The Big Hits, Unmixed

If you are already an ATB fan you know what you're getting with most of the tracks on here. If you're not, this is probably the best album to expose yourself to the world of ATB.

When this album came out a year ago, the first six tracks were brand new. Since then many have gone on to be released as singles and mixed by other DJs. The other 14 are the biggest hits that ATB put out during his first seven years as a producer and DJ. They go in reverse order, with the newest tracks first and the oldest stuff at the end.

For someone not familiar with ATB, this disc gives you a feel of what he is like. If you have never heard of him, you should know that he is very diverse. While it is, to a degree, easy for a music person to pick an ATB work out of a group of songs, no two songs sound alike.

Examples: The remake of "Let U Go" has a 1980s feel to it. "Trilogie Part 2" is a somber piano piece, and reminds me a lot of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" in both style and structure--except it has some electronic elements in it as well. "Believe in Me" sounds like a modern pop song, while "In Love With the DJ" has a definite techno feel to it. There is more a trance sound than anything in songs like "Far Beyond" (which is one of the best tracks on here), "Ecstasy", and "Fields of Love".

All of the songs on here are unmixed. Many times you will hear an ATB song that has been remixed by another DJ. Some appear to be shorter than the original on here ("Long Way Home" seems shorter than I remember from its original version) but it makes them more like radio edits in this respect.

My personal favorite track on here is "Far Beyond". It's an instrumental piece. The structure is similar to that of classical Music, especially Beethoven, but the feel is very modern and both moving and reflective at the same time. It's very emotional to listen to, and it's done to perfection.

The singers on here include Tiff Lacey, Jan Löchel, and Roberta Carter Harrison. Harrison is the singer most people think of when they think ATB, and was in the Canadian group Wild Strawberries. Löchel and Lacey are relative newcomers to ATB, but both are solid. Having Löchel on board adds a solid male vocalist, once again giving ATB another dimension of sound. He was in Four Strings, if I recall correctly, back in the day. I am hoping for a Löchel-Lacey duet at some point in the future...they are that good.

The only complaint I have about this album is that "Sunset Girl" is not on it. It's a song from "Addicted to Music" and not only has that vintage structure (see above) but also has a very unique yet definite ATB feel to it. While it was never released as a single like many of the songs on here were, it would have been a great addition, and one that folks who appreciate ATB's instrumental tracks would enjoy.

My other gripe has nothing to do with the album itself, but rather the distribution. This disc seems pretty scarce in the USA, which is too bad because it's something that needs to be heard. This music is thought-provoking, insightful, and not filled with the profanities that clutter American music today. ATB is very popular in Germany (André Tanneberger's native country), but he needs more publicity overseas outside of the trance music community. Having this album available in more retail stores would definitely help.

If you can't find it, download it on iTunes. The music never gets old--this is the most recent album I've downloaded and that was three months ago. I'm still savoring it today. While I can't say it's for everyone, there is enough variety on here that you should find at least one that you fall in love with, if not the whole album.