Atari Teenage Riot

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Atari Teenage Riot <tr style="text-align: center;"><td colspan="3">Image:Atrlineup.jpg ATR, 1999. l-r: Nic Endo, Carl Crack, Hanin Elias and Alec Empire. </td></tr>
Background information <tr><td>Origin</td><td colspan="2">Berlin, Germany</td></tr><tr><td>Genre(s)</td><td colspan="2">Digital hardcore Gabber Hardcore Techno Industrial Hardcore Punk</td></tr><tr><td>Years active</td><td colspan="2">1992 – 2000</td></tr><tr><td style="padding-right: 1em;">Label(s)</td><td colspan="2">Digital Hardcore Recordings Phonogram Records Grand Royal</td></tr><tr><th style="background: #b0c4de;" colspan="3">Former members</th></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;" colspan="3">Alec Empire Hanin Elias Carl Crack Nic Endo</td></tr>

Atari Teenage Riot was a German Digital hardcore group formed in Berlin in 1992. Highly political, they fused left-wing anarchist anti-fascist or anti-Nazi views with punk vocals and the newly emerging techno sound that was called digital hardcore, which is a term band member Alec Empire used as the name of his record label.

1 History
2 Discography
3 External links

[edit] History

The group was founded as an attack on the increasingly neo-Nazi influenced German techno scene and consisted of three Berliners - Alec Empire, Hanin Elias and MC Carl Crack. ATR's early releases (which included the track "Hetzjagd Auf Nazis!"/"Hunt Down the Nazis!") were surrounded by controversy in Germany due to the prevailing "no politics on the dance floor" attitude.....

After signing to Phonogram Records, a major European label, in 1993 the band received an unusually large financial advance which they duplicitously used to set up their own record label: Digital Hardcore Recordings or DHR. ATR never delivered a commercially viable demo to Phonogram.

In 1997 ATR was joined by Nic Endo, a Japanese-American noise/soundscape artist during the Beck tour. Their live shows during this time were characterized by violence. An outdoor show in Berlin on May 1st 1999 resulted in the arrests of all of the band members for "inciting violence" after crowds, assembled for an anti-NATO protest, rioted with police (the charges were later dropped). In another incident, a security guard in Brazil was allegedly hospitalized after being beaten by Elias with a microphone. She stated in an interview that the guard had grabbed her between the legs as she tried to stage dive.[1]

In 1999 ATR released 60 Second Wipe Out. The album featured a number of guest artists including New York City rappers The Arsonists. According to Magnet Magazine, "Empire's guitar-playing values speed-thrash malevolence, and when paired with Endo's painful skronkage, the album is decidedly denser than its predecessor."

The group effectively disbanded in 2000. Any chance of reformation was eliminated on September 6 2001 by the death of Carl Crack, who had long struggled with drug addiction. In June 2002, Hanin Elias left DHR to create Fatal Recordings, a label formed exclusively for female artists, similar to her DHR Fatal offshoot label. Empire produced the track "You Suck" for her debut album No Games, No Fun, however in the album's artwork, specifically in a collage of collaborators, Empire's face is blacked out, signifying the end of their professional relationship.

The other half of the band continue to work together. Endo assists in the production of Empire's solo recordings as well as being a key member of his live band.

Alec Empire confirmed in his MySpace blog [2] in July 2006 that ATR had completed new studio material just prior to their breakup. It is unknown whether any of it will ever be released.

Image:ATRLogo.png

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Delete Yourself! (originally titled 1995) (DHR 1995)
The Future of War (DHR 1996)
Burn, Berlin, Burn! (Grand Royal 1997)
Live in Philadelphia - Dec. 1997 (DHR 1998)
60 Second Wipeout (DHR 1999)
Live at Brixton Academy (DHR 1999)
Redefine the Enemy - Rarities and B-Side Compilation 1992-1999 (DHR 2002)
Atari Teenage Riot: 1992-2000 (DHR 2006)

[edit] Singles/EPs

"ATR" ("Atari Teenage Riot") (Phonogram 1993)
"Kids Are United" (Phonogram 1993)
"Raver Bashing"/"Together for Never" (split with Alec Empire) (Riot Beats 1994)
"Speed"/"Midijunkies" (DHR 1996)
"Deutschland Has Gotta Die!" (Grand Royal 1996)
"Not Your Business" (Grand Royal 1996)
"Destroy 2000 Years of Culture" (Interdord 1997)
"Paranoid"/"Free Satpal Ram" (split with Asian Dub Foundation) (Damaged Goods 1997)
"Sick to Death" (DHR 1997)
"Atari Teenage Riot II" (DHR 1999)
"Revolution Action!" (DHR 1999)
"Too Dead for Me" (DHR 1999)
"Rage" (DHR 2000)