Bringin’ It Backwards: Interview with Topic and ATB

Listen & Subscribe to BiB

Videos by American Songwriter

Together with American Songwriter, we had the pleasure of interviewing Topic and ATB over Zoom video! 

Legendary German producer/DJ/songwriter ATB teams up with Topic and A7S on “Your Love (9pm)” – the first-ever official remake of ATB’s breakthrough 1998 hit, “9pm (Till I Come).” Working together in a German studio, ATB and Topic flawlessly blended their musical styles to create the track, along with A7S, who finalized the lyrics via video call.

“Over the past 20 years, I’ve received so many requests for collaborations, remakes and cover versions of my song ‘9pm (Till I Come)’ but I passed on them all because I was never really satisfied with the sound of the approach nor the final,” explains ATB. “Then I listened to Topic’s ‘Breaking Me’ together with Rudi (management) and we immediately had the feeling that these two sound worlds could fuse together perfectly.”

Fit for the TikTok generation, ATB & Topic’s reimagined version features A7S’ soaring vocals and a powerful, full-bodied bassline alongside the distinctive guitar hook and sun-kissed trance energy that made the original a worldwide hit.

“‘9pm (Till I Come)’ is an absolute dance classic that I’ve known and loved since I was little,” says Topic. “It is therefore a great honor to be the first to reissue this number together with ATB. The typical ATB guitar riff paired with my ‘melancholic dance music’ sound and the unmistakable voice of A7S results in a perfect symbiosis!”

“Your Love (9pm)” follows on from what has been a career-defining year for German/Croatian producer Topic and Swedish singer/songwriter A7S. Their first collaboration, “Breaking Me,” became one of the most successful singles of 2020, amassing more than one billion combined global streams. The song hit No. 1 on the Mediabase U.S. dance radio tally, iTunes and the Global Top 200 Shazam chart, earning certifications in 27 countries around the world, including Gold status in the U.S. and Platinum in the U.K. The duo enlisted GRAMMY®-nominated U.S. rapper Lil Baby for the follow-up single, “Why Do You Lie To Me,” which has racked up over 35 million Spotify streams and garnered strong U.K. radio support from the likes of BBC Radio 1, Capital FM and Kiss FM.

ATB’s “9pm (Till I Come)” topped the U.K.’s Official Singles chart in 1999, becoming the first trance song to reach No. 1 in Britain. It entered the top 10 in numerous countries, including Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart in the U.S., where it opened the door for electronic dance music on mainstream radio. The song’s enduring appeal is highlighted in this clip, which shows Ed Sheeran and Max Martin dancing to “9pm.” ATB’s subsequent string of hits – which included “Don’t Stop,” “Ecstasy,” “Let U Go,” “What About Us,” “Move On” and ‘When It Ends It Starts Again” – has consistently earned him a spot in the prestigious DJ Mag “Top 100” poll for nearly two decades. He has released 10 studio albums and more than 40 singles, earning Platinum and Gold awards in numerous countries.

While paying homage to an iconic ‘90s dance track, ATB, Topic and A7S have delivered a thoroughly modern anthem with “Your Love (9pm).”

We want to hear from you! Please email [email protected].

www.BringinitBackwards.com

Listen & Subscribe to BiB

Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter

Leave a Reply

Book Review: ‘Midnight Train’ By Jim Weatherly with Jeff Roberson