ATB Shows Off His Versatility With Contact (Album Preview)

Trance legend Andre Tanneberger, better known to dance music lovers as ATB, is giving his fans a belated holiday treat to begin the new year. A minimix preview of his upcoming studio album Contact, which comes out January 24^th, is available on Soundcloud via the record company behind the album, Kontor Records. The mix is 10:29 long and samples each of the 26 songs on the album, in the order of the track-listing, which is divided into two discs. The studio album, ATB’s first since Distant Earth in 2011, has a distinct style for each disc. Each track on the first disc features vocals, while each track on the second is purely instrumental.

Disc one, having 14 songs, features several vocalists and artists throughout. This includes Canadian brother-sister electronic duo Boss & Swan, American JES, and German rock band Stanfour. Track after track, ATB, with the help of those featuring, provides and undeniably complimentary beat and groove which showcases the varying styles of vocals in all the best ways. Whether it’s the upbeat intensity drawing out the passion of Face to Face, or the smooth piano background allowing the vocals of JanSoon to take the lead in Now or Never, ATB illustrates the versatility of trance over and over again.

ATB performing at FreakNight 2013.

The second set of tracks is what those who have followed ATB throughout his career will consider ‘classic ATB’. These twelve tracks range from upbeat head-bobbing jams such as Jetstream to smooth flowing melodies like those in the album’s title track Contact, and come all the way back to warm, soulful tunes like Galaxia. As different as the second disc of tracks is from the first, the obvious constant that remains throughout the album is flexibility. Vocals or not, ATB shows the way in which the trance genre can be stretched and manipulated. He does this while still maintaining the ability to put his ATB-touch on each track.

Those who were lucky enough to experience ATB’s set at FreakNight last October can speak to the quality of his live shows. His production history speaks for itself, and it doesn’t seem as though things are changing anytime soon. Let us know what you think of the preview and how excited you are for the upcoming album, which can be pre-ordered here.