# 3,411
Alec Empire: Limited Editions 1990-1994 (1994)
One of my first non-DHR acquisitions from a book and music store which no longer exists. I was astonished to find these and other Mille Plateux albums of his (eventually getting all five of them) and they were totally different from the out-of-control incitement and distortion that Atari Teenage Riot provided. Empire took up electronics right after leaving his punk band Die Kinder (also see Ron Morelli / L.I.E.S. for punk-to-techno transitions) to begin an extensive and ambitious legacy. Featured here are perhaps his first recordings spanning before Atari Teenage Riot’s formation and their first singles. No electronics and slogans jammed down anyone’s throats to be found here. Instead, Empire displays a more modest and diverse side through ten tracks of Detroit techno influences, ambient, and abstract ideas. “SuEcide”, one of his key tracks outside of his DHR-label days, opens Limited Editions with burning, sweltering keys and hypnotizing rhythms. (Years later, Tiesto would indirectly sample this for his own purposes as the hook to his 1999 single “Lethal Industry”.) Kinder, wonderous feelings are delivered via “Sweet” and continue on through crackling cascading sounds of “The Backside Of My Brain”. Frigid ambient supplies the bed for ubiquitous tweets and sonic waves keeping a heightened alertness in “The Sun Hurts My Eyes”. Limited Editions also has plenty of darker moments infused with Empire’s blood, too. Layers of echoic rhythms stack onto each other on “Dark Woman” as techno structures are placed on hold for a more atmospheric IDM narrative, but resume again with “Silver Box” bringing hollow acoustics and acid squeltches into play. Its’ strongest and most dramatic moment? “Civilisation Virus”, a suspenseful 13-minute journey made for Phillip (Reichenheim) Virus’ independent short of the same name that’s every bit startling, unsettling, and directly confrontational. Closing this fascinating and amusing journey on a bizarre note is “Limited 05”, previously released on an e.p. series through the Force Inc. label. It leaves on a totally opposite note from which it entered. No excitement or passion here, only a sense of desolation and bleakness sprinkled by trickling keys and eyes out-of-focus. Everyone by now knows Empire as the fully-charged digital-hardcore artist who abused the Amen-break to no end. Show them Limited Editions 1990-1994 and remind them it’s not all about distorted breaks, chops, and blow-out protest sounds.
