The fifth studio album from the legendary London trance trio was finally released today and it didn’t disappoint
It feels like yesterday when Common Ground was released, and yet it’s been a full seven and a half years since that January 26, 2018. Above & Beyond – Jono, Paavo, and Tony – have gone through various new phases in their careers since then, most notably the shock of the pandemic, which brought long breaks in the release of new group tracks but at the same time offered ample space for individual experimentation: this led to the birth of JODA, Jono Grant’s new-wave project with Darren Tate, Deeper Tales, the album by P.O.S. (Paavo Siljamäki), and Salt, the indie-pop album from Tony McGuinness.
Following these captivating solo ventures, the trio returned to the studio, and after a long creative process, today they have finally released their long-awaited fifth studio album – sixth, if you include the OceanLab record Sirens Of The Sea from 2008 – titled Bigger Than All Of Us.
Bigger Than All Of Us features sixteen tracks: as Tony McGuinness revealed in a very recent interview, the album – crafted with behind-the-scenes support from another trance legend, Dave Dresden from Gabriel & Dresden – was built by selecting twelve songs from a pool of forty-five initial ideas, with the rest being produced later on. Some of these we already know, having been released over the past few months and inevitably gaining traction in the trance scene.
The album opens, as tradition demands, with their classic ambient trance intro, with Stepping In. As has long been known, the soul of Above & Beyond’s work is built around three essential voices that have deeply shaped their musical journey: Justine Suissa, Richard Bedford, and Zoë Johnston. The latter co-wrote Quicksand (Don’t Go) – the first single released back in March – which still stands as one of the most promising and emotionally rich tracks of 2025. This album version comes with slightly altered lyrics compared to the one fans are already familiar with.
Also in the tracklist is the follow-up single with Zoë, Carry Me Home, released at the end of April. Zoë also lends her voice to the album’s closing track, Lullaby, which introduces a more ambient side of the project. However, what instantly caught our attention was the emotional impact of the vocals and the powerful instrumental trance drop in Ride At Dawn, practically yet another demonstration of the incredible combination between the trance sound and the voice of the English singer.
Richard Bedford, for his part, plays an equally crucial role in shaping the album’s character, contributing to four tracks: Start A Fire, released in May, emerges as one of the most iconic and energizing tracks of this new chapter, bringing back some of the vibe from Tri-State. Following that, Blood From A Stone continues in a similarly intense direction. Among the new tracks, Sailing Off The End Of The World stands out, with Bedford’s voice taking center stage in all its strength. Maximum attention and eyes focused to Til I’m Home, previewed at ABGT 600 last October which evokes memories of Above & Beyond’s best trance atmospheres and the vocal brilliance of Thing Called Love.
Justine Suissa, the legendary voice of the OceanLab project, teams up with Above & Beyond on the track that gives the album its name, Bigger Than All Of Us – presented here in the album version, though fans have heard the club mix during their Coachella set – and, finally, Heartland. Both tracks are built on an intimate sound and are perfectly suited for future remixes. One curiosity remains regarding a track previewed during the ABGT600 event: it wasn’t Heartland, as many fans believed, but another still-unreleased song tentatively titled When I Look In Your Eyes, leaving us wondering when it will be officially released in the near future.
Bigger Than All Of Us also features additional guest voices: among the tracks likely to be released as singles in the coming months is Here Before, a collaboration between Above & Beyond, Oliver Smith, and the voice of Opposite The Other: London-based producer worked on the track while also crafting his album Footprints, and the idea of creating something distinctly progressive and energetic earned it a place on this new project. Victoria Horn, Grammy award winning songwriter – delivers instead the brilliant When You Believe, a vocal track that blends trance with an appealing dance touch, while Letting Go – released just days ago – features the tender voice of Malou.
Instrumental interludes are provided by Everywhere I Go and Into The Light: the first one with a more progressive sound, the second embodying the classic ambient and atmospheric vibe fans have come to expect.
It can be said that Bigger Than All Of Us delivers exactly what the trio promised: a powerful reaffirmation of their unmistakable signature style – an artful fusion of trance and progressive and rich melodic influences – that stays deeply rooted in their tradition while effortlessly sounding fresh, relevant, and, as always, exquisitely elegant.
Above & Beyond – Bigger Than All Of Us album can be listened to and purchased everywhere, from today.