Above & Beyond - Anjunabeats, Vol. 5

The boys at Anjunabeats--who in their collective DJ persona go by Above & Beyond--have probably done more than any other outfit to reinvigorate the genre of trance in the last five years. This is largely thanks to their mix compilations, which have featured talents like Gabriel & Dresden, Kyau & Albert, and Smith & Pledger. So it's a bit difficult to explain how these tastemakers could see fit to include a track peppered with a geek-speak warning that laptop overheating results in decreased battery life (Chunk & Twist's "Battery Life"). But such oddness is soon forgotten with the entrance of "Essence," a predictably excellent effort from Jaytech with plenty of swing. Disc 1 also features Joonas Hahmo's "Together," an effervescent fusion of house and trance elements that works like a charm. Disc 2 leaves the gate with Maor Levi's "Shapes"--whose splice-and-dice vocals nod to James Holden's seminal remix of "Nothing"--followed by Marc Marberg and Kyau & Albert's "Megashira," a must-spin track that is electro on the outside and trance on the inside (and features an absolutely stellar breakdown). Volume 5 is the most electro-influenced installment of Anjunabeats yet, but Above & Beyond are careful to use the harder-edged stuff as a springboard to give their trademark euphoric material even greater effect. --Brent Kallmer Amazon.com

Prog trance is back

Anjunabeats 5 & 6 and Armin van Buuren's 'State of Trance 2008' brought me back to progressive trance after a 3-year hiatus and made me question why I had ever put it down. I've had both Anjunabeats 5 & 6 on constant rotation the last 2 weeks and it's still just as amazing now as my first listen. I have a slight preference for the first disc, but both are really strong. Love, love, love tracks: #5 & 8 on disc 1, and #4 on disc 2. Definitely worth getting. October 30, 2008

Awesome

Geez, these guys are brilliant. Definitely some of the best trance I've heard - imaginative grooves & ideas, amazing energy, transitions smooth as glass & yet sometimes very surprising where they deposit you harmonically... As someone else said, it's pointless singling out tracks - basically each disc is one gorgeously woven continuous experience, just like the best dance floor moments. These guys know how to pace & shape an extended mix, and it just fires me up. September 10, 2008

My first Anjuna Beats CD purchase

I am a DJ and have actually purchased and listened to many Above and Beyond, Records and songs. They never fail to impress on the regular production end, and deffinately don't fail in this CD. The mixing is great, if they actually mixed it and didn't use Abelton, don't know. The first disc is very housy, which I have heard is a new blend style coming around, House/Trance. Kind of makes sense to blend the two. I like so many tracks on here regardless of the blending of the two sounds. I could purchase and play a whole set of Anjuna Beats, it is sooooo hard to not buy most of the records I hear from this label. I only have maybe one of the tracks played in this 2 disc compilation. So there should be some fresh stuff that you haven't heard before. I only gave it a 4 because there are not any huge original things done with the mixing, but the tracks are great. Anjunabeats, Vol. 5 June 19, 2008

Excellent addition to their AnjunaBeats collection!!

AnjunaBeats vol.5 is Absolutely Incredible! It comes with two discs, one of which is more progressive trance, and the other are all club anthems that we all love!! Although you will hear a lot of popular favorites... Don't miss out on this incredible compilation.. two mixed albums for the price of one!!

~ Neil Monette

www.myspace.com/neilmonette

www.neilmonette.com May 26, 2008

Beautiful

I'm not going to go track for track in my review. I'll just say that this is the best trance I've heard in the last 3 years. It is simply killer. CD 1 is the highlight, which is unusual given the make-up of most 2-disc trance CDs. CD 2 is excellent also but if you want beautiful, melodic trance with a nasty edge, CD 1 delivers big time. "My Name is Jaques" absolutely rocks (think massaging vibrating bass with spacey exterior notes to delight the ears along with an absolute explosion at 3:23....fantastic on good headphones and unreal on a big system) and then leads into incredibly satisfying and progressively melodic finishing tracks. Get it. You won't be dissapointed. April 28, 2008

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