Atari Teenage Riot - 60 Second Wipeout

Label: Digital Hardcore Recordings
Catologue Number: DHRCD21
Format: CD
Date: 1999
Style: Digital Hardcore/ Techno-Industrial
Rating: 6/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Strange with the release of 60-second Wipeout, ATR released their most non commercial release to date, but at the same time receiving a high amount of press coverage. Then again nothing is straightforward in the world of Alec Empire and cohorts. Burn, Berlin, Burn and The Future of War were both excellent albums combining the power of hardcore punk and the tearaway breakbeats of the fastest drum and bass. ATR had developed a unique sound, uncompromising but at the same time accessible.

With 60 second Wipeout ATR have moved on again, the sound of the earlier albums is still there especially on tracks like Revolution action and Too Dead for me. However most of the album finds ATR journeying into the world of noise terrorism, with explosions of white noise drowning out most of the music on the majority of tracks. Listening to 60 second Wipeout in the main is a fairly unpleasant experience not helped by poor production on the majority of tracks. Knowing the "no sell-out " attitude of Alec Empire, this is probably a deliberate move against the increased coverage ATR and Digital Hardcore are receiving.

Even though Empire seems to be sabotaging his previous works with the production on the empire there are still moments amongst the noise where ATR still shine.

This album is not one for the faint hearted and is not a good entry port for a new listener (Burn, Berlin, Burn being the better option). However occasionally 60 second Wipeout breaks away from the digital storm of noise to show the well-crafted chassis that lurks at the heart of ATR's music.