Lights Are Always On: July 2012

I've been aware of Atari Teenage Riot since I was a kid (I still remember my older brother wearing one of their shirts when they were a 4-piece), but I can't say I truly became a fan until they released their single "Activate." Trent Reznor has been a supporter of theirs for many years, and partly because of him, ATR have always been a band I keep on my radar. In truth, I got into singer Alec Empire's solo material long before embracing the band that made him a prominent musical figure - his album "Intelligence and Sacrifice" remains a favorite of mine.

In short, when it was announced that Atari Teenage Riot were reuniting after 10 years of inactivity, I was very interested. Lead single "Activate" assured me that their comeback album would be worth the wait. Sure enough, "Is This Hyperreal?" still gets regular play from me. I've never considered myself a fan of "protest" music (if one were to place ATR under that category), but their lyrics are delivered with such sincerity, intensity and emotion that it's hard not to get swept up in the cause. There's no posturing - they fully believe every relevant word they belt out. Of course it doesn't hurt that the music is a catharsis unto itself: dirty bass, siren-like synths, and distorted guitar are a constant among the signature shouts of vocalists Nic Endo and Alec Empire.

When I decided to create a poster for the band, I sketched out a bunch of different ideas but ultimately settled on one of the more basic, less busy compositions: a portrait of Nic Endo in the style of a comic-book cover. Nic, aside from being an immensely talented musician and comic fan, has an incredible look to her. Even without her trademark make-up, she still has the amazing facial features of a character you'd see in a graphic novel (thank you, David Mack). As a huge comic-book fan myself, the idea seemed too fun to pass up.

The "circuitry drips" that you see descending from her mouth were a last minute addition. I love any kind of bio-mechanical imagery, so I'm happy I was able to include and emphasize that - especially since that aspect probably represents ATR's music better than any other part of the poster.

I'm still bummed I missed their recent NYC gig, but hopefully I get to see them live sooner than later. I'd love to hand out copies of the poster to fans at a show, and of course give high-quality, full color prints to the band members. This poster is meant for field duty! If any fans are reading this and want to make their own copies - feel free to do so, just as long as you cite this blog or give me credit.

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