Alec Empire
Alec Empire | |
---|---|
Nintendo Teenage Robots, P.J.P., Richard Benson, Wipe Out | |
Born | citation needed] Charlottenburg, West Berlin, West Germany[citation needed] | 2 May 1972 [
Genres |
|
Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, DJ |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, synthesizer, sampler, drum machine, mixer |
Years active | 1990–present |
Labels | Digital Hardcore Recordings, Eat Your Heart Out Records, Grand Royal, Phonogram, Force Inc., Mille Plateaux, Geist Recordings, Riot Beats |
Website | http://www.alec-empire.com/ |
Alec Empire (born Alexander Wilke-Steinhof on 2 May 1972)[1] is a German experimental electronic musician who is best known as a founding member of the band Atari Teenage Riot, as well as a solo artist, producer and DJ. He has released many albums, EPs and singles, some under aliases, and remixed over seventy tracks for various artists including Björk. He was also the driving force behind the creation of the digital hardcore genre, and founded the record labels Digital Hardcore Recordings and Eat Your Heart Out Records.
Biography
Wilke's father was a working-class socialist, himself the son of a radical activist who perished in the Nazi concentration camps of World War II.[2][3] 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.[2][4]
Wilke grew up during the Cold War near the Berlin Wall, which he passed every day on his way to school. The frequent sight of patrol guards with guns influenced his outlook on life from an early age.[5] 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."[6]
Early influences and career
At the age of ten, Wilke's love of
By sixteen, however, Wilke came to believe that the punk movement was "dead" (though the
Although Empire was a prolific producer and DJ at this time,
Empire retaliated by utilising
Atari Teenage Riot and Digital Hardcore Recordings
In Empire's words, Atari Teenage Riot's complex musical style was intended to "destroy" the "simulated harmony" of the mainstream electronic music, and that, besides their protest lyrics, "riot sound produce riots". Empire, who is straight edge, also stated that it was a reaction to both the fashion-victimized and drug-fueled nihilism of the rave scene of the 1990s, once saying that "You can't read or do anything else while listening to our music."[12]
ATR signed a record deal with
While working with ATR, Empire continued steadily with his solo output. He recorded for Force Inc. under several pseudonyms, including the
ATR spent the next few years touring the world with artists such as
All of the members found some comfort in their solo work – Empire's output at this time would include his sole release as
By the end of 1999, Empire was mentally exhausted, Elias was pregnant and Crack was suffering from
After ATR
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;[18] 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.[19]
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.[20]
Empire began 2006 by DJing at
After DHR
In 2007, Empire announced that DHR would henceforth assume a more "underground" role,
In February 2017 Empire released an original soundtrack album for the German sci-fi thriller Volt.[31]
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
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.[citation needed]
Discography
Albums
- 1992 – SuEcide Pt.1 & Pt.2
- 1994 – Limited Editions 1990–94 (Mille Plateaux / Geist Records UK)
- 1994 – Generation Star Wars (Mille Plateaux / Geist Records UK)
- 1995 – Low on Ice (Mille Plateaux Records)
- 1995 – Atari Teenage Riot – Delete Yourself (Digital Hardcore Rec. / Intercord)
- 1996 – Hypermodern Jazz 2000.5 (Mille Plateaux / Geist Records UK)
- 1996 – The Destroyer (Digital Hardcore Recordings)
- 1996 – Les Etoiles Des Filles Mortes (Mille Plateaux / Geist Records UK)
- 1996 – Berlin Sky (Analogue Records USA)
- 1997 – Atari Teenage Riot – Burn Berlin Burn (Grand Royal USA / DHR)
- 1997 – Squeeze The Trigger (DHR UK)
- 1998 – Miss Black America (DHR UK)
- 1999 – Atari Teenage Riot – 60 Second Wipe Out (Elektra Records USA / DHR)
- 1999 – Nintendo Teenage Robots – We Punk Einheit (DHR Limited)
- 1999 – Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley Bootleg (El Turco Loco)
- 2001 – Intelligence and Sacrifice (Beat Ink. Japan)
- 2002 – Intelligence and Sacrifice (Digital Hardcore Recordings / Zomba Records)
- 2002 – Redefine The Enemy (DVD)
- 2003 – Alec Empire & Merzbow live at CBGBs New York (Digital Hardcore Recordings)
- 2003 – The CD2 Sessions Live in London (Digital Hardcore Recordings)
- 2005 – Futurist (Digital Hardcore Recordings/Beat Ink Japan)
- 2006 – Atari Teenage Riot – Atari Teenage Riot (Digital Hardcore Recordings)
- 2007 – Alec Empire – The Golden Foretaste of Heaven (Eat Your Heart Out Records/Beat Ink Japan)
- 2008 – Alec Empire – The Golden Foretaste of Heaven (Eat Your Heart Out Records/Rough Trade)
- 2009 – Alec Empire – Shivers (Eat Your Heart Out Records)
- 2011 – Mustard Pimp feat. Alec Empire – Catch Me (Dim Mak Records)
- 2011 – Atari Teenage Riot – Is This Hyperreal? (Digital Hardcore Recordings)
Remixes (selection)
- 1993 – Space Cube (Remix: Dschungelfieber) / Riot Beats
- 1994 – Air Liquide (Remix: Abuse Your Illusions Pt.1)
- 1996 – Nicolette (Remix: Beautiful Day) / Mercury Records / Talkin Loud Rec.
- 1996 – Stereo Total (Remix: Dactylo Rock)
- 1996 – Schorsch Kamerun (Remix: Die Menschen aus Kiel) / L'Âge d'or Records
- 1996 – Cibo Matto (Remix: Know Your Chicken) / Blanco Y Negro Records
- 1996 – Think About Mutation / Ooomph (Remix: Motor Razor)
- 1996 – Bindenmittel – (Remix: Unification) WEA Records
- 1997 – Nicolette (Remix: No Government) / Talkin Loud Records
- 1997 – Audio Active (Remix: My Way) / On U-Sound Records
- 1997 – Björk (Remix: Bachelorette) / One Little Indian Records
- 1997 – Björk (Remix: Joga) / Mother Records
- 1997 – Mad Capsule Markets (Remix: Crash Pow) / Viktor Entertainment Japan
- 1997 – Violent Onsen Geisha& DMBQ (Remix: Mood of Mods Generation) / ZK Records Japan
- 1997 – Einstürzende Neubauten (Remix: The Garden) / Mute Records
- 1997 – Schweisser (Remix: Friss Scheiße) / Intercord Tonträger GmbH
- 1997 – Bottom 12 – (Remix: Dance or be shot)
- 1997 – Buffalo Daughter (Remix: Dr Moog) / Grand Royal Records
- 1998 – Mark Stewart (Remix: Consumed) / Mute Records
- 1998 – Mogwai (Remix: Like Herod) / Eye Q Records UK, Jet Set Records
- 1998 – Thurston Moore (Remix: Root) / Lo Recordings
- 1998 – Shonen Knife – (Remix: Keep On Rockin) / MCA Victor Japan
- 1998 – Techno Animal vs. Reality (Remix: Atomic Buddha) / City Slang, Labels
- 1999 – Collision Course (El-P, Company Flow) (Remix: Trapped in 3D) / PIAS UK
- 1999 – Björk (Remix: Joga) / Columbia Records
- 2000 – Godzilla 2000 Soundtrack (Remix: March of Godzilla) / Nippon Columbia
- 2000 – Guitar Wolf – (Remix: Jet Virus) / KiOon Records Japan
- 2002 – Primal Scream (Remix: Miss Lucifer) / Columbia Records, Sony
- 2003 – Brainbombs (Remix: It's a Burning Hell) / Load Records USA
- 2003 – Chris Vrenna (Remix: Skool Daze) / Waxploitation Records USA
- 2004 – Rammstein (Remix: Amerika) / Universal Music
- 2004 – Panic DHH (Remix: Reach) / Gonzo Circus Records
- 2005 – Coil (band) (Remix: Tribute To Coil) / Fulldozer Records Russia
- 2005 – Rammstein (Remix: Mann Gegen Mann) / Universal Island Records
- 2006 – Most Precious Blood (Remix: Oxygen Dept) / Halo 8 Records USA
- 2007 – Emigrate(Remix: New York City) / Motor, Edel Records
- 2010 – IAMX (Remix: I Am Terrified) / Metropolis Records, 61Seconds
- 2012 – SALEM (Remix: Better Off Alone)
- 2021 – Eternal Struggle (Remix: Year of the Gun) / Demons Run Amok Entertainment
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 Feedback (USA, Sp, D, 2006)
- Durch die Nacht mit …(Episode Arte TV, 2008)
- Atari Teenage Riot / Alec Empire: 16 Years of Video Material (DVD only, the United States, Japan, EU, 2008)
- 224466 (Japan, 2008, episode of 246)
- Slumber Party Slaughterhouse" (USA, 2008)
- Chaostage (D, 2008)
- Godkiller (USA, 2010)
- Volt (Germany, 2018)
- Razzennest (Austria, 2022)
Notes
- ^ https://www.alec-empire.com/ae Alec Empire official website biography
- ^ a b Alec Empire – 2008 – II [Video interview], FaceCulture, 2008-03-05, retrieved 21 March 2008.
- ^ a b Catherine Yates, "King of Pain" (p15-18), Kerrang!, 6 April 2002.
- ^ Herbert Schurich (inventor), Hand knitting appliance, US Patent 2,762,213, 11 September 1956. Google Patents.[dead link]
- ^ Alec Empire [Video interview], OC-TV.net, retrieved 22 July 2007.
- ^ Interview – The definitive Alec Empire Interview Archived 3 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Digital Hardcore Recordings, retrieved 30 January 2007.
- ^ David Day, "Riotous Empire", Pitch Weekly, 28 August – 3 September 1997. AlecEmpireFansite.com Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Alec Empire Archived 18 March 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Drowned in Sound, last accessed 4 August 2006.
- ^ Biba Kopf, "Daft Punk", The Wire, Issue 166, December 1997. Gostimirovic.com.[dead link]
- ^ a b Force Inc. Music Works Archived 10 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, AlecEmpireFansite.com, retrieved 22 January 2007.
- ^ a b The Destroyer/Digital Hard-core Archived 7 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine, AlecEmpireFansite.com, last accessed 4 August 2006.
- ^ Rubin, Mike (January 1997). "Bring on Der Noise". Spin. Vol. 12, no. 10. p. 26. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- ^ Todd Hansen, Interview: Atari Teenage Riot Archived 27 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, The A.V. Club, 7 July 1997, last accessed 12 December 2006
- ^ Alec Empire Interview: "People Are Organized But Political Music Is Not Really Being Made.", Indymedia Ireland, 28 December 2006, retrieved 23 January 2007.
- ^ a b "Digital Hardcore Recordings: Biography". Digital Hardcore Recordings. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ^ Keeping It Peel – 19 March 1999, BBC Radio 1, last accessed 14 December 2006.
- ^ Corey Moss, Atari Teenage Riot Cofounder Dead At 30, MTV, 24 September 2001, retrieved 3 February 2007.
- ^ Alec Empire (int) Archived 29 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Gothtronic, retrieved 22 July 2007.
- ^ Alec Empire Live at FujiRock Festival Archived 16 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Digital Hardcore Recordings, last accessed 24 December 2006.
- ^ Alec Empire a new Messiah? (Interview) Archived 9 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Gothtronic, retrieved 20 March 2007.
- ^ Alec Empire spins at Throbbing Gristle New Years Eve party in Berlin! Archived 8 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Digital Hardcore Recordings, retrieved 21 January 2007.
- ^ Atari Teenage Riot's Alec Empire Questions Rammstein's Sincerity, MTV, 9 November 1998, retrieved 3 February 2007.
- ^ HOT NEWS: Alec starts collaborating with Russell Simins (drummer with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) and Gary Burger (original member of The Monks)! Archived 7 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Digital Hardcore Recordings, retrieved 21 January 2007.
- ^ Blog: Dead or Alive?, Alec Empire's official MySpace, 28 April 2007, retrieved 22 July 2007.
- ^ Hugh Platt, Interview: Alec Empire bites back, Music Towers, 24 April 2007, last accessed 15 August 2007. Archived 4 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Interview: Alec Empire Archived 6 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, This is Fake DIY, retrieved 25 February 2008.
- ^ Blog: Getting Ready for Singapore!, Alec Empire's official MySpace, 18 September 2007, retrieved 19 September 2007.
- ^ Alec Empire On Fire 4 track EP out 7th Dec! Archived 11 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Digital Hardcore Recordings, retrieved 19 November 2007.
- ^ News: Atari Teenage Riot and Alec Empire DVD coming Archived 11 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Eat Your Heart Out, last accessed 25 February 2008.
- ^ "Alec Empire (DE) Interview". Trilogy Rock. [12 May 2007]. (Archived at TrilogyRock.com)
- ^ Atari Teenage Riot’s Alec Empire’s ‘Volt’ Soundtrack to Be Released, Film Music Reporter, retrieved 27 July 2017.
References
- Alec Empire at AllMusic
- Atari Teenage Riot at AllMusic
- Alec Empire at IMDb