interview: DJ Elroy

Electric Daisy Carnival was one of the biggest parties to come through town so far this year. Rides. Drinks. Food. Drinks. Two huge indoor areas and multiple outdoor stages. Bands, MCs, some Live P.A. and DJs slinging beats from house to trance to drum & bass and a bit of everything in between. Mustachioed stilt-walkers, smiling faces and pupils the size of dinner plates.

But the highlight of the show was definitely the performance by Above & Beyond. Having amassed an army of loyal listeners through years of hard work and great music, the group gives as much love and respect as they get. DJ/Producer Tony McGuinness talks briefly about the trio’s history and approach to music.

How did A&B come together? Rumor is the name “Above & Beyond” comes from a motivational poster?

We came together to do a remix for Warner Brothers – “Chakra Home”. We were all doing other things at the time but the remix was very successful and pretty soon Above & Beyond became our main thing. The name came from a guy in the States called Jono Grant who was a motivational trainer – “Above & Beyond” was his tag line. Our own Jono had found his web site and printed the front page out and stuck it on his bedroom wall. When we’d finished the mix we needed a name and it kind of jumped out at us.

Who does what in the studio?

We all do a bit of everything: whilst we have areas of expertise and favor, a group really functions by what it does collectively rather than individually.

What is the preferred hardware/software of the group?

We use Logic to produce, with a number of old synths, guitars and outboard equipment. We also use Ableton Live to do our radio show and radio mixes. Live we play with CDs and mix live. It’s more fun for us and more entertaining than laptop DJ’ing.

Walk me through the creation of a track/remix. Take me from concept to studio to the dance floor... 

If we could figure that out we’d bottle it and sell it!

Don't be modest! You’ve just celebrated the 100th release on your Anjunabeats label with a compilation mix and bonus DVD – how do you keep your releases fresh for the listeners?

We have pretty catholic tastes in music but are sticklers for quality. So no matter what realm the tracks we sign come from, hopefully they are a notch above the average stuff out there.

You’ve been making and selling music since 1999 – in that time we’ve seen vinyl, CD, and digital mediums; We’ve played on turntables, CDJs, laptops and a combination of the three; We’ve gotten our music at record shops, from online stores, and in digital download format. How have you and your label adapted to all the changes over the past decade?

The major labels fell foul by not being geared up for change – they decided long ago what their business model was and through successive waves of efficiency and cost cutting pretty much made it impossible to do anything else. We’ve been active in all digital arenas since the start and we always expect things to change.

You three have been working together for longer than a lot of marriages last – what’s your secret? How do you deal with each other?

We have a lot of love and respect for each other and moreover for what we’ve jointly created. We’re all quite different as individuals and luckily the group allows and encourages quite a bit of self expression, so as musicians it is a very satisfying marriage!

It sounds like the perfect arrangement. Is there anything you regret doing (or not doing) in your musical career?

Personally, not a thing.

Good to hear. What are some highlights for you as DJs, producers, or entertainers?

As DJs, playing to a million people in Rio on New Year’s Eve was pretty special, almost as good as EDC last year in LA! Our debut album “Tri-State” was a real highlight, both in the scope of what we did there and also how it has been received. We feel very lucky!