It seems hard to believe, but a decade has passed since ATB made waves with his “Movin Melodies“ album. 10 years in which André Tanneberger travelled the globe over and over, mesmerizing his fans all over the world with his unique DJ sets. A decade in which ATB presented eight albums – including the newest ATB LP “Future Memories“, set for May release – to lighten up our days and nights with exquisite electronic music, melodic yet pulsating. The new CD is more eagerly anticipated than ever – with good reason. Breaking the rule of an album every year, “Future Memories“ was two years in the making. This was not necessarily the original plan, but the sheer number of international ATB gigs and tours simply did not allow a timeframe to record an album in a concentrated period of a few months.
So it was that, on returning from each tour during the last two years, a new track was born, reflecting the impressions and experiences on the road and on stage. “Two years might sound like a long time to produce an album. But I spent roughly the same amount of time on “Future Memories“ as on my previous LPs“, André explains. The methodology was different this time around, however. “Unlike the last album, which was very much based on classic songwriting and real instruments, “Future Memories“ has more of a focus on keyboards and synthesizers again. I wanted to get back to my roots in electronic sounds,“ ATB continues. Of course, both André Tanneberger and his music have developed further, adding new, refined touches to the classic ATB sound. Tempo is of the essence on the new recordings, raising the bar higher than ever for a trance album.
Hence “Future Memories“ features four tracks which clock in at over 165 beats per minute. Anyone who thinks this signals a departure into hardcore or techno by ATB would be mistaken. In spite of their high speed, these songs still have that essential ATB soul. Meanwhile, “Future Memories“ also serves up a number of ATB tracks as the fans know and love them – indeed the sound which has won ATB so many loyal fans over the years. The tracks registering over 165 bpm are there to get people to think more deeply about the album, as André explains “controversy makes it more interesting, it gets listeners to engage with the album more intensely“. He’s certainly achieved that with flying colours, judging by the heated debate in forums in advance of the release already.
“Future Memories“ contains 26 tracks on two CDs. One with driving, melodic club music, the other in a more ambient style. “On my other albums I used the 2nd CD to show my fans another side of ATB. Same again with “Future Memories“. I love ambient music, love listening to it and producing songs in the genre, I find it enjoyable and relaxing. Most of these songs were created at home in a more intimate environment“ ATB points out.
It goes without saying that André has collaborated with other artists for the new album. This has been one of his trademarks over the past decade. This time, there are songs with Roberta Carter Harrison, Haley and Josh Gallahan, no strangers to connoisseurs of earlier ATB records. Betsy Larkin and Aruna are two brand new guests on the album. Fans of ATB’s instrumental tracks will also find plenty to keep them happy.
Sightings of André in Germany over the last couple of years have been few and far between. As electronic music grows into an increasingly global phenomenon, ATB has been travelling to a dfferent country almost every week. Fans in his home territory could be forgiven for thinking that ATB had gone quiet. In fact, the opposite is the case. André is one of a very select group of musicians in the genre to have succeeded in creating timeless music. Without doubt he belongs to the elite of the global electronic community. One only needs to look at his releases and chart history to realise this – not to mention the fact that his DJ sets are in such great demand among the clubs and fans alike.
In spite of his global success, André has kept both feet firmly on the ground and has never lost sight of his fans being the prime focus of his attention. International travel means less time for his followers in respective countries, but he is always willing to give them something back. With this in mind, he created the ATB “Live In Concert“ experience, a live event which transcends the DJ set framework, a fully-fledged concert presentation featuring live vocals and real instruments. “In contrast to my DJ sets, where I use a lot of material by other artists, ATB In Concert is all about my own songs “ André explains. “This is my way of offering the fans who have stuck with me over the last ten years a dedicated ATB live show from start to finish.“ Seven such concerts are scheduled for 2009.
„Future Memories“ also includes a new version of André Tanneberger’s worldwide hit “9 P.M. – Till I Come“. Not in any way a sign of commercial sell-out, much more a consequence of ATB having played the track at almost every gig in the past ten years. “9 P.M. was a must for my fans. They expected, even demanded it – and I was happy to oblige“ he says. He always endeavoured to play mixes of the song which no other DJ had. “I now wanted to have a new version of 9 P.M. to play in my sets, which nobody else could play. I didn’t expect the reaction of the fans at the gigs to be so overwhelming. Which is why I have added a mix of the new version as a bonus on “Future Memories“ – as a way of saying thank you to the fans.“
Hey ATB! : ) “Watch your thoughts, for they become words; watch your words, for they become actions; watch your actions, for they become habits; watch your habits, for they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny." ~ Mahatma Ghandi”
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