Some vocal records become faster without becoming more urgent. Ben Nicky’s remix of Above & Beyond and Zoë Johnston’s “Quicksand (Don’t Go)” understands the difference.
At 140 BPM, the British producer transforms one of the most vulnerable songs from Bigger Than All Of Us into peak-time Uplifting Trance. Johnston’s fear of approaching loss remains intact, but the music beneath her no longer waits for the inevitable—it runs directly towards it.
From Group Therapy 600 to Dreamstate
“Quicksand” introduced Above & Beyond’s fifth electronic album after debuting at Group Therapy 600 in Mexico City. Released in March 2025, it quickly became a defining vocal moment in the subsequent album tour.
Sultan + Shepard delivered the first official remix later that year, taking the song into darker Progressive House. Ben Nicky chooses the opposite direction. After debuting his interpretation at Dreamstate in 2025, he raises the tempo, reinforces the low end and turns the song’s emotional tension into main-floor propulsion.
Zoë Johnston Remains the Emotional Centre
The remix works because Johnston is not reduced to a familiar vocal sample. Her performance remains the record’s central narrative.
Her lyric describes the dread of watching a profound loss approach and feeling powerless to prevent it. Against Ben Nicky’s relentless rhythmic movement, that vulnerability becomes even more exposed. The instrumental pushes forward while the voice asks for connection and more time.
B-flat minor maintains the required emotional weight. Even when the synths reach their brightest and the production opens into full uplifting release, sadness remains embedded in the harmony.
Ben Nicky Builds for the Peak-Time Floor
A forceful kick, tightly controlled bassline and rapidly expanding synth layers establish a clear 140 BPM identity. This is not Above & Beyond’s measured Progressive Trance rebuilt slightly faster; it is a direct Uplifting Trance interpretation designed for the most energetic stage of a set.
The 5:36 Extended Mix supplies DJs with enough room to establish the rhythm, introduce the vocal and build towards the principal release without overstaying its purpose. Its strongest moment comes from the collision between Johnston’s restraint and the scale of the production around her.
That efficiency brings the remix’s main reservation. The faster, compact arrangement leaves less space for the discomfort and stillness that made the original so affecting. Grief becomes a catalyst for collective release rather than something the music pauses to examine.
TranceAttack Verdict
Ben Nicky does not try to rewrite the emotional meaning of “Quicksand.” He amplifies its urgency until it becomes physical.
The result is a powerful meeting between Above & Beyond’s songwriting, Zoë Johnston’s unmistakable vulnerability and Ben Nicky’s peak-time instincts. It is more direct than nuanced and more cathartic than contemplative—but as a 140 BPM Vocal Trance remix, it achieves exactly what the song and the dancefloor require.
⭐️ Rating: 9 / 10
🎧 Perfect For
- Peak-time Uplifting and Vocal Trance sets
- Emotional transitions into a harder 140 BPM section
- Dreamstate and Luminosity-style festival moments
- Above & Beyond fans wanting a faster interpretation
- DJs combining emotional vocals with uncompromising energy
Artist: Above & Beyond, Zoë Johnston, Ben Nicky
Track: Quicksand (Don’t Go) (Ben Nicky Remix)
Style: Uplifting Vocal Trance
BPM: 140
Label: Anjunabeats
Release Date: August 27th, 2026
Get your copy here: https://aboveandbeyond.ffm.to/quicksand-ben-nicky.ois
Connect with Above & Beyond:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aboveandbeyond
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aboveandbeyond
X: https://www.twitter.com/aboveandbeyond
Connect with Zoë Johnston:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialzoejohnston
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamzoejohnston
X: https://www.twitter.com/zojohnston
Connect with Ben Nicky:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bennickymusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bennicky
X: https://www.twitter.com/bennicky
Connect with Anjunabeats:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anjunabeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anjunabeats
X: https://www.twitter.com/anjunabeats
