Alec Empire



Born on May 2, 1972, in West Berlin, Alec Empire was early influenced by rap and the breakdancing scene. Later he began listening to early punk and played in several bands during the late '80s. By the turn of the decade, Empire became fascinated by the sound of acid and techno, though he detested the drug culture inherent at raves. He began recording EPs for Force Inc as well as their subsidiary, Mille Plateaux and formed Atari Teenage Riot in 1992, with Carl Crack and Hanin Elias. A slightly more rock-oriented project, ATR nevertheless focused on the extreme: their political themes and screamed vocals were inspired by punk, but the music concentrated on acid synth and distorted breakbeats. Founder of Berlin's Digital Hardcore Recordings, Alec Empire created some of the most musically diverse works of the 1990s, recording both as himself and with the trio Atari Teenage Riot. Empire was often identified with (and pigeonholed for) his ATR productions, lo-fi breakbeats played at the speed of thrash that simultaneously embraced the energy of punk, the uncompromising ferocity of industrial music, and the futurism of techno. On his solo albums, however, Empire ranged through isolationist ambient, electro, breakbeat, hard techno, even twisted lounge music. As such, he gained fans in several fields while recording for the German experimental/electronic label Mille Plateaux. Still, his first American exposure came when the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal Records signed Atari Teenage Riot in 1996. In 1997 he founded Geist Records (Geist in german means spirit) that produced ''The Geist of Alec Empire'', a 3 cd collection of previously published tracks (on Mille Plateaux) and unrealised ones.

Live At CBGB's New York City 4-11-98 (CDr) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR)
The Destroyer Mix Tape #3/98 (CDr) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR)
Trip Men (12") Force Inc. Music Works 1991
SuEcide (Pt.1) (12") Force Inc. Music Works 1992
SuEcide (Pt.2) (12") Force Inc. Music Works 1992
Yobot E.P. (12", EP) Force Inc. Music Works 1992
Yobot E.P. (12", EP, W/Lbl, Promo) Force Inc. Music Works 1992
Bass Terror EP (12", EP) Force Inc. Music Works 1993
Das Duell (12") Force Inc. Music Works 1993
Limited Edition (12") Force Inc. Limited 1993
Death E.P. (12", EP) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1994
Digital Hardcore E.P. (12", EP) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1994
Generation Star Wars (CD) Mille Plateaux 1994
Generation Star Wars (2xLP) Mille Plateaux 1994
Generation Star Wars (CD, Album) Mille Plateaux 1994
Limited Edition 2 (12") Force Inc. Limited 1994
Limited Editions 1990-94 (CD, Album) Mille Plateaux 1994
Pulse Code EP (12", EP) Mille Plateaux 1994
Raver Bashing / Together For Never (7") Riot Beats 1994
SuEcide EP (Pluto Remixes) (12") Rare Grooves (2) 1994
The Destroyer (12") Riot Beats 1994
The Destroyer Part 2 (12", Blu) Riot Beats 1994
Bass Terror On Kiss FM - Radio Massive 95 (Cass, Ltd) Midi War 1995
Limited Editions 1990-94 (2xLP) Mille Plateaux 1995
Low On Ice (The Iceland Sessions) (CD, Album) Mille Plateaux 1995
Low On Ice (The Iceland Sessions) (2xLP) Mille Plateaux 1995
SuEcide (The Wonka Remixes) (12") Rare Grooves (2) 1995
Cut The Pussies (Cass) Midi War 1996
Generation Star Wars Party (Cass) Midi War 1996
Hypermodern Jazz 2000.5 (CD, Album) Mille Plateaux 1996
Hypermodern Jazz 2000.5 (2xLP, Album, Cle) Mille Plateaux 1996
Les Étoiles Des Filles Mortes (CD, Album) Mille Plateaux 1996
Les Etoiles Des Filles Mortes (LP) Mille Plateaux 1996
Live At Soundlab (2xCass) Midi War 1996
Terror Worldwide (Cass) Midi War 1996
Terror Worldwide (Pt.2) (Cass) Midi War 1996
The Destroyer (CD, Album) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1996
The Destroyer (2xLP) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1996
The Destroyer (7") Grand Royal, Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1996
'The Destroyer' DHR Mix Tape (12", Ltd, Promo) Grand Royal 1997
Hetzjagd Auf Nazis (Remix) (12", S/Sided, Ltd) Position Chrome 1997
Squeeze The Trigger (CD, Album) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1997
Squeeze The Trigger (2xLP) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1997
Squeeze The Trigger (2xCD) Beat Records 1997
The Geist Of Alec Empire (3xCD + Box) Geist Records 1997
The Destroyer (2xLP) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1998
The Destroyer (CD) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1998
Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley (LP) El Turco Loco 1999
Miss Black America (LP) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1999
Miss Black America (CD) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 1999
C-Pij 02 (7", Ltd) C-Pij 2000
Generation Star Wars (CD) Geist Records 2000
Hypermodern Jazz 2000.5 (CD) Geist Records 2000
Les Etoiles Des Filles Mortes (CD, Enh) Geist Records 2000
Limited Editions 1990-94 (CD) Geist Records 2000
Low On Ice (The Iceland Sessions) (CD, Enh) Geist Records 2000
Intelligence And Sacrifice (2xCD) Beat Records 2001
New World Order EP (CD, EP) Beat Records 2001
Shards Of Pol Pottery (The 2001 Remixes) (CD, Enh) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2001
Shards Of Pol Pottery (The 2001 Remixes) (12") Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2001
Addicted To You (CD, Maxi, Enh, CD1) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
Addicted To You (CDr, Promo) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
Addicted To You (Raw Mixes) (CD, Maxi, CD2) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
Death Favours The Enemy (DVD) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
Intelligence & Sacrifice (4 Track Sampler) (CDr) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
Intelligence & Sacrifice (5-Track Sampler) (CDr) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
Intelligence & Sacrifice Instrumentals / Alt Mixes (CDr) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
Intelligence And Sacrifice (2xCD, Album) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
The Ride (12") Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
The Ride (CD, Maxi, CD2) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
The Ride (CD, Maxi, CD1) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
The Ride (CDr, Promo) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
The Ride (CDr, Promo) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2002
Live CBGB's NYC 1998 (CD) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2003
The CD2 Sessions (CD, Album) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2003
The Destroyer DJ Mix Tape 4/04 (CDr) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2004
Alec Empire DJ Mix Sun Ra (CDr, Ltd) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Futurist (CD, Album) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Futurist (CD) Beat Records 2005
Futurist (4 Track Sampler) (CDr) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Gotta Get Out (CDr, Promo) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Gotta Get Out (CDr, Promo) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Gotta Get Out! (CD, Maxi) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Japanese Noise Pt. 1 & 2 & 3 (3xCDr, Mini) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Kiss Of Death (CD, Maxi) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Kiss Of Death (7") Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Kiss Of Death (CDr, Promo) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Kiss Of Death (CDr, Promo) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Kiss Of Death (VHS) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Live At Fuji-Rock 2001 (DVDr) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Overdose (CDr, Promo) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Tribute To R. Mooog Mixed By Alec Empire (2xCDr, Minimax) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2005
Live At The Suicide Club 1995 (CDr) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2006
DJ Sampler (CD, Smplr, Promo) Eat Your Heart Out 2007
Japanese Noise Pt.1 & 2 & 3 (CDr, RE) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2007
On Fire EP (CD, EP, Ltd) Eat Your Heart Out 2007
Robot L.O.V.E (CDr, EP, Promo) Eat Your Heart Out 2007
Robot L.O.V.E. (12", EP) Eat Your Heart Out 2007
Robot L.O.V.E. EP (CD, EP, Ltd, Red) Eat Your Heart Out 2007
Satellite Of Fear (CDr, Red) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2007
The Golden Foretaste Of Heaven (CD, Album) Beat Records 2007
Tribute To R. Mooog Mixed By Alec Empire (CDr, RE, Ltd) Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) 2007
The Golden Foretaste Of Heaven (CD, Album) Eat Your Heart Out 2008
The Golden Foretaste Of Heaven (2xLP, Gat) Cargo Records 2008