Re: German band’s that are ok

[Robert]

From the ATR website:
LATEST NEWS – SEPTEMBER 2001

Carl Crack of Atari Teenage Riot Dies

It was with great distress that we heard about the death of Carl Crack. Carl had been a member of Atari Teenage Riot since its inception and contributed as MC and frontperson with a style uniquely appropriate to the band.

It is generally known that Carl had received treatment for psychiatric problems in the past but friends had not reported anything recently that would give rise to particular concern.

ATR were taking a year out after exhaustively promoting their last release and Carl had been working on solo material to follow up his Black Ark release as well as performing with a variety of other artists.

Carl died on September 6th but the public announcement was delayed while his family were informed. He was 30 years old.

Alec Empire said;

„I played in a band with Carl for ten years. We’ve been through a lot together in all those times. He was my friend. We didn’t have much contact with each other since the last bout of heavy touring with ATR ended in March 2000. There was too much between all the members of the band and we all needed space to recover. Carl and I decided to write each other because it was nearly impossible to talk.

He wrote to me that things were going better for him, he was playing music in different projects. And that he wanted to start a long-term therapy. He had suffered since a teenager from psychotic attacks, which I watched getting worse each year. I hoped that he would be able to work things out. His letters sounded positive and optimistic. His sudden death has hit me very hard and it is not easy for me to find the right words.

A lot of little events and situations keep coming into my mind. When I think of Carl I don’t think only of the great stage presence and charisma he had, especially on the tours for our album, "The Future Of War", I also remember him dancing to soul music at parties, laughing and singing Curtis Mayfield songs. He brought a tension into the band that is very rare and special these days. I am very proud of him, and of what he has achieved as an artist. People like us can’t even imagine how hard it must have been for him to deal with those attacks, to record and perform, and on top of that to take care of his personal life and relationships.

He was not only a vocalist with a very unique style, he also recorded one of the deepest instrumental albums I know: "The Black Ark E.P." It was his decision. I just wish we had talked in person one more time, even though we
cleared things in the letters. I will miss him. Carl, we’ll never forget you.