Trance & Progressive House Legacy
#AnjunabeatsSound documents the UK record label Anjunabeats (founded 2000 by Above & Beyond) and its evolution from trance powerhouse to progressive house/melodic techno leader (2010-2023).
Golden Era (2010-2015)
Anjunabeats defined the “Anjuna sound” through:
Above & Beyond:
- Group Therapy (2011) - “Sun & Moon,” “Thing Called Love”
- We Are All We Need (2015) - “We’re All We Need,” “Blue Sky Action”
- Common Ground (2018) - Progressive house evolution
Label Artists:
- Mat Zo: Damage Control (2013) - Grammy-nominated
- Audien: “Wayfarer” (2014), “Hindsight” (2014)
- Andrew Bayer: If It Were You, We’d Never Leave (2013)
- Ilan Bluestone: “Bigger Than Love” (2015), Scars (2018)
- Seven Lions: Early releases before Ophelia Records
Group Therapy Radio & ABGT Events
“Above & Beyond Group Therapy” (ABGT) radio show became global phenomenon:
- Weekly episodes: 2011-present (500+ episodes)
- ABGT milestone shows: ABGT100 (Madison Square Garden), ABGT250 (Gorge Amphitheatre), ABGT500 (The O2 London)
- Listener community: “Anjunafamily” global meetups, tattoos, weddings
Anjunadeep & Label Expansion
Sister label Anjunadeep (deep house/melodic techno) launched artists:
- Lane 8, Yotto, Ben Böhmer, Marsh, Luttrell, Nox Vahn
The labels created distinct identities:
- Anjunabeats: Uplifting progressive/trance
- Anjunadeep: Deep house/melodic techno
Common Ground & Genre Shift
Above & Beyond’s Common Ground (2018) marked shift toward progressive house/electronica, dividing fanbase:
- Trance purists: Missed Group Therapy era sound
- New fans: Embraced genre evolution
Singles “Northern Soul,” “My Own Hymn,” and “1001” showcased atmospheric, less trance-focused production.
Festival Legacy
Anjunabeats stage at EDC Las Vegas (2015-2019) became annual pilgrimage. ABGT milestone events sold out arenas:
- ABGT100: MSG (2014)
- ABGT250: Gorge (2017) - 25,000 attendees
- ABGT450: O2 Arena London (2022)
Cultural Impact
- Radio show: 500+ episodes, global listenership
- Milestone events: ABGT100/250/450/500 sold-out arenas
- Artist development: Launched Mat Zo, Audien, Lane 8, Yotto careers
- Community: “Anjunafamily” tattoos, meetups, emotional concerts
- Genre evolution: Trance → progressive → melodic techno (2010-2023)
Key Artists
Above & Beyond, Mat Zo, Audien, Andrew Bayer, Ilan Bluestone, Seven Lions (early), Arty, Grum, Genix, Oliver Smith, Jason Ross, Sunny Lax