British trance gods 'Above & Beyond' are all geared up for their India tour. Formed in 2000, the three-member band have been getting bigger and better and are currently writing the music for their fourth studio album.
They will soon be erforming in the City and Metrolife caught up with producer Jono Grant (the others being Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki).
What makes their visit extra special is the fact that they're getting their 'Trance Around The World' (TATW) radio show to India, which they've been hosting since 2004. "Once a year, we celebrate a landmark in 'TATW' and this year, we're broadcasting the 450th episode across the world from India. We're also bringing down some of our favourite artistes — Mat Zo, Andrew Bayer, 'Norin & Rad' and Jody Wisternoff," informs Jono.
To make it an even more memorable party for their fans, they've been working on a special set to perform. "We've just finished a remix of 'Black Room Boy' from our last album, 'Group Therapy', which we're dying to try out in India. There's a new instrumental track we're working on as well. We like to play stuff that fans know as well as our new material," he adds.
Asked about his love for trance, Jono pauses and says, "Trance embodies my love for music. I grew up listening to some good 80s jazz and Western classical as well as 'New Order', 'Pet Shop Boys' and Jean-Michel Jarre. It's kind of cool to play trance and what's great about it is that it lends itself to all the other genres."
The biggest challenge he faces is making music from the heart, which also appeals to the listeners.
"The key to making good music is for an artiste to not be bothered about external
factors. At the same time, you have to involve the fans. It's actually quite an interesting challenge to balance the two," he explains.
What's the trio's process for writing music? "When we start off, we don't look at any genre specifically. In fact, we write most of our songs in a very traditional way with guitars and piano chords.
It doesn't always come out as a dance song, but that's the magic of it," he laughs.
The three are not strangers to the musical landscape of India and have played earlier at the Sunburn Festival in Goa, as well as in cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.
"What I like about India is its people, the culture and the overall vibe you get there. There's a very friendly and inclusive atmosphere and people really make an effort to make us feel welcome. Last but not the least, the crowd is fantastic and they really get our music. As artistes, we really can't ask for more," he sums up. The band will be
performing on November 10 at Jayamahal Palace.