You know one thing we love about A&B? This very track.
It’s been a while. Legendary Trance trio and GRAMMY-nominated artists Above & Beyond have been rather silent lately. We all remember that one announcement that came alongside their 2023 Group Therapy Weekender flyer, which stated after their Los Angeles milestone show, ABGT500, there would be no milestone celebration in 2023. In other words, no ABGT550. This, they said, was planned to give the group a ton of extra time in the studio to finish new music.
And while the lack of a Group Therapy show left a hole in the hearts of those who follow the Anjuna brand and A&B’s craft, we might just be starting to feel the effects of those studio hours. Enter ‘Crazy Love‘.
‘Crazy Love’: Vocal Trance To Melt Your Heart
Debuted halfway through Above & Beyond’s ABGT500 set, eyes stared in disbelief all of a sudden. Banger after banger, groovy drop after groovy drop, when the energy was over the top, this song came in. A soft beat replaced the acid sounds we were having before, and it started to become evident that we were going to have a vocal track played at that very moment. And then it happened.
Welcome Back, Zoë
If you know Above & Beyond’s discography, you will have sung your lungs out to the lyrics of the magical songwriter Zoë Johnston. Trance wouldn’t be the same without her, and her angelical voice. ‘You Got To Go‘? Her voice. ‘Giving It Out‘? It’s her again. ‘Fly To New York‘? Two tickets please, but as long as I sing the song, I’m singing along to Zoë once again. And let’s not forget the two most beautiful A&B&Z tracks out there, ‘No One On Earth‘, and ‘Good For Me‘.
For the first time since ‘Reverie‘ back in 2020, Zoë comes back to Above & Beyond’s club records. And it couldn’t have been any other way.
Let’s go back to ABGT500. This new melodic ID was bringing the beat down to a subtle break, and that was when it happened. “You know one thing, I love about you?“. It was Zoë. I wasn’t in LA at the time, but I was driving with the livestream on, blasting it through my speakers. I swear, the moment I heard her voice, I parked on the side of the road to listen with eyes closed. And I’m glad I did, because this track made me tear up.
So Many Layers Of ‘Crazy Love’
If you’re a diehard Trance fan like me, you will understand the thought: this song is a nod to the past. Long, sine-resembling plucks, high-pitched short textures that act as stars in the night sky, and a voice as heavenly as Zoë’s to guide you through. It was all going really well, I was lost in the moment, floating away. Until the main melody came along. Then it became a glorious song.
I was holding back the tears, but the melody made me cry it all out. Carried back to the past in an instant. A saw lead, pointy, noisy, a perfect tribute to those days we now dearly miss. The progression pinball-shoots you back to the first-ever Above & Beyond song: their Chakra ‘Home‘ remix, from the year 2000.
By this point I don’t need to describe further, you get the idea. ‘Crazy Love’ is one of those pieces that works flawlessly: every element, every note, every lyric of the vocal. Everything. This is a hot take right here, but, to me, no A&B vocal track had been this good ever since the Group Therapy album era.
Final Words
I’ve said it all. Well, all I can say without unleashing a neverending spiral of why Above & Beyond are my favourite band and how Zoë’s voice has helped me heal at so many points in life. If I’m allowed to say one last thing, while being concise: this track is worth a listen.
Enjoy Above & Beyond featuring Zoë Johnston – ‘Crazy Love‘ by hitting ‘Play’ on the Spotify button we’ve attached below. Also, head here to go to YouTube, or click here to support the release on your platform of choice. And stay tuned to our page for the latest news and views of our beloved Dance industry.
