Atari Teenage Riot is a German hardcore techno group formed in Berlin in 1992(?). Highly political they fused left-wing anarchist anti-fascist views with punk vocals and the newly emerging techno sound that was called digital hardcore, which is a term Alec Empire later used in the name of his record company.
The group originally consisted of Alec Empire, Hanin Elias and Carl Crack. Later they were joined by Nic Endo a noise/soundscape artist with classical music training. Carl was suffering from psychosis and died in 2000 after a drug overdose (see below).
After signing to a major label the band left to set up their own record label Digital Hardcore Recordings or DHR.
The group decided to effectively disband in 2000 and to not consider the band's future until 2003. Carl Crack died a few months later of a drug overdose. His death caused Empire some anguish and made any reformation less likely. Since the collapse of ATR the surviving members have all pursued separate and successful careers. Endo and Empire have collaborated since but relations between Elias and Empire appear to remain strained despite their mutual business interests. This is because, as she states in interviews, Hanin Elias decided to set up her own record label, where she did not feel oppresed by the mostly male artists. Her record label is named Fatal Recordings.
