18 Facts About Alec Empire

Alec Empire was born on Alexander Wilke-Steinhof on 2 May 1972 and 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.

Alec Empire has released many albums, EPs and singles, some under aliases, and remixed over seventy tracks for various artists including Bjork.

Alec Empire was 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.

Alec Empire's 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.

Alec Empire had played guitar since the age of eight which coupled with his politically charged upbringing eventually led him to punk music; he formed his first band, Die Kinder, at age twelve.

Alec Empire eventually became fascinated by the rave scene, and, following German reunification, frequented underground raves in East Berlin, believing his native West Berlin scene to be too commercialised.

In 1994, using the non-refundable cash advance from the deal, Alec Empire started an independent record label that allowed its artists the freedom of expression Phonogram were unlikely to give.

Alec Empire named it Digital Hardcore Recordings ; the direction his sound had taken came to be known as "digital hardcore".

Alec Empire recorded for Force Inc under several pseudonyms, including the Detroit techno-inspired Jaguar.

Onstage at one show in Seattle in 1999, Alec Empire slashed his forearms with a razor.

Alec Empire rebounded in 2001 when he, with assistance from Endo, recorded Intelligence and Sacrifice.

Alec Empire used an all-star lineup in his first live "Alec Empire" show at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan: Charlie Clouser played synths, Masami "Merzbow" Akita and Gabe Serbian both played drums, and Endo played synths and keyboards.

Alec Empire 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.

Alec Empire 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.

Alec Empire began 2006 by DJing at industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle's New Year's Eve party.

Alec Empire recorded a cover version of The Monks' "Monk Time" for a tribute album with that band's singer Gary Burger, and Russell Simins of Blues Explosion.

In 2007, Alec Empire announced that DHR would henceforth assume a more "underground" role, as his focus turned to a new label, Eat Your Heart Out Records, which he describes as "the sound of New Berlin".

In February 2017 Alec Empire released an original soundtrack album for the German sci-fi thriller Volt.