Atari Teenage Riot
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Atari Teenage Riot (ATR) is a German band formed in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
in 1992. Highly political, they fuse
left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
,
anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...
and
anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...
views with
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
vocals and a techno sound called
digital hardcore Digital hardcore is a fusion genre that combines hardcore punk with electronic dance music genres such as breakbeat, techno, and drum and bass while also drawing on heavy metal and noise music. It typically features fast tempos and aggressive ...
, which is a term band member
Alec Empire Alec or Aleck is a Scottish form of the given name Alex. It may be a diminutive of the name Alexander or a given name in its own right. Notable people with the name include: People * Alec Aalto (1942–2018), Finnish diplomat *Alec Acton (1938 ...
used as the name of his record label
Digital Hardcore Recordings Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 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. The ...
.


History

Atari Teenage Riot was founded as an attack on the
Neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
subculture by fusing hardcore punk views with German techno; it consisted of three
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
ers—
Alec Empire Alec or Aleck is a Scottish form of the given name Alex. It may be a diminutive of the name Alexander or a given name in its own right. Notable people with the name include: People * Alec Aalto (1942–2018), Finnish diplomat *Alec Acton (1938 ...
,
Hanin Elias Hanin Elias (born 31 May 1972) is a Syrian German industrial/techno artist. She was a member of Atari Teenage Riot and is now a solo artist. After Atari Teenage Riot's non-definitive break in 2000, and the subsequent death of Carl Crack f ...
and MC
Carl Crack Carl Crack (born Karl Böhm, 5 May 1971 – 6 September 2001) was a Swazi-born German techno artist best known for his membership in the digital hardcore band Atari Teenage Riot from 1992 to 2000. Biography Around 1992, Crack displayed little ...
. ATR's early releases (which included the track "Hetzjagd Auf Nazis!"/"Hunt Down the Nazis!") were surrounded by controversy in Germany. After signing to major European label
Phonogram Records Phonogram Incorporated was started in 1970 as a successor to Philips Phonographic Industries, a unit of the Grammophon-Philips Group (GPG), a joint venture of Philips N.V. of the Netherlands and Siemens A.G. of Germany. Phonogram was the nam ...
in 1993, the band received a large financial advance which they duplicitously used to set up their own
record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
:
Digital Hardcore Recordings Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 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. The ...
(DHR). ATR never delivered a commercially viable demo to Phonogram. The major label Intercord signed the group in 1995 for Germany. ATR's record label
Digital Hardcore Recordings Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 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. The ...
released the debut album ''Delete Yourself!'' internationally. In 1996 the
Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...
licensed the album and released it in the US with extra songs under the title "Burn Berlin Burn" on their label
Grand Royal Grand Royal was the Los Angeles, California-based vanity record label set up in 1992 by rap group Beastie Boys in conjunction with Capitol Records after the group left Def Jam Recordings. ''Grand Royal'' was also the name of a magazine written ...
. The band toured with
Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
,
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...
,
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
,
Ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...
,
Moby Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...
and
Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...
. In 1996, ATR was joined by
Nic Endo Nic Endo (born January 7, 1976) is a Japanese-German- American noise musician who plays with the German digital hardcore group Atari Teenage Riot. The daughter of a Japanese mother and a German father, Endo was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, US ...
, a noise/soundscape artist, who played her first live show with ATR in the spring of 1997 during the South by South West festival in Austin, Texas. In 1999, ATR released the album ''60 Second Wipe Out'', which featured a number of guest artists, including rappers The Arsonists. According to ''
Magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...
'', "Empire's guitar-playing values speed-thrash malevolence, and when paired with Endo's painful skronkage, the album is decidedly denser than its predecessor". That year the band were arrested in Berlin for "inciting violence" during a performance at a protest against the
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
. Conflicts began between the 30,000-strong crowd of protestors and police while the band played their song "Revolution Action." Elias left ATR at the Brixton Academy show in the winter of 1999. The plan had been to tour with
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
in the US during the spring of 2000, but ATR decided to cancel the show to recharge. Crack also needed time to recuperate from his psychosis attacks. In the autumn of 2000, ATR started working on their fourth album. The song "Rage", featuring Tom Morello from
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...
, was chosen as an in-between single until the release of the fourth album. "Rage" was part of the recording sessions for ''60 Second Wipe Out'', but Empire did not feel it would fit the album. On 6 September 2001, Crack, who had long struggled with psychiatric issues, died from an overdose of unspecified pills.Corey Moss
Atari Teenage Riot Cofounder Dead At 30
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, 24 September 2001, retrieved 13 March 2007.
The media hype surrounding Crack's death is disputed by ATR. According to a friend, he had spoken a few weeks before his death about a doctor's report which said his psychosis attacks would worsen with age. According to that friend, Crack said he would rather kill himself than become a "zombie" and not be in control of his life. Witnesses have said Crack tried to reach out to his friends because he felt the psychosis starting again. When his body was found by police with large quantities of medication in his stomach, this suggested suicide. It is still unclear if this happened while he was in a state of psychosis or not (while in a psychotic state, it could be interpreted as an accident rather than suicide). The other half of the band continue to work together. Endo assisted in the production of Empire's solo recordings, as well as being a key member of his live band. DHR released '' Atari Teenage Riot: 1992–2000'', a collection of the band's best known recordings, on 3 July 2006.


Reformation

In October 2009, Elias contacted Empire to play some concerts together, but had to refrain because of her voice. When it became clear that Elias would not show up to the first show, the band published a statement 30 minutes before show time. In January 2010, it was announced ATR would reunite for a few live shows in Europe. Later in the year, they announced additional shows in Europe, North America and Asia. In early March 2010, Empire released the new ATR track "Activate" via
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
, which is the first song featuring their new MC, CX KiDTRONiK. "Activate" was recorded on 3 March 2010 in Berlin at the Hellish Vortex Studios. Female vocals were provided by Endo. The band played most major festivals throughout Europe in 2010, including Reading and Leeds, and headlined the Fusion Festival in front of approximately 20,000 people. In the same year, ATR headlined a stage at Japan's Summersonic Festival, returning the following year to play at Fuji Rock Festival. The band had the headline slot on the electronic stage at the Berlin Festival, which is held at an old military airport in the centre of the city. Enthused, the band decided to add more dates. The live line-up of ATR, , consisted of Empire, Endo and CX KiDTRONiK. On 12 October 2010,
Steve Aoki Steven Hiroyuki Aoki (, ; born November 30, 1977), best known as Steve Aoki, is an American DJ, record producer, music programmer, and record executive.
and
Dim Mak Records Dim Mak Records is an independent, Los Angeles-based record label, events company, and lifestyle brand founded by Steve Aoki in 1996. The label has released music under the genres of punk, indie rock, hardcore, hip hop, and electronic dance ...
announced the release of Atari Teenage Riot's new single "Activate", with the full-length album '' Is This Hyperreal?'' released in 2011. While the record was described as "redundant" by
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
, in what Empire called "probably one of the dumbest reviews I've ever read about any record.", other magazines gave it great reviews. ''
New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' wrote: "Few bands have ever detonated as powerfully in the underground as Atari Teenage Riot. Put simply, they were the conscience of electronic music. They were a band that sounded the way you always wanted
The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...
to sound. A band akin to Black Flag if that outfit had existed in an age where every home had a computer. And their influence burned big and bright".
Artrocker Artrocker is a UK-based collective involved in music promotion and publishing. It was started by Paul Cox and Tom Fawcett who had been co-promoters of a London night called The Sausage Machine. Having started life with an online newsletter and eve ...
Magazine put them on the cover in their May 2011 issue and wrote: "Make no mistake, 'Activate' is the most exhilarating, futuristic and punk rock single of the month. (...) ATR aren't like any other band. They're the only group that could have cut a record with Rage Against the Machine and have it be their meekest recording. They're the only group that iTunes have censored on the grounds that their music could create riots! Ten years and several line-up changes makes no difference to tonight's immediate onslaught of rave, punk, screaming and pounding gabba. The finale consists of the fiercest white noise squall of the evening, and the audience's reaction (moshing, screaming, crowdsurfing, shoes flying through the air) seems to indicate they don't care either". That month the band headlined the
Bang Face Bang Face (often referred to as BangFace) is an insane electronic dance music event that has been taking place at various venues across the UK since 2003. Starting as a monthly club night in London, it has grown to include an annual three-day wee ...
Weekender festival in the UK. Their album ''Is This Hyperreal?'' was celebrated as "the ultimate protest album of the google age," dealing with WikiLeaks, Anonymous, hackers, the freedom the internet brought to the suppressed, censorship, the surveillance state, cyber terrorism and digital decay, a term which describes the disaffected masses abandoning the internet when they realised that it was not free but infested with government controls. The campaign for ''Is This Hyperreal?'' took an turn when the "Black Flags" viral video was taken up by Anonymous whose members and supporters sent in clips from the
Occupy Wall Street Occupy Wall Street (OWS) was a protest Social movement, movement against economic inequality and the Campaign finance, influence of money in politics that began in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Financial District, Manhattan, Wall S ...
protests last autumn. Remixes, mash ups and alternate versions created by fans to represent their own dissatisfaction proliferated and captured the mood so accurately it was played in a
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
broadcast to summarise the zeitgeist behind Anonymous' cyber attacks.
Dangerous Minds ''Dangerous Minds'' is a 1995 American drama film directed by John N. Smith and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It is based on the autobiography ''My Posse Don't Do Homework'' by retired U.S. Marine LouAnne Johnson, who in 1989 too ...
were calling it the first anthem of the Occupy movement: "While personally I would have thought it would be a new act to break through representing a new generation, no-one can doubt ATR’s credentials when it comes to this kind of thing. In fact, maybe in this age of ultra-commodified music it would HAVE to take a more veteran, established act to represent OWS and Anonymous so as to avoid claims of false appropriation? You have to hand it to ATR though; "Black Flags" is a pretty great tune. I'd say it's one of their most accessible yet while retaining all that dark techno-punk scuzzy energy we know and love." In Spring 2012 the music video for "Black Flags" was nominated for the
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
O Music Awards in the US in the category "Best Protest Song of the Year". In advance of a December 2016 concert in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
,
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, ATR used
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
to declare their opposition to the
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Its objective is to pressure Israel to meet what the BDS movement describes as Israel's obligations ...
movement, calling it "a support mechanism for Palestinian terrorist groups in their efforts to de-legitimize and ultimately destroy Israel", accusing
Seeds of Peace Seeds of Peace is a peacebuilding and leadership development organization headquartered in New York City. It was founded in 1993. As its main program, the organization brings youth and educators from areas of conflict to its camp in Maine. It a ...
of promoting "anti-Israel activities", and proposing that companies like Soda Stream are evidence that "working together is the best way to create a better future."


Discography


Studio albums

* '' Delete Yourself!'' (originally titled ''1995'') (DHR 1995) * ''
The Future of War ''The Future of War'' is the second studio album by Atari Teenage Riot. Faster and harder than their previous effort, the album sees the band's only female member at the time, Hanin Elias, providing vocals for a larger share of the songs. In ...
'' (DHR 1997) * ''
60 Second Wipe Out ''60 Second Wipe Out'' is the third studio album by Atari Teenage Riot. It was originally released through Digital Hardcore Recordings in 1999. It peaked at number 17 on the UK Independent Albums Chart, as well as number 32 on the '' Billboard'' ...
'' (DHR 1999) * '' Is This Hyperreal?'' (DHR 2011) * '' Reset'' (DHR 2014)


Compilation albums

* '' Burn, Berlin, Burn!'' (
Grand Royal Grand Royal was the Los Angeles, California-based vanity record label set up in 1992 by rap group Beastie Boys in conjunction with Capitol Records after the group left Def Jam Recordings. ''Grand Royal'' was also the name of a magazine written ...
1997) * ''
Redefine the Enemy - Rarities and B-Side Compilation 1992-1999 Redefine may refer to: * ''Redefine'' (Soil album), 2004 * ''Redefine'' (Dragon Fli Empire album), 2009 * ''Redefine'' (magazine), an independent music and art magazine from the United States * "Redefine", a 2002 rap song by Mars Ill * "Redefin ...
'' (DHR 2002) * '' Atari Teenage Riot: 1992–2000'' (DHR 2006) * ''Unreleased Tracks 1991-1994''


Live albums

* '' Live in Stuttgart (One-Off Shit Let's Go!)'' (DHR 1996) * '' Live in Philadelphia Dec. 1997'' (DHR 1998) * '' Live at Brixton Academy'' (DHR 1999) * Riot in Japan 2011 (DHR 2011)


Video

* ''Sixteen Years of Video Material'' (with Alec Empire) (Monitorpop 2008)


Singles/EPs

* "
ATR ATR may refer to: Medicine * Acute transfusion reaction * Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related, a protein involved in DNA damage repair Science and mathematics * Advanced Test Reactor, nuclear research reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory, ...
" ("Atari Teenage Riot") (
Phonogram Phonogram may refer to: * A sound recording – see Geneva Phonograms Convention * ''Phonogram'' (comics), a comic book by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie * Phonogram (linguistics), a grapheme which represents a phoneme or a combination of phone ...
1993) * " Kids Are United E.P." (Phonogram 1993) * "Raver Bashing" (
split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...
with "Together for Never" by Alec Empire) (Riot Beats 1994) * "
Speed/Midijunkies "Speed/Midijunkies" (according to the CD single) or Midijunkies/Speed (according to the 12" vinyl) is a single by Atari Teenage Riot, initially released in April 1995 to promote their debut full-length '' Delete Yourself!''. The song "Speed" sampl ...
" (DHR 1996) * "Deutschland Has Gotta Die!" (Grand Royal 1996) * " Not Your Business E.P." (Grand Royal 1996) * " Destroy 2000 Years of Culture" (Intercord 1997) * "Paranoid" (split with "Free Satpal Ram" by
Asian Dub Foundation Asian Dub Foundation (ADF) is an English electronic music band that combines musical styles including rap rock, dub, dancehall, ragga, and South Asian music. The group also includes traditional rock instruments such as electric bass and gui ...
) (
Damaged Goods Damaged goods or Damaged Goods may refer to: * Goods that have been damaged, where goods are items that satisfy human wants and provide utility * A person considered to be less than perfect psychologically, as a result of a traumatic experience ...
1997) * "
Sick to Death ''The Future of War'' is the second studio album by Atari Teenage Riot. Faster and harder than their previous effort, the album sees the band's only female member at the time, Hanin Elias, providing vocals for a larger share of the songs. In ...
" (DHR 1997) * " Atari Teenage Riot II" (DHR 1999) * " Revolution Action E.P." (DHR 1999) * " Too Dead for Me EP" (DHR 1999) * " Rage E.P." (DHR 2000) * "Activate" (DHR 2010) * "Blood in My Eyes" (DHR 2011) * "Black Flags" (DHR 2011) * "Collapse of History Remixes" (DHR 2012) * "Collapse of History" (DHR 2012)


Other recordings

* "Sex Law Penetration" on ''
Orgazmo ''Orgazmo'' is a 1997 American superhero sex comedy film written, directed and edited by Trey Parker and produced by Matt Stone, Jason McHugh, and Fran Rubel Kuzui. It stars Parker, Stone, Dian Bachar, Robyn Lynne, and Michael Dean Jacobs. Th ...
(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (Nickelbag 1998)


References


External links


Atari Teenage Riot
official site {{Authority control Digital hardcore music groups German electronic music groups German industrial music groups German punk rock groups German techno music groups Hardcore techno music groups Hip house music groups Musical groups disestablished in 2000 Musical groups established in 1992 Musical groups from Berlin Political music groups