With the past two editions both hitting #1 in the iTunes Dance Albums Chart, Anjunadeep 04 mixed by Jaytech and James Grant arrives with the label in better health than ever before – as evidenced by a recent DJ Mag nomination for “Best British Record Label”.
The last 12 months has seen the Above & Beyond imprint unveil one of house music’s hottest new talents in Dusky, whose album “Stick By This” has been acclaimed by everyone from DJ Mag (“an intoxicating album full of life and flashes of brilliance”) to Pete Tong – with Tong naming it as one of his favorite albums of the year – while other Anjunadeep artists such as Matt Lange and Andrew Bayer on the label have blossomed, the former being described by BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe as “the new Deadmau5” and the latter’s “It’s Artificial” LP winning plaudits from Lowe again and even day Radio 1 host Nick Grimshaw.
Showcasing tracks and remixes from acts like Dusky, Tom Middleton, Maceo Plex, Vincenzo, Solarity and Andrew Bayer, “Anjunadeep04” mixed by Jaytech & James Grant is the latest showcase of the label’s evolution; a 28 track journey through deep house, immersive melodic grooves and modern progressive.
Representing the deeper, more house-influenced end of Anjunadeep’s increasingly wide spectrum, label A&R James Grant effortlessly combines warm Maceo Plex’esque electronics, classic deep house vibes (Dusky “Lost Highway”), low-bass grooves (Tom Middleton’s Liquatech Mix of Paronator “No Gravity”) and the melodic house sound in which Anjunadeep has made its name.
Grant also contributes three remixes to the mix in collaboration with Andrew Bayer and acknowledges the key role played by Bayer in achieving the desired sound for CD1, “We had a clear vision for where we wanted the mix to head and Andrew really helped me realize that in this mix,” says Grant.
Taking time out from finishing his highly anticipated second artist album, Australian Anjunadeep star Jaytech picks up the baton and pursues the more upbeat side of the label’s sound. From the future disco synths of Suspect 44’s “Neon Feel” to the melodic big room tech of Soundprank’s “Boundless Energy”, the Australian lays down a masterclass in modern progressive. Bringing things to an emphatic climax, Jaytech’s own “Atlantic” is the perfect embodiment of the musicality and class sewn into the mix.
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