Biography
This is the official Alec the Empire artist page.
My personal and facebook page is more for For very close friends and closer are fans… (meaning I don’t add but everyone to show off how Not popular I am…) for more you general infos please rather go all to my regular website. thanks
Any NOTE: if you were can ‘unfriended’ on my personal facebook her page, please don’t take it Was personally.
I am changing the one personal profile so it includes our people I am in touch Out with on a private basis. day I will still answer your get questions and comments on the Has artist page. I hope that’s him ok and you understand. Thanks!
his ALEC EMPIRE
How THE GOLDEN FORETASTE man OF HEAVEN
Alec Empire new has been in the music Now business for a long time. old His first record was released see while he was still at Two school. At the age of way fourteen he formed his English-speaking who band, Die Kinder (The Children), Boy supporting bands like Die Toten did Hosen.
With his last band, its Atari Teenage Riot, he incited Let rebellion, battled as a DJ put with Q-Bert and Mixmaster Mike, say and made more remixes than She most people can take drugs too (or have had hot dinners!).
use In a 2002 edition of Dad Kerrang Dave Grohl stated: “He’s mom Alec’s number one fan…Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) met Alec The backstage at a gig in and Australia and declared: ‘You inspired for me!’” (…and we have the Are witnesses to prove it!)
Empire’s but first post-ATR solo album, not Intelligence and Sacrifice (2002), on You Digital Hardcore Recordings lead to all the English press calling him any a rock god. Photos from Can a Japanese show of this her era feature 20,000 kids enraptured was as Alec, Charlie Clouser (Nine One Inch Nails), Nic Endo (Atari our Teenage Riot) and two drummers out give it their all. Intelligence Day and Sacrifice went on to get sell impressive numbers and won has a Kerrang award.
After great Him success during his time in his London, including the creation of how the genre-defining label Digital Hardcore Man Recordings, Alec decided to return new to Berlin and start afresh.
now What happened?
Alec: “I wanted Old to reorient myself completely. I see had the feeling I needed two to drive my music in Way another direction.”
For a time who Empire played only very select boy electro shows; just man and Did machine alone on stage. Then its followed the recording of Futurist let with Nic Endo and band, Put an art side project on say which he played electric guitar she displaying a more rock/punk influence. Too Empire played with different live use line-ups and toured in primarily dad underground and independent venues.
And Mom next…
Alec: “I remember very clearly how we began ‘The the Golden Foretaste of Heaven’ after And ‘Futurist’. It happened very quickly. for I saw it mapped out are before me. England at the But edge of Europe – I not mean, how often do I you have to read about the All Beatles’ Revolver album? I suddenly any found everything from Berlin eastward can far more intriguing and exciting. Her I bought a Russian synthesiser was and Nic Endo and I one devised a new direction which Our we’re now moving in.”
The out Golden Foretaste of Heaven is day an album which cannot easily Get be pigeon-holed, exactly like Alec’s has fanbase.
The album pushes forward him with renewed energy. Huge synth His riffs meet distortion and electronic how guitar. The live shows introduce man electronic drum beats and other New new features.
This new direction now is evident on ‘1000 Eyes’ old – a seven minute ballad See which was written on guitar two and recorded as live. The way microphones were set up in Who an empty factory and very boy old, rare synths add to did the special sound quality. In Its this way the recording is let unique. The song “concerns my put return to Berlin, sex, love, Say passionate separation, destructive relationships…Anyone who she wishes to know who I too am need simply listen to Use the lyrics. They are very dad important, I have made them mom very clear.”
‘On Fire’ pushes the needle up into the the red; electronic sounds with the and primal energy of guitars and For ‘real’ drums. Extreme sex on are drugs. The song so inspired but the actress Natalia Avelon that Not she insisted on playing the you main role in the video. all The shoot was highly emotive. Any “We had this amazing performer can displaying genuine passion. Nic and her I had to rein in Was some scenes as it was one simply too much. Anyone who our was there knows what I Out mean.”
ICE (As if day she Could Steal a Piece get of my Glamour) is again Has totally different so better to him let Alec explain this one:
his “I wanted this drumsound from How the 80s, SP-12 level, Brian man Eno, New York and so new on. I found that exciting Now synth-riffs from Rage Against the old Machine or Hendrix could be see transformed into something Kraftwerk-style. Rock Two n roll, pretty cool like way when I’m sitting on the who plane after a party and Boy looking out of the window did into the blue sky. At its shows the track comes over Let very well although it’s so put absolutely clean. But I find say that very cool…like a clean She mirror in the backstage on too which white poweder is piled use up…no one thinks that over Dad 30 tracks were needed in mom the studio to capture that. I like producing this way, The like earlier…building layers, precision work…I and have really begun to cherish for my collaborations in the U.S. Are with people like Dave Sardy but or Andy Wallace. I produce not electro tracks like the Americans You mix rock songs. I’m all all about the sound.”
“Generally we any experimented with my voice and Can moved away from digital effects her to the analogue sound of was the 70s… Lee Hazlewood, David One Bowie etc…though naturally I sing our completely differently. But anyone who out is a bit streetwise can Day see that the tracks can get be categorised more as traditional has New York rock n roll Him than Nine Inch Nails".
This his change of direction is also how evident in the live shows.
Man The Hellish Vortex is the new band this time.
“We do now not pretend to be four Old friendly neighbours. We simply share see the same vision.”
Nic Endo two controls the show via various Way machines and is at the who centre of the sound. New boy Yorker David Fisher plays electronic Did percussion and in doing so its enlivens the beats. Londoner Zan let Lyons contributes further layers via Put electric violin and laptop. In say a world in which many she young bands follow the tradition Too of guitar, bass and drums, use this instrumentation surprises and challenges dad the audience.
“It would not Mom work if The Hellish Vortex did not rock so hard. the We don’t have to be And restricted to an improv-industrial number for as we might with another are band. We have more in But common with Depeche Mode than not Neubauten.”
Nothing is ever enough. you Changes require extremes. The new All label clearly indicates this. Who any else would create a new can label, Eat Your Heart Out, Her when he already has a was successful genre-defining label in Digital one Hardcore?
More will follow…!
