Atari Teenage Riot
60 Second Wipeout
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Atari Teenage Riot
60 Second Wipeout
Digital Hardcore/Elektra, 1999
RiYL: Prodigy, Rage Against The Machine, front 242 |
The frenzy of hardcore is present in every track, except the guitar sound has been replaced with digitally created (with very few samples) beats or digitized instrument riffs that sound nothing like guitars or keyboards.
"By Any Means Necessary" kicks in with a chant of the title and a long intro of beats, radio squawking and a steady drum rumble. Empire then announces the song as if it was being played to a live audience. The female vocals of Hanin Elias ring with intensity, perfectly laid underneath all the noise the group creates.
Elias' vocals prove to be one of the most enticing aspects of the album. On "U.S. Fade Out" she whispers, screams and squeals, exuding a sexy cool over the sonic bombardments below.
Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Faith No More) mixed a majority of 60 Second Wipeout and is a definite factor in the cohesion of the tracks. Empire himself produced the record, a majority of which is hard-to-digest electronic feedback. But luckily, at least some of the tracks focus on melodies. "Western Decay" is thick with looped, bass-driven beats, and urban stylings offset by the Euro-styled female vocals.
Atari Teenage Riot unfortunately squanders some talent. The contributions of guitarist Dino Cazares (a member of the heavy handed neo-metal band Fear Factory) on "Death Of A President D.I.Y.!" are completely obliterated by digital sounds.
Any essential dance tracks are pretty much destroyed as well by all the rough sounds Empire and company build. In opposition to relatively clear-sounding electronica from the likes of the Chemical Brothers or Fatboy Slim, Empire has mixed in rap, thrash, and punk, resulting in a complex blend that is so schizophrenic, the ordinary rock listener will fall into epileptic fits. But of course, that's also the main draw for Atari Teenage Riot's fans.
DAVID THOMAS |