronic music act, Above & Beyond. This summer, Above & Beyond released ‘Bigger Than All Of Us,’ their first album as a trio in seven years. In this exclusive interview, two members of the group, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki, discuss their 25-year journey in electronic music, from becoming vocal trance’s most in-demand remixers to starting their labels Anjunabeats, Anjunadeep and Anjunachill. We explore collaboration, production, songwriting, remixing and working with vocals, and talk about the role that SoundCloud has played in creating their Anjuna community and inspiring new creative directions. 

Episode Show Notes: https://soundcloud.com/stories/post/above-and-beyond-interview-sound-advice
Follow SoundCloud Stories: @soundcloud-stories
Follow Above & Beyond: @aboveandbeyond
Get Started With Artist and Artist Pro: https://artists.soundcloud.com/


Sound Advice: Above & Beyond

Tracklisting:

Darren Tate & Susie Ledge - In This Space
Tempest (Aubrey Fry & Gai Barone Remix)
Beyond Your Mind (Durante Remix Edit)
ANUQRAM & Second Sine - Wake Me Up
Aubrey Fry - Break It Down
Oliver Smith - Open Up
Oliver Smith & Benjamin Roustaing - Be The One
Darren Tate - Scare Me
Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Sailing Off The End Of The World
Jonny Hall - The Underground
J Ribbon - Won't Stop

Psycho

Jeff Prince