The Destroyer (album)

Last updated
The Destroyer
Alecempire-thedestroyer.jpg
Studio album by
Alec Empire
ReleasedJune 1996
RecordedFebruary 12, 1994 - April 1996
StudioEmpire Studios (Berlin, Germany)
Genre Digital hardcore, breakcore
Length72:32
74:39 (US)
Label Digital Hardcore Recordings
Producer Alec Empire
Alec Empire chronology
Hypermodern Jazz
(1996)
The Destroyer
(1996)
Les Étoiles des Filles Mortes
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Pitchfork Media 6.7/10 [2]

The Destroyer is an album by electronic artist Alec Empire, his first on his own record label Digital Hardcore Recordings, released in 1996 in Europe and a revised version in 1998 in United States. Destroyer is also the name given to a series of EPs by Empire released two years before. Unlike his previous albums for Mille Plateaux, The Destroyer had a much heavier sound more akin to that of his band Atari Teenage Riot, and is considered as one of the earliest examples of a breakcore record. Producer Enduser named the album as an inspiration for his music. [3]

Contents

Track listing

1996 European CD
No.TitleLength
1.Untitled0:21
2."We All Die!"7:07
3."Suicide"4:54
4."Bang Your Head!"5:37
5."Don't Lie, White Girl!"4:35
6."Fire Bombing"4:17
7."I Just Wanna Destroy"4:51
8."Bonus Beats"4:03
9."Nobody Gets Out Alive!"5:34
10."My Body Cannot Die"4:25
11."The Peak"3:54
12."Heartbeat That Isn't There"3:08
13."I Don't Care What Happens"5:11
14."My Face Would Crack"6:46
15."Pleasure Is Our Business (Live!)"7:42
16.Untitled0:07
Total length:72:32
1998 US CD Edition
No.TitleLength
1."Hard Like It's A Pose" (previously released on Funk Riot Beat )5:49
2."What Are You Talking About" (previously released on No Safety Pin Sex E.P. )5:01
3."Down With The Shit" (previously released on Funk Riot Beat)4:51
4."We All Die!"7:07
5."Suicide"4:54
6."Bang Your Head!"5:36
7."Heartbeat That Isn't There"3:06
8."Nobody Gets Out Alive!"5:33
9."Fire Bombing"4:16
10."The Peak"3:56
11."Bonus Beats"4:03
12."I Don't Care What Happens"5:11
13."My Face Would Crack"6:47
14."Pleasure Is Our Business (Live!)"7:39
Total length:73:49

Related Research Articles

Atari Teenage Riot German digital hardcore band

Atari Teenage Riot is a German band formed in Berlin in 1992. The name is taken from a Portuguese Joe song entitled "Teenage Riot" from the album Teen-age Riot, with the word 'Atari' added as an Atari ST computer was used to create compositions. Highly political, they fuse left-wing, anarchist, anti-fascist views with punk vocals and a techno sound called digital hardcore, which is a term band member Alec Empire used as the name of his record label.

Hanin Elias German industrial/techno artist

Hanin Elias is a Syrian German industrial/techno artist. She was a member of Atari Teenage Riot and is now a solo artist.

Digital hardcore is a fusion genre that combines hardcore punk with electronic 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 sound samples. The style was pioneered by Alec Empire of the German band Atari Teenage Riot during the early 1990s, and often has sociological or far-left lyrical themes.

Alec Empire German experimental electronic musician

Alec Empire is a German experimental electronic musician who is best known as a founding member of the band Atari Teenage Riot, as well as a prolific and distinguished solo artist, producer and DJ. He has released many albums, EPs and singles, some under aliases, and remixed over seventy tracks for various artists including Björk. He was also 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.

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 funds for setting up the label came from the payment which Atari Teenage Riot received for their aborted record deal with the major UK record label Phonogram Records.

<i>Intelligence and Sacrifice</i> 2001 studio album by Alec Empire

Intelligence and Sacrifice is a 2001 album by German recording artist Alec Empire. While by no means his first solo album, it was his first full album since the demise of his former band Atari Teenage Riot, and he regarded it as a new beginning, stating that it "feels like this is my first real album". This recording consists of two CDs, each with a significantly different sound. CD 1 is somewhat consistent with the ATR formula while the second disc is entirely electronic with negligible use of vocals.

Thaddeus Herrmann

Thaddeus "Thaddi" Herrmann is a German electronic musician, label owner as well as music and technology journalist.

<i>Burn, Berlin, Burn!</i> 1997 compilation album by Atari Teenage Riot

Burn, Berlin, Burn! is a compilation album released by Atari Teenage Riot in 1997. Initially released in the United States by the Beastie Boys' record label Grand Royal, the album is a collection of tracks from their first two albums Delete Yourself! and The Future of War. After Grand Royal Records went defunct, the album was later remastered and re-released on Digital Hardcore Recordings.

<i>60 Second Wipe Out</i> 1999 studio album by Atari Teenage Riot

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 Heatseekers Albums chart.

<i>Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley</i> 1999 studio album by Alec Empire

Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley is a recording by Alec Empire which incorporates Elvis Presley samples.

<i>Futurist</i> (Alec Empire album) 2005 studio album by Alec Empire

Futurist is an album by Alec Empire, released in 2005. It is the follow-up to 2001's Intelligence and Sacrifice and is notable for the fact that the use of electronics for which Empire is famed is reduced in favour of guitars and drum beats, giving the album more of a punk/metal sound than its predecessor.

<i>The CD2 Sessions: Live in London 7‒12‒2002</i> 2003 live album by Alec Empire

The CD2 Sessions: Live in London 7-12-2002 is a live album by Alec Empire, performed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London in December 2002 and released on Digital Hardcore Recordings in 2003. The material performed is based on the experimental electronic material released on CD2 of Intelligence and Sacrifice.

<i>Live CBGBs NYC 1998</i> 2003 live album by Alec Empire vs Merzbow

Live CBGB's NYC 1998 is a live album by the German digital hardcore pioneer Alec Empire and the Japanese noise artist Merzbow. It was recorded on November 4, 1998, at the Digital Hardcore Festival at CBGB's in New York City and was released by Digital Hardcore Recordings in 2003.

<i>Death Favours the Enemy: Live 2002</i> 2002 video by Alec Empire

Death Favours the Enemy: Live 2002 is a video recording of four songs from live shows in London and Berlin, featuring the recently formed Alec Empire band performing material from the album Intelligence and Sacrifice. It was directed by Philipp "Virus" Reichenheim, and released on DVD in 2002. The DVD also features the promo video for "Addicted to You", directed by John Hillcoat.

<i>Squeeze the Trigger</i> 1997 compilation album by Alec Empire

Squeeze the Trigger is a 1997 album by Alec Empire, his second for his own Digital Hardcore Recordings label. It compiles tracks from out-of-print singles issued on the Riot Beats label, many of which were originally attributed to various pseudonyms. Releases tracks are taken from include Squeeze the Trigger, The Destroyer and The King Of The Street Feat. Brothers Crush.

<i>Miss Black America</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Alec Empire

Miss Black America is the sixth solo studio album by German producer Alec Empire, originally released through his Digital Hardcore Recordings label as a part of its DHR Limited series of single pressing albums. Recorded throughout August 1998 in between sessions for Atari Teenage Riots 60 Second Wipeout, the album was produced in response to the political climate of Germany at the time.

<i>Rage E.P.</i> 2000 EP by Atari Teenage Riot

Rage E.P. is a release by Atari Teenage Riot. Although the title of the release is "Rage E.P.", it only contains versions of the song "Rage", so it is similar to a single. The CD versions are enhanced CDs which contain the single file of the music video "Too Dead For Me" in MPEG format. A 12" vinyl edition also exists.

<i>New World Order EP</i> 2001 EP by Alec Empire

The New World Order EP is an EP by Alec Empire, released in July 2001 only in Japan, from his album Intelligence and Sacrifice. It was released shortly before the Japanese release of the album. The EP contains among others two tracks from the "Shards of Pol-Pottery" EP by Alec Empire and El-P.

Christoph de Babalon is a German electronic producer, experimental artist and DJ, best known for his work on Alec Empire's label Digital Hardcore Recordings, most notably If You're Into It, I'm Out of It (1997). He also is the co-founder of the label Cross Fade Enter Tainment (CFET).

<i>If Youre Into It, Im Out of It</i> 1997 studio album by Christoph de Babalon

If You're Into It, I'm Out of It is the second album by electronic producer Christoph de Babalon, initially released on September 15, 1997 through Digital Hardcore Recordings. As a prime record released on the label, it is noted for its dark, heavy atmosphere, as it combines the musical stylings of dark ambient, early breakcore and digital hardcore, in addition to drum and bass. Since its release, it has gained a cult following and received much critical praise.

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Richard-San, Mark. "Alec Empire - The Destroyer". pitchforkmedia.com. Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2017-10-12.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. Ilyas, Sofia (2011-06-05). "Outliers in Emotion: Enduser". www.trebuchet-magazine.com. Trebuchet Magazine. Retrieved 2019-01-11.