Ahead of his performance at the Perth leg of Global Gathering's maiden Australian tour James Broadhurst caught up with ATB, one of Germany’s longest lasting and prolific producers, to talk about his latest album project, what it is like to have split personalities and why he will never make country music.

ATB, aka Andre Tanneberger, has been a massive part and influential member of Germany’s club circuit for longer than most of his peers and what sets this artist apart from the masses is the way he continues to re-invent himself as an artist, producer and DJ.

His first big single, ‘9pm (Till I Come),’ was released 10 years ago on a myriad of labels and was on heavy rotation at most radio stations and clubs in Germany and abroad.

Initially punters were sceptical of ATB’s potential as an artist and many believed he would simply come and go as so many producers did during the early 90s, but after 10 years and seven artist albums ATB says his key to success has been to continually evolve and never do the same thing twice.

“When I started with ‘9pm’ everyone was saying ‘this is only a one hit wonder’ and nothing will come of it, but I always show people that ATB changes and when you listen to the last seven albums the style changed with new voices, new styles and instruments and this is what I’m looking for. I’m always trying to surprise people with the unexpected and I can always be different. People will listen to the next album and be very surprised because it is so different from my previous.”

The aforementioned previous album is Trilogy, an album that delved deep into ATB’s creative psyche to reveal two distinctive personalities.

One of these personalities was an upfront dance music producer intent on creating music oozing with energy and the other persona allowed ATB to showcase his creative talents as a musician with deep, moving atmospheres and emotive sound scapes.

ATB says neither of these two personas could exist without the assistance of a third, which is perhaps his most expressive creative outlet, but don’t ask him to play favourites because to ATB each persona is as important as the last.

“I’m three people, the writer, the producer and a DJ, but I don’t prefer any one part over the others because all three parts are really important for the things I’m doing. I would never be a DJ without the start I made in making my own music and writing my own music. I would never be into this music without going out to clubs and being interested in DJs. Every part is very important and I could never do dance music without being on stage as a DJ.”

His DJ persona is very talented indeed. ATB has travelled far and wide throughout his career and while he has large fan base in Germany he says America is one of his favourite places to tour, but unlike some touring DJs ATB prefers to put himself, quite literally, in the drivers seat.

“I decided to do this tour by bus, with a big nightliner. With just three people it is a little too big, but it’s great because you have the opportunity to see the country the landscapes and you meet the people and you are not always in the airport getting questioned by security.”

Touring a country by bus has its obvious advantages and for ATB it means he takes home so much more than ‘free’ bath-robes and small single use toiletries.

“When you do a tour by plane you go from airport, hotel, gig, hotel, airport and when you do it by bus, like how we have done, it’s a really nice feeling. You always have a little home with you and you drive through the landscapes and see the country and that is what I am looking for.”

Another thing ATB is constantly searching for is change.

ATB has made a career out of finding new ways to challenge himself and his latest collection of studio offerings will give listeners a glimpse into ATB’s future direction as he transgresses from his previous approach that utilised a mix of real instruments and, more traditional, electronic tools.

“On the next album I will change this and I’m looking forward to being more electronic. I don’t use any real instruments for the next album and I think this kind of development is the reason I am still there after 10 years.”

10 years is a long time to spend writing music and one does not survive 10 years in the fast paced dance music arena without developing their sounds and styles to suit the tastes of clubbers and ATB has a powerful resource at his disposal to keep in touch with his fans.

“I have a forum to answer questions and I have a myspace that I do myself, even though it is a lot of work and it isn’t easy. This contact is really, really important for me and it is really easy for me because I have direct contact with my fans. What I realised is that as I get older, my fans also get older. The people who listened to me ten years ago would know that my music was really young, but ten years on a lot of the people who first heard my music are still here and still listening to my music. Their taste in music gets more serious and this is what I’m looking for. As I get older my tastes have also changed and it is very normal that things you write, or producer get more mature.”

This maturity may mean more ‘serious’ music from ATB in the future, but do not go thinking he will abandon the electronic bandwagon altogether to pursue more organic forms of music just because he gets a little wiser.

“I’m still in love with electronic music and I don’t do country music just because I get older. I’m sure that when I’m fifty I’ll still be doing this kind of music”

Even after ten years in the music industry ATB is still searching for ways to challenge himself and create music that leaves people with nothing but good times and plenty of fond memories.

With his innovative and evolutionary approach to electronic music production ATB will be delivering the goods in the studio and in live performance arenas all over the globe for a long time to come.

Here is to another 10 years of ATB.

You can catch ATB performing at the upcoming Global Gathering Festival at The Esplenade on Sunday November 23.