Mr Gregory is truly closing the year in style.
As the year slowly waves goodbye, few things remain to be experienced before we change our calendars. And when we thought nothing could surprise us, here he comes again: Simon Gregory. The man who’s given us endless golden nuggets (and a couple golden bars) throughout these past months has just done it one last time before 2024 ends: with his first-ever solo Anjunabeats single, and one extra surprise.
The UK-based Trance producer has garnered acclaim for his releases on A-tier labels like Anjunabeats (of course), but also Enhanced, Mondo, and Elliptical Sun, among others. His collaboration with Nitrous Oxide, ‘Fusion’, took his sound to Above & Beyond’s legendary Anjunabeats Volume Series compilation, in particular the 16th entry. It also gave birth to Digital Drift, the sonic pairing of him and Nitrous Oxide.
All in all, this year was quite fruitful for Simon Gregory, even giving him the chance to put out an entire album’s worth of music under Digital Drift. ‘Ah Funk It‘ is Gregory’s latest belter, and it combines his characteristic groovy notes with chord progressions that are so reminiscent of Trance done right.
‘Ah Funk It’
This tune has a different approach to Progressive Trance, and I dig it because of it. It’s a bit more toned-down on the percussion side, giving room for the melodic elements to truly shine. In a world where over-the-top-percussion is quite a common resource to elevate mixes, it’s refreshing to see a track achieve the same power but with, say, a muffled clap/rim hybrid.
And the break is simply spectacular. To me, it’s the focal point of the entire piece, marked by an old-school-like Trance break, with broken beats and warm saw leads which come in and out of the picture, as if they simulated a soft tide. Continuing with the analogy, the subtle vocal line “Raindrops keep falling // Sunshine is coming” serves as the anchor to your boat; something to hold on to while the sea unravels.
ABGT Guest Mix
And you thought that was all? No sir. This week, the second to last one of the entire year, he’s not only wrapped things up with features on several major label compilations and huge announcements for NYD (Trance Sanctuary, London) and Luminosity 2025 (with two sets). In fact, he’ll be this week’s special guest in Above & Beyond’s iconic radioshow, Group Therapy.
Praised as one of every artist’s largest milestones, a slot on ABGT is a huge deal, for it not only allows for a connection to a great audience who trusts the artists in charge, it also shows the British trio trust you and your sonic quote. “Never been more excited for a guest mix, and the opportunity to share my style of music with the Anjunafamily is such a wonderful way to round off what has been an incredible year of highs!“, says Gregory.
We also asked him about what to expect of the guest mix, since he’ll be in charge of the last quarter of today’s 2-hour-long episode. “This guest mix covers a slight change in direction for me as an artist, looking to merge funky bass and house style elements to a trance style melodic break. I have been experimenting heavily with some new directions in my sound trying to grow as an artist and combine my usual melodic elements to a simple but punchy drop. Hopefully it pays off!“.
So now you know, tune in to today’s ABGT609 at 7 PM GMT (2 PM ET, 11 AM PT) to hear what Simon Gregory has in store for 2025, alongside the finest records of the past (and upcoming) days, presented by Above & Beyond’s very own Jono Grant. Make sure to stay tuned to our page for the latest news and views from the Dance music industry!