Customer Reviews

Anjunabeats 4

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I must confess: I am a huge fan of that distinctive Anjunabeats sound - punchy drums, growling basslines, euphoric melodies, tasteful use of vocals.

The thing I like about the Anjunabeats series is that they shift the emphasis from the DJ mixing the album to the quality of the individual tracks and producers. You don't feel like you are getting a few tracks (with fillers) thrown together to create a mix - it's more like the Above & Beyond boys are showing off the best talent from their label like proud parents. The booklet even has a short intro to each track explaining why it was picked and why it is special. This creates an intimacy and connection with each track that you don't get in most mix cds.

The downside is that you risk getting an album full of great tracks, but not necessarily a great mix album. Thankfully Above & Beyond have (just) pulled this off - It can get a little linear in places (another reviewer described it as straightforward trance) but overall it is definitely one of the better mix cds I've heard for a long time.

The record starts with the classy prog-driven opener 'Small Step on the Other Side' with it's rolling beat and gentle floating melody and makes it way through some crunching beats to the gorgeous Luminary production 'Amsterdam' and the uplifting madness that is Super8 + Tab's 'Helsinki Scorchin'. From there it gets a bit darker via Maor Levi's techy rework of Above & Beyond's own 'Can't Sleep' before finishing up with three massive uplifters, the pick up which has to be Super8's 'Get Off'.

If you are after good, solid, gimmick & cheese-free trance this is a worthy purchase. It takes a few listens to sink in but it's worth it.

all of Above & beyonds ablums are great! Well paced, great song selections, perfect mixing. I would recommend all of them to someone who was looking for something new. The reason i gave it 4 out of 5 though is every one of their albums has the same problem for me. i couldn't put my finger on it until i read a review on them and they hit it on the head. The whole disc is amazing, but before you know it, its over. it's very straightforward trance, but excellent trance. i just like more hills and valleys, but they are all great. This is their best mix in my opinion.

Technically, I haven't listen to this album. .

I have thrown in this CD to, basically, relax or do work and I melt into what I'm doing.

I have put it on, probably, six to seven times and have, only, noticed 4 songs:
"Illumina" by Maor Levi
"Can't Sleep" by Above and Beyond
"Small Step On The Other Side" by Basic Perspective
and "Get Off" by Super8

The first two were noticable because they are Vocal Trance.
And the second two, I believe, were just catchy.

I'm not saying that the album is bad. I just tune out when I listen trance music.

Maybe, others may feel me on what I'm saying.
So, . . . XM Radio has a Electronica/Dance channel called "The System". Above and Beyond has a weekly show every Friday at 10pm Eastern. This album is similar to what they play every week.

So, Enjoy.

I got Vol 2 & 3 and I must say that this is the best one so far. It is utterly fantanstic. I got it because other people on Amazon recommended it and I got to admit, this is utterly the best Anjunabeats I have heard. Every track is good. It is not like Vol 2 where I was listening to Taurine, Kallocain, and Cre8 again and again without much regard for the rest of the album. Vol 4 is like one continuous good, wonderful, uplifting, beautiful, perfect piece of progressive trance. This is a true keeper. After 10 years, when I look back on the Summer of 2007, I know I will first remember this album, it is just that good.

I am ordering Anjunabeats, Vol 5 and the Worldwide Vol 1 immediately! Others are saying they are even better than Vol 4. If that is true, this is going to be the best Summer for Trance in a long time!!!!

Buy this! It is worth it! Just buy it already! I wake up at 4 am just to listen to this album 3 times before going to work! It is that good!!!!

for some reason I kept misplacing this cd, so I had the case, but alas, no cd. I kept forgetting and would come across the case and...so I finally found the cd again. I remember this one was reviewed well on amg. it is great there are some amazing moments on this album. if you are into trance/house/dance, it is a must own. I am making my way into the other albums in the series, but this sets the bar pretty high, if you like melodic trance, you won't be disappointed.

This is a bit of a retro review for me, as I own volume 5, 6 & 7 at this point, but I got excited about volume 8 coming out and got a bit nostalgic and decided to review some of their older work.

At this point I have listened to and own Volumes 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, Anjunadeep 1 & 2 and Worldwide 1 and I am a huge fan of Above & Beyond. This one has to rate at the low end of the list of their compilations however. But this isn't really that bad of a thing because I wouldn't rate any of the above mentioned lower than a 4 star. Their work is wonderful.

That being said, the album has some crazy good highlights. "Come Play Perfect" "Illumina" & "White" are the main ones I'm talking about. Come Play Perfect is just about the best Boom Jinx I have ever heard, and that's saying a lot because the man is an absolute power house. And White has such a unique quality, you almost feel like you've been transported to a different place. There are also a lot of wonderful classics like "5" and "Aria Epica" in there.

So with all that, why would I only give it 4 stars? Well...Something just seems to be missing. There isn't really a big 'pop' moment with the compilation like there has been with some of the others, like "Terminal 6" in volume 7 or "Sundance" in Anjunadeep 1. But the album is definitely a gem if only for Come Play Perfect and White.

Enjoy!

It may not have a lot of vocals to it, but the beats are fricken awesome. I especially love that song "North Pole" track 8; I only wish it was longer.

This is by far the best volume of the Anjunabeats series. Not that the first three volumes are bad, on the contrary, they are great too. But Above & Beyond have definitely put together a great compilation here. Highly recommended!

Above and Beyond is an unknown beauty in trance. The fusion of euphoric melody, deep bass lines, and playful beats sets this talented duo apart from most other trance DJ's. Ajunabeats Vol. 4 is a tremendous addition to an already fantastic volume of music promoted by Above and Beyond, and truly sets the standard for innovative trance.

The music develops energetically throughout the set, slowly mounting into a fascinating soundscape; one that is full of elation and wonder. From its beginning to end you get lost in a reminiscent daydream, wondering if the next track will be as beautiful as the last. I was never disappointed.

I highly recommend this album, along with Above and Beyond's other releases, to people who listen for the emotional beauty of music. There is musical genius hidden in every track; and for that simple reason alone, it is quite an album to own.

By far the best of the Anjunabeats series. A&B bring a lot of great beats and energy to this album while keeping to their Trance roots. A great listen front to back for any Trance fan.