Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. 16 Bit Lolitas - Nobody Seems To Care
2. Interplay - Room Service
3. Liluca - Clear Senses
4. Komytea - 9
5. Paul Keeley - Life Aquatic
6. Jaytech - Sundance
7. Joonas Hahmo - Warm Up
8. PROFF - Deep Orange
9. Electrobios & Interplay - With You
10. Above & Beyond Pres. OceanLab - Breaking Ties (Jaytech & James Grant Mix)
11. Mat Zo - Synapse Dynamics
12. Jaytech - Metro
13. Sucker DJ's - Killer
14. Jaytech - Vela (Electrobios & Interplay Mix)

Disc 2:

1. Komytea - Afghanistan
2. Komytea - Electro House Is Dead
3. Radiohead - Reckoner (Above & Beyond Remix)*
4. 16 Bit Lolitas - Murder Weapon
5. Komytea - Professional Killers (Jerome Isma-Ae & Daniel Portman Mix)
6. Daniel Portman - Elder
7. Dinka - Civilisation
8. PROFF - Glittering Puzzle
9. Jaytech - Delta
10. Above & Beyond Pres. OceanLab - On A Good Day (16 Bit Lolitas Mix)
11. Paul Keeley - Doormatica
12. Michael Cassette - Summer (Dub)
13. Michael Cassette - Shadows Movement

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33332 in Music
• Released on: 2009-02-16
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

CD Description
Above & Beyond Anjunadeep:01 is Anjunadeep's--Above & Beyond's melodic house imprint--debut compilation. Anjunadeep stalwarts Jaytech, Michael Cassette (aka Komytea), Interplay, Joonas Hahmo and recent high profile addition 16 Bit Lolitas, are joined by newer faces like Colombia's Liluca, Russia's Proff and Canadian Paul Keeley, as Above & Beyond conjure up two CD's of spirited melodic house music. A special treat comes in the form of Above & Beyond’s own remix of Radiohead's "Reckoner’", available on the CD version only.

Customer Reviews

Very strong album of this genre
It's not often I say wow, but this album compels me to say so, and to write a review to let everyone know.

This is a two disc compilation of rolling chilled trance/house mixed by Above & Beyond. These guys have been doing trance compilations - the Anjunabeats series - for a while now but this is their first excursion into deeper stuff, and what a first excursion this is.

CD1 is good. Not amazing, just real good. The beats are chunky and rolling and the rhythms are mildly hypnotic, with choons that float between tech house, deep house and chilled out trance. There's a real persistent vibe throughout CD1, and this is a vibe of head-nod, silky-smooth choons. Aside from the pace-setting opener of "Nobody Seems To Care" by the 16 Bit Lolitas, the first CD is not about standout tracks, it's just a really pure and smooth vibe.

CD2 is a bit different though - in fact it's quite a lot different. As soon as the bassline kicks in on the first choon (Komytea - Afghanistan) you know that this second chapter is going to be a bit more purposeful, a bit more assertive. When I said "it's not often I say wow", I'm talking about this second CD. Once you hit track 3 and then track 4, you're deeply into "wow" territory. In fact track 4 elevates the mix into the sublime. The deeply hypnotic synth line in "Murder Weapon" by the 16 Bit Lolitas - and WHAT A CHOON this is - is a blueprint for the vibe this album embodies. This second CD is a ride through some of the most anthemic and brilliant deep and hypnotic house/trance, and is easily - in my opinion - one of the best mixed compilations in the past 5 years. From track 3 onwards the mix proper dominates its territory, stamps its authority and then pushes the boundaries of how good chilled/tech/deep trance can be.

If you have any interest in this genre or the adjacent genres such as tech-house and deep house then you really should invest in this CD. I've explained how good this is as best I can but the rest is up to you - if you're disappointed then I'll eat my hat. And my cat. And my cricket bat...

A warm, refreshing release...
Well with it's surging popularity it was just a matter of time before Above & Beyond gave it's ever-growing sublabel of Anjunabeats a compilation in its own right. And so from the pioneers of uplifting trance we are presented with an album dedicated to progressive house, with hints of trance, electro and everything inbetween layered throughout.

If you own the recent Anjunabeats volumes, you will know what to expect, and the album does not disappoint; some mighty tunes from the heavyweights including Mat Zo, Michael Casette, Jaytech and Above & Beyond themselves, plus many interesting and colourful gems from lesser known names, wonderfully mixed by the masters themselves.

As far as the two discs go, the first sticks to progressive beats, though the second ventures more into trance while still maintaining the house sound. Listenable just about anywhere, the pace and depth varies throughout the album although never reaches 'dancefloor destroy' level to make it a pre-night out/after hours album that's also good for the car, gym, lounge or whatever else.

The entire album has a warm and bouncy feel, with each track working on a new sound to keep you listening and your head nodding along. A beautifully constructed, very refreshing compilation that shows how strong this label is. For me the album was a grower, being so used to the uplifting trance that Anjunabeats have pioneered for so long, but after a few listens it becomes addictive. Although Above & Beyond have been experimental with this release, the new sound is not completely alien and will warm to their fans of old as well as find new ones. It is also diverse enough to appeal to listeners of just about any dance music, very much recommended.

Progress for Anjuna
So many times I look to reviews to give me advice on how good an album is, but the bottom line is this. There's nothing that compares with actually listening to the album itself. This is no exception, and I could prattle on about how much I think 16 Bit Lolitas play a major part in contributing to the album, how Proff is back with his familiar sound, (One that impresses), and the sublime remix by the boys themselves of Radioheads 'Reckoner' - Tunes that are in amongst some other gems that would take too long to list. This has a more progressive trance pulse running through it I feel, which perhaps the anjunabeats albums lacked a little in my opinion, and thats a good thing. (Thats not to say I dont thoroughly enjoy the anjunabeats albums too.) I think the best thing to do is just listen to it. I was impressed, and it's likely you will be too. I think Above and Beyond have got it close to spot on with this album. It's a bit of a tighter album overall, with a lot of quality, perhaps impressing more than some of the anjunabeats albums. I hope they continue to make albums for a long time yet, as they are indeed a talent.