Europe’s underground legend Alec Empire unleashes the new sound of Berlin

Europe’s underground legend Alec Empire unleashes the new sound of Berlin

24 January, 2008 | 11.44AM

• Section: Music News Topics: Berlin
• Written by: luciuszest

Alec Empire returns with a brand new album, ‘The Golden Foretaste of Heaven’, a hot new label and a fresh new sound.

Already a cult figure head through his releases with Digital Hardcore Recordings, Alec has amassed a loyal fan base through his highly charged DJ/live shows and extensive remixes with various high profile artists.

With this new album, Alec has made another unique contribution to the evolution of modern music and has moulded and twisted its form and content to create his own pulsating, distinct sound. 

During the nineties, he put the spotlight on Berlin with his revolutionary, politically charged outfit, Atari Teenage Riot with their trademark slogans and explosive live shows.

Throughout his career, Alec has worked with an astonishing variety of musicians including the likes of Björk, Einstürzende Neubauten, Jon Spencer, Rammstein and Slayer.

From sharing the stage with Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine, Beck and Moby, to touring the globe, receiving a Kerrang! Award and getting his tunes soundtracked in Hollywood films, Alec has ticked all the right boxes.

As 2008 rears its head, Alec turns the spotlight back onto his native Berlin; a city he is confident will be Europe’s main musical playground.

The energy, the political savvy, even the aggression still remain, as do the industrial sounds, electronic distortion and throbbing beats.

Also thrown into the mix is a subtle melodic quality, an awareness that the youth of today discover more about themselves and their world on the dance floor.

This ethos is firmly translated into Alec’s latest album, ‘The Golden Foretaste of Heaven’.

Roping in the talents of former ATR comrade, Nic Endo, the intensity and melodies on this album will fire up sound systems everywhere.

The pace of life accelerates with no sign of slowing down.

There is no time to go all misty-eyed and nostalgic for the “golden periods” of the city’s past: the punk craze of the 70s is over, likewise the nu-wave scene of the early 80s.

Even the 90s boom in techno is a distant memory now.

Now it’s time for something different. Now it’s time to reflect the times, the tastes and the sounds of New Berlin. Berlin in 2008.

‘The Golden Foretaste of Heaven’ will be released in the UK on March 24.

“...The sound is the future. The glorious minimal soundscapes are haunting and beautiful, a daring step into uncharted territory, a bold move away from what is safe. ...It’s intimate, it’s dark, it pulsates with a powerful force from beyond imagination. It clearly expresses human emotions from deep within an extraordinary creative soul...” Sune (Raveonettes)

“The show was louder than when I saw My Bloody Valentine!!!” Gorilla Biscuits

“It sounds phaaat!” Miss Kittin

“ALLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEC send me more tracks.. Your album is amazing xx” Patrick Wolf

Media Links:

Alec’s exclusive 2008 interview: http://boomp3.com/m/776c6924c6f6

New Video On Fire feat Natalia Avelon: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=26752572

Listen to On Fire feat Natalia Avelon: boomp3.com/m/88a6a9e99220

Check out Alec’s exclusive mixes for Japanese radio: boomp3.com/m/b548dfabe6f2, boomp3.com/m/093347ee9549

Full European Dates:

31-Jan-08 Thursday Nuremberg - Hirsch DE
01-Feb-08 Friday Hanover - Musikzentrum DE
02-Feb-08 Saturday Dresden - Star Club DE
03-Feb-08 Sunday Berlin - Festsaal Kreuzberg DE
04-Feb-08 Monday Munich - Ampere DE
06-Feb-08 Wednesday Stuttgart - Die Roehre DE
07-Feb-08 Thursday Darmstadt - Centralstation DE
08-Feb-08 Friday Bochum - Riff DE
09-Feb-08 Saturday Cologne - Underground DE
10-Feb-08 Sunday The Hague - Bazart NL
12-Feb-08 Tuesday Bremen - Tower DE
13-Feb-08 Wednesday Hamburg - Uebel & Gefaehrlich DE
14-Feb-08 Thursday Copenhagen - Stengade 30 DK
15-Feb-08 Friday Malmo - Debaser SE
18-Feb-08 Monday Rostock - Mau Club DE
19-Feb-08 Tuesday Warsaw - CDQX PL
21-Feb-08 Thursday Vienna - Flex AU
22-Feb-08 Friday Modena - Vox IT
23-Feb-08 Saturday Florence - Aud. Vog IT
26-Feb-08 Tuesday Basel - Kaserne CZ
27-Feb-08 Wednesday Bern - Dachstock at Reitschule CZ
04-Mar-08 Tuesday Brussels - Botanique/Orangerie NL
05-Mar-08 Wednesday London - Dingwalls UK
06-Mar-08 Thursday Exeter - Cavern UK
07-Mar-08 Friday Manchester - Academy 3 UK

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