Above & Beyond’s Paavo Siljamäki releases debut solo album as P.O.S, ‘Deeper Tales’
The culmination of a personal journey, ‘Deeper Tales’ sees Paavo reconnect with club culture, and rediscover himself, for his debut solo album as P.O.S. A celebrated musician and DJ, Paavo Siljamäki is one-third of the legendary British dance institution Above & Beyond, founders of the London-based label Anjunabeats. Double GRAMMY-nominated, RIAA Gold Certified artists, the trio have taken iconic festival stages and legendary live venues by storm, from Glastonbury, EDC, and Creamfields, to the Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden. But over the past five years, Paavo grappled with a number of personal and health-related difficulties, including several battles with Covid. “Basically, I had a burnout. I just couldn’t see what I wanted to do. And after my burnout, I was like: what is dance music to me? I don’t really know even if I like it. I’ve heard – I’ve written – too many build-ups! So I thought: that’s me done,” Paavo says. Nature gave Paavo a sense of renewed purpose. It first inspired his work on Above & Beyond’s ambient album ‘Flow State’, and later drew him back onto the dance floor. “There’s no feeling of freedom like being at sea,” he adds. “When I’m sailing, I synchronize with the sunrise and sunset – we almost always get up at sunrise. So this is like being really aligned with nature. I found that, after my burnout, and Covid, I really found myself in nature. There’s something about being closer with nature that is really healing – and very inspiring.” After spending years behind the decks on stage, Paavo reflected on his experiences as a teenage rave kid, and felt compelled to dance in the heart of the crowd at the desert raves of Burning Man and clubs in Ibiza. His ‘Deeper Tales’ album embodies these recent experiences; uplifting, emotive club records with many debuted during Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy 500 and Anjunadeep Open Air L.A. celebrations last autumn. Paavo Siljamäki has already amassed over 1.5M streams on his ‘Deeper Tales’ album singles to date, with ‘Polar Bears’ peaking at #6 in the Beatport Progressive House Chart. Born in a studio jam in Los Angeles in late 2021, ‘Polar Bears’ is a collaboration with DJ, producer, and Paavo’s close friend, Spencer Brown. Paavo and Spencer’s friendship stretches back to 2014, when the budding producer caught the ear of Above & Beyond with his debut release ‘Chalice’ on Avicii’s imprint LE7ELS. The lead single from ‘Deeper Tales’ pairs P.O.S with anamē for an adaptation of ‘Lonely River’ by Kyan. UK-based Kyan Kuatois’ chart-topping discography includes collaborations with Duke Dumont on ‘Need You (100%)’ and Madeon on his 2015 hit track ‘You’re On’. Paavo recently completed his ‘Deeper Tales’ tour across North America to celebrate his latest releases as P.O.S. Shows in Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, and more gave fans a unique insight into Paavo’s creative identity outside of Above & Beyond. P.O.S ‘Deeper Tales’ is out now on Anjunabeats, get your first listen below! ‘Deeper Tales’ Tracklist Is It Ok? Good People Thunder & Sunshine Polar Bears Lonely River (P.O.S & anamē remix) Let You Go Not Going Back It’s Me (P.O.S Mix) For Those We Lost Tahiti Burning Sunset Coming Home We Will Get Through This