There are trance DJs who can rock a party, a club, a festival. And there are acts that can write songs that will bring out the goose bumps in you. But there's only one band that can do both: Above & Beyond. This three piece have remixed Madonna, won Essential Mix of the Year, and played to one million people in Rio de Janeiro. More importantly they’ve written songs with the power and the melody to en-trance that one million-strong crowd, many of whom were singing along, word for word. We took 5 minutes with Paavo to get to know the trio a little bit better!

1. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF MUSIC??
- We produce emotional electronic dance music.

2. IF YOU HAD TO PICK ONE, WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE GIG TO DATE??
- We've been really lucky to play in many amazing places like our recent gigs on top of a cold war nuclear bunker, in the middle of a Russian forest just north of their border with Kazakhstan, or 14000 feet up in the air in La Paz, Bolivia, but I could never forget our gigs in Rio last new year's eve. Playing at a party that spans an entire 13km beach, filled with one million people dressed in white has been definitely hard to top.

3. DO YOU PREFER PLAYING FESTIVALS OR AT SMALLER CLUB GIGS??
- Both have their ups & downs; smaller venues tend to have a much more intimate and personal feel and it's really nice being able to really party together with the people. In bigger venues and
festivals we tend to be a bit further from the crowd which makes interaction more challenging but playing to thousands is always a massive rush, and the atmosphere can become really intense there too.

4. HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY STALKER ACTIVITY OR BEEN SENT/GIVEN SOMETHING BIZARRE BY A FAN??
- Yes. ps. if you're reading this (you probably are) that picture of
your newborn was cute.

5. WHAT IS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU HAVE SEEN DURING A LIVE DJ SET??
- A - One million people, all dressed in white, partying on a 13km long beach together last new year's eve

6. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST OUT OF YOUR LIVE DJ PERFORMANCES??
- Singing along to our latest tracks with the crowd

7. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE DJ OR SOMEONE THAT INSPIRES YOU, IF SO
WHO??
- I always get inspired when i see movies with great soundtracks, and some of the guys i really look up to include John Debney and Thomas Newman.

8. LIST THREE THINGS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT??
- air,water,food

9. OK, IF YOU WERE TO GO TO A DESERT ISLAND AND COULD TAKE ANY 3 FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH YOU, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD THEY BE??
- The brothers who invented the airplane and a shipmaker

10. IF YOU COULD ONLY EAT ONE THING FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WHAT WOULD IT BE??
- Hamachi sashimi

11. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU STAYED OUT PARTYING ALL NIGHT AND
WHERE??
- The 30th birthday bash of one of my best mates a few weeks ago in London; given the amount of traveling we're doing these days i was so lucky to take part!

12. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU WOKE UP THIS MORNING?
- In a hotel in Los Angeles

13. THREE THINGS YOU ARE GOOD AT AND THREE THINGS YOU ARE NOT SO GOOD
AT??
- Some say I'm good at geeky stuff, cooking and sleeping. I'm not particularly great at waking up sometimes, navigating in ikea or saying the best things at interviews

14. IF YOU WERE TO DIE TOMORROW, WHAT TRACK WOULD YOU HAVE PLAYED AT
YOUR FUNERAL??
- Maybe some music by my favourite classical composer Sibelius, probably.

15. ANY FUNNY/EMBARASSING DJ MOMENTS YOU CARE TO SHARE WITH US??
- i'm too embarrassed...

You can catch Above & Beyond performing at Godskitchen's Birthday this coming Saturday, this is tied in with the release of their forthcoming Anjunabeats Volume 6 Compilation.

You can buy tickets for this Saturday by clicking the image below: