The Roller Coaster that is ‘Above & Beyond Presents: Anjunabeats Volume 11’ Sets a High Bar for Compilation Albums

Whether it’s four to the floor, breaks, half-step, two-step or bpm’s high and low, you can dance to just about anything. It’s the physical interpretation of the sounds that enter your ears. How adept you are at the art of moving your body is a different story. However, the real magic happens when a breakdown, a bridge, a hook, a vocal isolation, or whatever moment it may be within a track/mix/set stops you dead in your tracks and moves you in a moment of complete stillness. It feels electrifying, like falling in love for the first time. It feels liberating, like finally letting go of a deep, lingering pain you’ve been harboring for too long. Those profound moments are my personal litmus test when it comes to music; one that Above and Beyond and Anjunabeats crushes EVERYTIME.

The fine balance between sonically inducing those small yet exhilarating moments while rendering your body into a whirlwind of interpretative movement is yet again on exquisite display in the recently released 11th installment of the Anjunabeats compilation series. Hitting #1 on the Itunes Dance Chart already, Anjunabeats Volume 11 mixed by the label bosses, Above and Beyond, is an all encompassing tour de force showcasing the label’s deeply entrenched focus on quality musicianship and the art of weaving those individual productions into a complete story that traverses the entire spectrum of human emotion.

This two part mix is really just a continuous mix as the focal point is centered around bringing back the art of the build. The listening experience is equivalent to riding a roller coaster. The beginning of the ride is a crawling climb to the top teasing your anticipation of what’s to come. The deep, atmospheric swaths of tracks like “You Would” by Thomas Schwartz & Fausto Fanizza and Matt Lange’s breathtaking rendition of Above and Beyond’s “Good For Me” in the opening moments of CD1 replicate that intensifying flutter of butterflies in the calm of the climb.

Continuing on to the cinematic piano work of Parker and Hanson’s “Gravity” and terrestrial rifts of “No One Gets Left Behind”, the tension thickens in CD1 with the passing of every carefully placed track. There’s a clear departure from the deeper ranges and elevation into higher pitches as Boom Jinx’s “The Dark” and Meredith’s vocals hit you with a progressive breeze. And, Jerome Isma-Ae and Maor Levi’s remix of Underworld’s classic “Dark Long Train” delivers you to CD2 and the apex of this immaculately tailored ride.

The opening moments of the aptly titled “Tension” by Jerome Isma-Ae and ilan Bluestone and the beginning of CD2 is like a slow motion peek of the twisting turns and heart stopping drops ahead. The thumping big room breakdown of “Tension” finally plummets you over the edge into a thrilling flurry of sounds that’s perfectly balanced between ethereal and explosive.

CD2 boasts Anjunabeats favorites such as Arty’s lush remix of London Grammar’s “Hey Now”, “Pyramid Scheme” by Mat Zo, and ilan Bluestone’s addictive big room bursts in “Spheres”. But, what really thrusts this mix into hyper drive are the new Above and Beyond productions and their re-imagined classics. From the croons of Alex Vargas in “Sticky Fingers” to the whipping lashes of “Hello” to the seamless mash up of “Mariana Trench” and “On My Way to Heaven” to the rebirth of “Satellite” by the Midas touch of ilan Bluestone, this portion of the ride will have every die hard Above and Beyond fan with hands in the air and sweating profusely from their eyes. The ride finally comes to a close with the light, optimistic strokes of Andrew Bayer’s “The District” rounding out the unparalleled talent on Anjunabeats’s roster.

Anjunabeats Volume 11 is a definitive reminder why the label has become one of the most revered and loved in the industry and by fans worldwide. It’s a ride that you will want to immediately retake after every finish and one that gets better with every turn. Check out the mini-mix below as well as the track listing and get your copy on Itunes or the Anjunastore.

Tracklist

CD 1
Thomas Schwartz & Fausto Fanizza – You Would
Betoko vs. Gemma Hayes – Wicked Game
16 Bit Lolitas – Beat Organ
Above & Beyond – Good For Me (Matt Lange Remix)
Parker & Hanson – Gravity
Emma Louise – Boy (Spada Remix)
Matt Lange – Staccato
DJ Yellow, Flowers & Sea Creatures – No One Gets Left Behind (Konstantin Sibold Remix)
Cid Inc. – Rediscovered
Twice As Nice – Overture (Guy J Remix)
Boom Jinx & Meredith Call – The Dark
Soundprank – Gemini
Underworld – Dark & Long [Dark Train] (Jerome Isma-Ae & Maor Levi Remix)
CD 2
ilan Bluestone & Jerome Isma-Ae – Tension
Above & Beyond – Anjunabeach (Genix vs. Las Salinas Remix)
London Grammar – Hey Now (Arty Remix)
Above & Beyond feat. Alex Vargas – Sticky Fingers
Super8 & Tab vs. Jaytech – Code Red
Mat Zo feat. Chuck D – Pyramid Scheme (Club Mix)
Audien – Hindsight
Sunny Lax – Karma
Genix – Run
Oliver Smith – Evermore
Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford – On My Way To Mariana Heaven
ilan Bluestone – Spheres
Above & Beyond vs. Andrew Bayer – Far From Needing Your Love
Above & Beyond – Hello
Above & Beyond pres. OceanLab – Satellite (ilan Bluestone Remix)
Andrew Bayer – The District