Alec Empire
Encyclopedia
Alec Empire is a German musician who is best known as a founding member of the band Atari Teenage Riot
. Also a prolific and distinguished solo artist, producer
and DJ
, he has released well over a hundred albums, EPs and singles and remixed over seventy tracks for various artists including Björk
. He was also the driving force behind the creation of the digital hardcore
subgenre and the record labels Digital Hardcore Recordings
and Eat Your Heart Out.
. His maternal grandfather, Karl Steinhof, was a self-made millionaire who patented the first domestic hand-knitting appliance during the economic boom in Germany in the 1950s.
Wilke grew up during the Cold War
near the Berlin Wall
, which he would pass every day on his way to school. The frequent sight of patrol guards with guns influenced his outlook on life from an early age. He describes Berlin at the time as: "Probably the most left radical place in Germany in the 70s, terrorists, a lot of demonstrations, and probably the first address to hear the latest American music, because of the radio shows the US soldiers brought to Berlin."
led to a vogueing
career on the streets of Berlin. Later disillusioned by that genre becoming increasingly commercial, he left it behind in favour of a completely different form of musical expression. He had played guitar
since the age of eight which coupled with his politically-charged upbringing eventually led him to punk
music; he formed his first band, Die Kinder, at age twelve.
By sixteen, however, Wilke came to believe that the punk movement
was "dead" (though the anti-establishment
punk attitude would figure significantly in his subsequent output). After leaving Die Kinder, he began listening to classical music and experimenting with electronic instruments. He eventually became fascinated by the rave
scene, and, following German reunification
, frequented underground raves in East Berlin
, believing his native West Berlin scene to be too commercialised. Known earlier in his career as LX Empire he produced a great deal of what he refers to as "faceless DJ music". In 1991, while DJing on a beach in France with friend Hanin Elias
, he caught the attention of Ian Pooley
, which led to the release of a number of 12" records on the Force Inc. label.
Although Empire was a prolific producer and DJ at this time, and made a comfortable enough living, he nevertheless saw the rave scene as decadent
and selfish. This angered him, as he and his friends lived in a city embroiled in politics, and the demise of communist-led governments had given rise to increased conservatism
in Germany, whilst few people cared. The German neo-Nazi movement had invaded the scene, declaring trance techno
"true German music".
Empire retaliated by utilising samples
of 60s and 70s funk
– a predominantly black style of music – in his solo work. In order to further spread the message, he gathered like-minded individuals Hanin Elias (also a former punk) and Carl Crack
(a Swazi MC) to form a band. In 1992, the trio became known as Atari Teenage Riot
(ATR).
s (again sampled from funk and rap, but replayed at more than twice their original speeds), heavy guitar riff
s, and the shouting of politically-driven lyrics and slogans by the band members (as well as sampled dialogue). Empire provided much of the musical direction, and with the later input of Japanese-American noise
musician Nic Endo
, the ATR sound took on a more chaotic, arrhythmic nature marked by rough sequencing, improvised
mixing and extended "noise-fests".
ATR signed a record deal with Phonogram
, a major UK label, in 1993. The two parted ways after only a couple of single releases, due to the band's refusal to play by the label's rules. In 1994, using the non-refundable cash advance from the deal, Empire started an independent record label
which allowed its artists the freedom of expression Phonogram were unlikely to give. He named it Digital Hardcore Recordings
(DHR); "digital hardcore
" would become a general term used to describe the direction his sound had taken. That year, DHR released EPs
by EC8OR
, Sonic Subjunkies, and Empire himself.
While working with ATR, Empire continued steadily with his solo output. He recorded for Force Inc. under several pseudonym
s, including the Detroit techno
-inspired Jaguar. He also recorded several albums for Force Inc.'s experimental sub-label Mille Plateaux
, including Generation Star Wars
(his first full solo album) and Low on Ice
, which he recorded entirely on his laptop during a three day tour of Iceland with ATR. In 1995, ATR released their first proper album, Delete Yourself!
, on DHR, and, in 1996, Empire released his first solo album for DHR, The Destroyer
. In that year, Empire and Mike D signed a deal to release a number of DHR's recordings on the Beastie Boys
' Grand Royal
record label in the United States. The label also invited DHR artists to tour the US leading to recognition by MTV
and alternative radio stations.
ATR spent the next few years touring the world with artists such as Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Beck
, Rage Against the Machine
, the Wu-Tang Clan
and Ministry
, as well as headlining such memorable shows as the Digital Hardcore festival at CBGB's
in New York City
in 1998, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall
show in London
in 1999 at the request of fan John Peel
. During this time they introduced Nic Endo
to their ranks as a fourth member. Listener opinion was often divided over the newer sounds ATR subsequently incorporated, and this, along with other factors, began to strain the band.
All of the members found some comfort in their solo work – Empire's output at this time would include his sole release as Nintendo Teenage Robots, and the bootleg recording
Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley
, as well as remixes for the likes of The Mad Capsule Markets
, Mogwai
and Thurston Moore
. However, ATR's problems worsened. Onstage at one show in Seattle in 1999, Empire slashed his forearms with a razor. At another show that year in London, in which ATR supported Nine Inch Nails
, the band dispensed with the usual song-based formula and delivered one long barrage of what could only be described as "noise"; this would later be released as Live at Brixton Academy
.
By the end of 1999, Empire was mentally exhausted, Elias was pregnant and Crack was suffering from psychosis
induced by prolonged drug use. The band was put on hiatus; its future was made even more doubtful following Crack's death in 2001, and Elias' decision to leave DHR and create Fatal Recordings
.
Empire rebounded in 2001 when he, with assistance from Endo, recorded Intelligence and Sacrifice
. The album contained two discs: the first retained the ATR formula, yet exhibited a more polished production style and lyrics of an unusually introspective nature; the second disc was an electronic instrumental album, and in contrast was more experimental. He used an all-star lineup in his first live "Alec Empire" show at the Fuji Rock Festival
in Japan: Charlie Clouser
(ex-Nine Inch Nails
) played synths
, Masami "Merzbow" Akita
and Gabe Serbian
(The Locust
) both played drums, and Endo played synths and keyboards.
Empire's next lineup would include a guitarist, Robbie Furze, who would later record for DHR with Panic DHH. Empire also played a series of live shows performing material from the second disc of Intelligence and Sacrifice; one of these was released as The CD2 Sessions
in 2003. He returned in 2005 with Futurist
, which was less electronic than its predecessor and had more of a raw punk-rock sound, albeit assisted by drum machines and some processing.
Empire began 2006 by DJing at industrial
pioneers Throbbing Gristle
's New Year's Eve party. During that year he remixed fellow Germans Rammstein
(whom he once said were "successful for all the wrong reasons") and New York hardcore band Most Precious Blood. He also recorded a cover version of The Monks
' "Monk Time" for a tribute album with that band's singer Gary Burger, and Russell Simins of Blues Explosion. Atari Teenage Riot: 1992-2000
, a retrospective album, was released by DHR on 3 July 2006.
". The label's first release was his 12" single "Robot L.O.V.E.
", followed by an album, The Golden Foretaste of Heaven
, recorded with his new production team and touring band The Hellish Vortex, released in Japan on 28 November 2007 and in Europe on 21 January 2008. The second single release, the On Fire EP
, was released on 7 December. Sixteen Years of Video Material, a DVD featuring rare footage of Empire and ATR will be released on German video label Monitorpop in July 2008.
, techno, hardcore, punk and breakbeat (all of which are evident on the SuEcide EPs and the Limited Editions 1990-1994
compilation). On creating DHR his solo recordings for that label consisted largely of the digital hardcore staples of breakcore (as heard on The Destroyer album and EPs) and later experimental noise (as heard on Miss Black America
), while his work during the same period for Mille Plateaux saw him experimenting with minimal techno
(Pulse Code), ambient
(Low on Ice) and musique concrète
(Les Étoiles des Filles Mortes
). His alter-egos for various labels provided outlets for dabbling in other genres such as drum and bass
/jungle
(DJ Mowgly), Detroit techno
(Jaguar) and even chiptune
music (Nintendo Teenage Robots).
After the demise of Atari Teenage Riot, Empire's major releases for DHR sought to continue in the guitar-based, punk-influenced vein of the band. Intelligence and Sacrifice utilised live guitars, breakbeats, noise, sampled cinematic dialogue and Empire's trademark spoken/shouted English vocals, while Futurist saw a more obvious return to his punk roots and consequently sounds as if it were largely recorded using all live instrumentation, even though it was electronically produced. The creation of the Eat Your Heart Out label saw a move to a much more electronic-sounding approach with comparatively subdued vocals over synthesized sounds and beats.
Atari Teenage Riot
'Atari Teenage Riot' is a German digital hardcore group formed in Berlin in 1992. The name was taken from a Portuguese Joe song 'Teenage Riot' from the 'Teen-age Riot' album, with the word 'Atari' added as an Atari ST computer was used to create compositions...
. Also a prolific and distinguished solo artist, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, he has released well over a hundred albums, EPs and singles and remixed over seventy tracks for various artists including Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
. He was also the driving force behind the creation of the digital hardcore
Digital hardcore
Digital hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk incorporating influences from electronic music. Digital hardcore fuses elements of hardcore punk with various forms of electronic music...
subgenre and the record labels Digital Hardcore Recordings
Digital Hardcore Recordings
Digital Hardcore Recordings is a record label set up in 1994 by Alec Empire, Joel Amaretto and Pete Lawton. Most of the music is recorded in Berlin, though the label is based in London where the records are mastered and manufactured...
and Eat Your Heart Out.
Biography
Wilke's father was a working-class socialist, himself the son of a radical activist who perished in the concentration camps of the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His maternal grandfather, Karl Steinhof, was a self-made millionaire who patented the first domestic hand-knitting appliance during the economic boom in Germany in the 1950s.
Wilke grew up during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
near the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, which he would pass every day on his way to school. The frequent sight of patrol guards with guns influenced his outlook on life from an early age. He describes Berlin at the time as: "Probably the most left radical place in Germany in the 70s, terrorists, a lot of demonstrations, and probably the first address to hear the latest American music, because of the radio shows the US soldiers brought to Berlin."
Early influences and career
At the age of ten, Wilke's love of rapHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
led to a vogueing
Vogue (dance)
Vogue or voguing is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s. It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" , and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning...
career on the streets of Berlin. Later disillusioned by that genre becoming increasingly commercial, he left it behind in favour of a completely different form of musical expression. He had played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
since the age of eight which coupled with his politically-charged upbringing eventually led him to punk
Punk ideology
Punk ideologies are a group of varied social and political beliefs associated with the punk subculture. In its original incarnation, the punk subculture was primarily concerned with concepts such as rebellion, anti-authoritarianism, individualism, free thought and discontent...
music; he formed his first band, Die Kinder, at age twelve.
By sixteen, however, Wilke came to believe that the punk movement
Social movement
Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change....
was "dead" (though the anti-establishment
Anti-establishment
An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958, by the British magazine New Statesman to refer to its political and social agenda...
punk attitude would figure significantly in his subsequent output). After leaving Die Kinder, he began listening to classical music and experimenting with electronic instruments. He eventually became fascinated by the rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
scene, and, following German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, frequented underground raves in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, believing his native West Berlin scene to be too commercialised. Known earlier in his career as LX Empire he produced a great deal of what he refers to as "faceless DJ music". In 1991, while DJing on a beach in France with friend Hanin Elias
Hanin Elias
Hanin Elias is a German industrial/techno artist. She was a member of Atari Teenage Riot and is now a solo artist....
, he caught the attention of Ian Pooley
Ian Pooley
Ian Pooley is a German-born record producer and DJ. While incorporating samples of various musical genres, Pooley's creations are usually classified as house or tech house with Brazilian influence.-Career:...
, which led to the release of a number of 12" records on the Force Inc. label.
Although Empire was a prolific producer and DJ at this time, and made a comfortable enough living, he nevertheless saw the rave scene as decadent
Decadence
Decadence can refer to a personal trait, or to the state of a society . Used to describe a person's lifestyle. Concise Oxford Dictionary: "a luxurious self-indulgence"...
and selfish. This angered him, as he and his friends lived in a city embroiled in politics, and the demise of communist-led governments had given rise to increased conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
in Germany, whilst few people cared. The German neo-Nazi movement had invaded the scene, declaring trance techno
Tech Trance
Tech Trance is a sub-genre within electronic dance music that draws upon the techno and trance genres as the name suggests.-History:Tech trance was pioneered by among others Oliver Lieb in the mid 1990's. Other early examples of tech trance producers are Humate, Chris Cowie and Marmion. Tech trance...
"true German music".
Empire retaliated by utilising samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
of 60s and 70s funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
– a predominantly black style of music – in his solo work. In order to further spread the message, he gathered like-minded individuals Hanin Elias (also a former punk) and Carl Crack
Carl Crack
Carl Crack was a Berlin-based techno artist best known for his membership in the digital hardcore band Atari Teenage Riot from 1992 to 2000....
(a Swazi MC) to form a band. In 1992, the trio became known as Atari Teenage Riot
Atari Teenage Riot
'Atari Teenage Riot' is a German digital hardcore group formed in Berlin in 1992. The name was taken from a Portuguese Joe song 'Teenage Riot' from the 'Teen-age Riot' album, with the word 'Atari' added as an Atari ST computer was used to create compositions...
(ATR).
Atari Teenage Riot and Digital Hardcore Recordings
Atari Teenage Riot's sound was characterised by the use of breakbeatBreakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
s (again sampled from funk and rap, but replayed at more than twice their original speeds), heavy guitar riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s, and the shouting of politically-driven lyrics and slogans by the band members (as well as sampled dialogue). Empire provided much of the musical direction, and with the later input of Japanese-American noise
Noise music
Noise music is a term used to describe varieties of avant-garde music and sound art that may use elements such as cacophony, dissonance, atonality, noise, indeterminacy, and repetition in their realization. Noise music can feature distortion, various types of acoustically or electronically...
musician Nic Endo
Nic Endo
Nic Endo is a Japanese-German-American noise musician who plays with the German digital hardcore group Atari Teenage Riot...
, the ATR sound took on a more chaotic, arrhythmic nature marked by rough sequencing, improvised
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
mixing and extended "noise-fests".
ATR signed a record deal with Phonogram
Phonogram Records
Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
, a major UK label, in 1993. The two parted ways after only a couple of single releases, due to the band's refusal to play by the label's rules. In 1994, using the non-refundable cash advance from the deal, Empire started an independent record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
which allowed its artists the freedom of expression Phonogram were unlikely to give. He named it Digital Hardcore Recordings
Digital Hardcore Recordings
Digital Hardcore Recordings is a record label set up in 1994 by Alec Empire, Joel Amaretto and Pete Lawton. Most of the music is recorded in Berlin, though the label is based in London where the records are mastered and manufactured...
(DHR); "digital hardcore
Digital hardcore
Digital hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk incorporating influences from electronic music. Digital hardcore fuses elements of hardcore punk with various forms of electronic music...
" would become a general term used to describe the direction his sound had taken. That year, DHR released EPs
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by EC8OR
EC8OR
EC8OR is a German digital hardcore band founded in 1995 by Patric Catani and Gina V. D'Orio and signed by Alec Empire's Digital Hardcore Recordings record label...
, Sonic Subjunkies, and Empire himself.
While working with ATR, Empire continued steadily with his solo output. He recorded for Force Inc. under several pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s, including the Detroit techno
Detroit techno
Detroit techno is an early style of electronic music beginning in the 1980s. Detroit, Michigan has been cited as the birthplace of techno music. Prominent Detroit Techno artists include Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson...
-inspired Jaguar. He also recorded several albums for Force Inc.'s experimental sub-label Mille Plateaux
Mille Plateaux
Mille Plateaux is an influential electronica record label founded 1993 by Achim Szepanski in Frankfurt, Germany. It is known for mostly releasing minimal techno, glitch music and other experimental electronic music.-History:...
, including Generation Star Wars
Generation Star Wars
Generation Star Wars is the second album by Alec Empire, released on Mille Plateaux in 1994.The original release of Generation Star Wars faced problems related to its artwork, as it featured a stormtrooper with a swastika on his helmet on the rear of the sleeve...
(his first full solo album) and Low on Ice
Low on Ice (The Iceland Sessions)
Low on Ice is a 1995 album by German electronic artist Alec Empire, the third of five released on the Mille Plateaux label...
, which he recorded entirely on his laptop during a three day tour of Iceland with ATR. In 1995, ATR released their first proper album, Delete Yourself!
Delete Yourself!
Delete Yourself! is the debut album by German digital hardcore outfit Atari Teenage Riot. The album exhibits a variety of musical styles, most notably rave, jungle and punk...
, on DHR, and, in 1996, Empire released his first solo album for DHR, The Destroyer
The Destroyer (album)
The Destroyer is an album by electronic artist Alec Empire, his first on his own record label Digital Hardcore Recordings, released in 1996 in Europe and a revised version in 1998 in USA. Destroyer is also the name given to a series of EPs by Empire released two years before...
. In that year, Empire and Mike D signed a deal to release a number of DHR's recordings on the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
' Grand Royal
Grand Royal
Grand Royal was the Los Angeles, California based vanity record label set up in 1992 by the Beastie Boys in conjunction with Capitol Records after the group left Def Jam Recordings....
record label in the United States. The label also invited DHR artists to tour the US leading to recognition by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and alternative radio stations.
ATR spent the next few years touring the world with artists such as Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
, the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
and Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
, as well as headlining such memorable shows as the Digital Hardcore festival at CBGB's
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1998, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
show in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1999 at the request of fan John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
. During this time they introduced Nic Endo
Nic Endo
Nic Endo is a Japanese-German-American noise musician who plays with the German digital hardcore group Atari Teenage Riot...
to their ranks as a fourth member. Listener opinion was often divided over the newer sounds ATR subsequently incorporated, and this, along with other factors, began to strain the band.
All of the members found some comfort in their solo work – Empire's output at this time would include his sole release as Nintendo Teenage Robots, and the bootleg recording
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley
Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley
Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley is a recording by Alec Empire which incorporates Elvis Presley samples.- The recording :Empire recorded vs. Elvis in 1998 after returning home to Berlin from a tour of the United States with his band Atari Teenage Riot. As a method of escape from the digital hardcore...
, as well as remixes for the likes of The Mad Capsule Markets
The Mad Capsule Markets
The Mad Capsule Markets were a Japanese band that formed in 1990 and were active until 2006...
, Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
and Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
. However, ATR's problems worsened. Onstage at one show in Seattle in 1999, Empire slashed his forearms with a razor. At another show that year in London, in which ATR supported Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, the band dispensed with the usual song-based formula and delivered one long barrage of what could only be described as "noise"; this would later be released as Live at Brixton Academy
Live at Brixton Academy (Atari Teenage Riot album)
Live at Brixton Academy is a live album from German digital hardcore group Atari Teenage Riot, recorded and released in 1999. The album was recorded while they supported Nine Inch Nails on tour, and contains no songs from any of the past albums, just harsh, white noise...
.
By the end of 1999, Empire was mentally exhausted, Elias was pregnant and Crack was suffering from psychosis
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
induced by prolonged drug use. The band was put on hiatus; its future was made even more doubtful following Crack's death in 2001, and Elias' decision to leave DHR and create Fatal Recordings
Fatal Recordings
Fatal Recordings is a feminist record label, established by German industrial / techno artist Hanin Elias.Fatal focuses on left-wing political music. It was formed in part because Hanin Elias felt that women did not have a place to record and create electronic music...
.
After ATR
Intelligence and Sacrifice
Intelligence and Sacrifice is a 2001 album by German recording artist Alec Empire. While by no means his first solo album, it was his first full album since the demise of his former band Atari Teenage Riot, and he regarded it as a new beginning, stating that it "feels like this is my first real...
. The album contained two discs: the first retained the ATR formula, yet exhibited a more polished production style and lyrics of an unusually introspective nature; the second disc was an electronic instrumental album, and in contrast was more experimental. He used an all-star lineup in his first live "Alec Empire" show at the Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The 3 day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan...
in Japan: Charlie Clouser
Charlie Clouser
Charles Alexander "Charlie" Clouser is an American musician whose activities include playing keyboard, synth, theremin, and drums. He is known for his abilities in music programming, engineering, mixing, and remixing. He was a member of the band Nine Inch Nails 1994–2000. Before he was in Nine...
(ex-Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
) played synths
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, Masami "Merzbow" Akita
Merzbow
is the main recording name of the Japanese noise musician , born in 1956. Since 1979 he has released in excess of 350 recordings.The name "Merzbow" comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork, "Merzbau”. This was chosen to reflect Akita's dada influence and junk art aesthetic...
and Gabe Serbian
Gabe Serbian
Gabriel Serbian is an American drummer and guitarist, most famous for his work in The Locust, Cattle Decapitation, and Holy Molar. He is recognized as a very capable drummer, as showcased on recent Locust albums...
(The Locust
The Locust
The Locust is a musical group from San Diego, California, United States known for their unique mix of grindcore speed and aggression, mathcore complexity, and new wave weirdness.- Style :...
) both played drums, and Endo played synths and keyboards.
Empire's next lineup would include a guitarist, Robbie Furze, who would later record for DHR with Panic DHH. Empire also played a series of live shows performing material from the second disc of Intelligence and Sacrifice; one of these was released as The CD2 Sessions
The CD2 Sessions: Live in London 7-12-2002
The CD2 Sessions: Live in London 7-12-2002 is a live album by Alec Empire, performed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London in December 2002 and released on Digital Hardcore Recordings in 2003...
in 2003. He returned in 2005 with Futurist
Futurist (album)
Futurist is an album released in 2005 by Alec Empire. It is the follow-up to 2001's Intelligence and Sacrifice and is notable for the fact that the use of electronics for which Empire is famed is reduced in favour of guitars and drum beats, giving the album more of a punk/metal sound than its...
, which was less electronic than its predecessor and had more of a raw punk-rock sound, albeit assisted by drum machines and some processing.
Empire began 2006 by DJing at industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
pioneers Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle were an English industrial, avant-garde music and visual arts group that evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions...
's New Year's Eve party. During that year he remixed fellow Germans Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
(whom he once said were "successful for all the wrong reasons") and New York hardcore band Most Precious Blood. He also recorded a cover version of The Monks
The Monks
Monks are a garage rock band, formed by American GIs who were based in Germany in the mid to late 1960s. They reunited in 1999 and have continued to play concerts, although no new studio recordings have been made...
' "Monk Time" for a tribute album with that band's singer Gary Burger, and Russell Simins of Blues Explosion. Atari Teenage Riot: 1992-2000
Atari Teenage Riot: 1992-2000
Atari Teenage Riot: 1992–2000 is a greatest hits compilation by the seminal digital hardcore band Atari Teenage Riot. The album was released on band member Alec Empire's Digital Hardcore Recordings on July 3, 2006 and features 18 tracks from the band's back catalogue.-Track listing:# "Speed" #...
, a retrospective album, was released by DHR on 3 July 2006.
After DHR
In 2007, Empire announced that DHR would hence forth assume a more "underground" role, as his focus turned to a new label, Eat Your Heart Out, which he describes as "the sound of New BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
". The label's first release was his 12" single "Robot L.O.V.E.
Robot L.O.V.E.
"Robot L.O.V.E." is a song by Alec Empire, released as a 12" single on June 11, 2007. It is the first release on his own Eat Your Heart Out label and the first single from the album The Golden Foretaste of Heaven. The two b-side tracks are included on the Japanese pressing of the album, as well as...
", followed by an album, The Golden Foretaste of Heaven
The Golden Foretaste of Heaven
The Golden Foretaste of Heaven is an album by Alec Empire, released in Japan on November 28, 2007, and in Europe on January 18, 2008. It is his first on his newly established Eat Your Heart Out label...
, recorded with his new production team and touring band The Hellish Vortex, released in Japan on 28 November 2007 and in Europe on 21 January 2008. The second single release, the On Fire EP
On Fire EP
The On Fire EP is an EP by Alec Empire, released on December 7, 2007, from his album The Golden Foretaste of Heaven. It contains the title track, several remixes and all tracks from the single "Robot L.O.V.E.", previously issued on vinyl...
, was released on 7 December. Sixteen Years of Video Material, a DVD featuring rare footage of Empire and ATR will be released on German video label Monitorpop in July 2008.
Style
Alec Empire's body of work spans a range of electronic (as well as conventionally less electronic) styles. His earlier releases for Force Inc. were influenced by the rave scene in his native Berlin, and included acid houseAcid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
, techno, hardcore, punk and breakbeat (all of which are evident on the SuEcide EPs and the Limited Editions 1990-1994
Limited Editions 1990-1994
Limited Editions 1990-94 is the first album release by German electronic musician Alec Empire. Released in 1994 on Mille Plateaux, it is a compilation of tracks previously issued on vinyl by that sublabel's parent, Force Inc., between 1990 and 1994....
compilation). On creating DHR his solo recordings for that label consisted largely of the digital hardcore staples of breakcore (as heard on The Destroyer album and EPs) and later experimental noise (as heard on Miss Black America
Miss Black America (album)
-CD version:#"DFO2"#"Black Sabbath"#"The Nazi Comets"#"It Should Be You Not Me!"#"They Landed Inside My Head While We Were Driving in the Taxi up to 53rd Street and Took Over!"#"The Robot Put a Voodoospell on Me"#"I Can Hear the Winds of Saturn"...
), while his work during the same period for Mille Plateaux saw him experimenting with minimal techno
Minimal techno
Minimal techno is a minimalist sub-genre of techno. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition, and understated development. This style of dance music production generally adheres to the motto less is more; a principle that has been previously utilized, to...
(Pulse Code), ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
(Low on Ice) and musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
(Les Étoiles des Filles Mortes
Les Étoiles des Filles Mortes
Les Étoiles des Filles Mortes is an album by Alec Empire, released in 1996. It is his fifth and final album for the Mille Plateaux label and his third of three albums released that year.-Tracklisting:#"La Ville Des Filles Mortes" - 5:41...
). His alter-egos for various labels provided outlets for dabbling in other genres such as drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
/jungle
Oldschool jungle
Jungle is a genre of electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including breakbeat hardcore, and reggae/dub/dancehall. There is debate as to whether jungle is a separate genre from drum and bass as many use the terms interchangeably...
(DJ Mowgly), Detroit techno
Detroit techno
Detroit techno is an early style of electronic music beginning in the 1980s. Detroit, Michigan has been cited as the birthplace of techno music. Prominent Detroit Techno artists include Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson...
(Jaguar) and even chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
music (Nintendo Teenage Robots).
After the demise of Atari Teenage Riot, Empire's major releases for DHR sought to continue in the guitar-based, punk-influenced vein of the band. Intelligence and Sacrifice utilised live guitars, breakbeats, noise, sampled cinematic dialogue and Empire's trademark spoken/shouted English vocals, while Futurist saw a more obvious return to his punk roots and consequently sounds as if it were largely recorded using all live instrumentation, even though it was electronically produced. The creation of the Eat Your Heart Out label saw a move to a much more electronic-sounding approach with comparatively subdued vocals over synthesized sounds and beats.
Albums
|
Atari Teenage Riot 'Atari Teenage Riot' is a German digital hardcore group formed in Berlin in 1992. The name was taken from a Portuguese Joe song 'Teenage Riot' from the 'Teen-age Riot' album, with the word 'Atari' added as an Atari ST computer was used to create compositions... – Atari Teenage Riot (Digital Hardcore Recordings Digital Hardcore Recordings Digital Hardcore Recordings is a record label set up in 1994 by Alec Empire, Joel Amaretto and Pete Lawton. Most of the music is recorded in Berlin, though the label is based in London where the records are mastered and manufactured... ) Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove... ) Dim Mak Records Dim Mak Records is a record label founded in 1996 by Steve Aoki and based in Los Angeles, CA. Dim Mak's first release was a 7" by a little known hardcore band from southern California, Stickfigurecarousel.-Roster:Active* Steve Aoki* All Leather... ) |
Remixes (Selection)
|
Schweisser Schweisser is a German heavy metal band that formed in 1990. They produced five albums before breaking up in 2001.In 2006, lead singer Tommi Böck revived the band, although he is the only remaining original member. Martin Messerschmidt from The Notwist and Fabian Exter joined him... (Remix: Friss Scheiße) / Intercord Tonträger GmbH Einstürzende Neubauten Einstürzende Neubauten is a German post-industrial band, originally from West Berlin, formed in 1980. The group currently comprises Blixa Bargeld , Alexander Hacke , N.U... (Remix: The Garden) / Mute Records Violent Onsen Geisha Violent Onsen Geisha is a Japanese noise music group, distinctive among many noise acts for frequently displaying a bizarre, sarcastic, and mischievous sense of humor... & DMBQ (Remix: Mood of Mods Generation) / ZK Records Japan Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk... (Remix: Joga) / Mother Records Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk... (Remix: Bachelorette) / One Little Indian Records Audio Active Audio Active were a Japanese reggae band who released several albums between the mid-1990s and the early first decade of the 21st century.-History:... (Remix: My Way) / On U-Sound Records Think About Mutation Think About Mutation was an crossover band from Germany. They were together for about 10 years and set a landmark by mixing up rave/techno elements and heavy guitars even in their early days. Their progressive sound made them a big influence to modern electronic music as wellas to the guitar scene... / Ooomph (Remix: Motor Razor) Schorsch Kamerun Schorsch Kamerun, whose real name is Thomas Sehl, is a German musician, singer, author, theatre director, and club proprietor.... (Remix: Die Menschen aus Kiel) / L'Âge d'or Records Stereo Total Stereo Total is a Berlin-based multilingual, French-German duo comprising Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring . Both Cactus and Göring sing and play multiple instruments... (Remix: Dactylo Rock) |
Films / Soundtracks / Film music-contribution and/or Composition
- Spawn (USA, 1997)
- Orgazmo (USA, 1998)
- Modulations (USA, 1998)
- Hurricane Streets (USA, 1999)
- Buddyhead Presents: Punk Is Dead (USA, 2005)
- Threat (USA, 2000, Re-Release 2006)
- The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift (USA, 2006)
- Monks: The Transatlantic FeedbackMonks: The Transatlantic FeedbackMonks: The Transatlantic Feedback is a 2006 film directed by Dietmar Post and Lucia Palacios about the seminal German-American beat band The Monks. The film was produced by Play Loud! Productions and shot on location in the USA and Germany between 1997 and 2002...
(USA, Sp, D, 2006) - Durch die Nacht mit... (Episode Arte TV, 2008)
- Atari Teenage Riot / Alec Empire: 16 Years of Video Material (DVD only, USA, Japan, EU, 2008)
- 224466 (Japan, 2008, episode of 246)
- Slumber Party Slaughterhouse" (USA, 2008)
- Chaostage (D, 2008)
- GodkillerGodkillerGodkiller is a one-man industrial black metal band from Monaco featuring Duke Satanäel, started in 1994. The band is signed to Wounded Love Records...
(USA, 2010)
External links
- Alec Empire's Berlin Blog
- Eat Your Heart Out Records
- Alec Empire on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- The Hellish Vortex official site
- Official Eat Your Heart Out site
- Official Digital Hardcore Recordings site