Wolfgang Gartner

In less than three years the producer and DJ known as Wolfgang Gartner has gone from strength to strength, with eight #1 tracks on Beatport (including the site’s best-selling track of 2009) and remixes for A-list artists (Black Eyed Peas, Timbaland, Britney Spears), all lauded by peers such as David Guetta, Tïesto, and Pete Tong. No, with the forename Wolfgang, Gartner’s success shouldn’t surprise anyone. And yet it does. Because that is his stock in trade: surprising listeners. “Right now, I feel like I have a responsibility to advance the genre,” he says. “I have to come up with something completely new, that’s never been done before.”

He has played before thousands at events like Coachella and Ultra Music Festival. Black Eyed Peas main man will.i.am has already tapped him for collaborations, and legendary record executive Jimmy Iovine - who has nurtured the careers of icons ranging from Eminem to Stevie Nicks - has displayed a strong interest in Gartner.

Whereas many producers start with a rhythm track, Gartner is more likely to begin with a melody and a concept, and experiment… and experiment and experiment… until the pieces begin to click. “Music doesn’t just come out of thin air,” he admits. “Inspiration is a natural process.” And it can’t be forced. As he moves forward, Gartner doesn’t want to just advance his art form - he also wants to put a fresh twist on Top 40 fare. “I definitely want to work with pop and rap artists as a producer.” So long as his identity and integrity remain intact: “I want to make what I like making, and if a rapper can rap on it, then great.” With numerous new projects in the pipeline, he still appreciates the distinction between world domination and overexposure. “I’m definitely about quality over quantity,” he concludes. With Wolfgang Gartner, only one thing is certain: his next move is always a surprise.