The group was founded as an attack on the increasingly neo-Nazi influenced German techno scene and consisted of three Berliners - Alec Empire, Hanin Elias and MC Carl Crack. ATR's early releases (which included the track "Hetzjagd Auf Nazis!"/"Hunt Down the Nazis!") were surrounded by controversy in Germany due to the prevailing "no politics on the dance floor" attitude
After signing to Phonogram Records, a major European label, in 1993 the band received an unusually large financial advance which they duplicitously used to set up their own record label: Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR). ATR never delivered a commercially viable demo to Phonogram.
In 1997 ATR was joined by Nic Endo, a Japanese-American noise/soundscape artist during the Beck tour.[2] Their live shows during this time were characterized by violence. An outdoor show in Berlin on May 1st 1999 resulted in the arrests of all of the band members for "inciting violence" after crowds, assembled for an anti-NATO protest, rioted with police (the charges were later dropped). In another incident, a security guard in Brazil was allegedly hospitalized after being beaten by Elias with a microphone. A fan stated in an interview that the guard had grabbed her between the legs as she tried to stage dive.
In 1999 ATR released 60 Second Wipe Out. The album featured a number of guest artists including New York City rappers The Arsonists. According to Magnet Magazine, "Empire's guitar-playing values speed-thrash malevolence, and when paired with Endo's painful skronkage, the album is decidedly denser than its predecessor."
The group effectively disbanded in 2000. Any chance of reformation was eliminated on September 6, 2001 by the death of Carl from an overdose, who had long struggled with a drug addiction.In June 2002, Hanin Elias left DHR to create Fatal Recordings, a label formed exclusively for female artists, similar to her DHR Fatal offshoot label. Empire produced the track "You Suck" for her debut album No Games, No Fun; however, in the album's artwork, specifically in a collage of collaborators, Empire's face is blacked out, signifying the end of their professional relationship.
The other half of the band continue to work together. Endo assists in the production of Empire's solo recordings as well as being a key member of his live band. DHR released Atari Teenage Riot: 1992-2000, a collection of the band's best known recordings, on July 3, 2006.
Discography
Studio albums
* Delete Yourself! (originally titled 1995) (DHR 1995)
* The Future of War (DHR 1997)
* 60 Second Wipe Out (DHR 1999)
Compilation albums
* Burn, Berlin, Burn! (Grand Royal 1997)
* Redefine the Enemy - Rarities and B-Side Compilation 1992-1999 (DHR 2002)
* Atari Teenage Riot: 1992–2000 (DHR 2006)
Live albums
* Live in Stuttgart (One-Off Shit Let's Go!) (DHR 1996)
* Live in Philadelphia Dec. 1997 (DHR 1998)
* Live at Brixton Academy (DHR 1999)
Video
* Sixteen Years of Video Material (with Alec Empire) (Monitorpop 2008)
Singles/EPs
* "ATR" ("Atari Teenage Riot") (Phonogram 1993)
* "Kids Are United E.P." (Phonogram 1993)
* "Raver Bashing" (split with "Together for Never" by Alec Empire) (Riot Beats 1994)
* "Speed/Midijunkies" (DHR 1996)
* "Deutschland Has Gotta Die!" (Grand Royal 1996)
* "Not Your Business E.P." (Grand Royal 1996)
* "Destroy 2000 Years of Culture" (Interdord 1997)
* "Paranoid" (split with "Free Satpal Ram" by Asian Dub Foundation) (Damaged Goods 1997)
* "Sick to Death" (DHR 1997)
* "Atari Teenage Riot II" (DHR 1999)
* "Revolution Action E.P." (DHR 1999)
* "Too Dead for Me EP" (DHR 1999)
* "Rage E.P." (DHR 2000)
Other recordings
* "No Remorse (I Wanna Die)" (Slayer vs. Atari Teenage Riot) on Spawn: The Album (Sony 1997)
* "Sex Law Penetration" on Orgazmo (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Nickelbag 1998)
