1 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,699 I usually have these old school analogue microphones 2 00:00:15,568 --> 00:00:18,989 this is really a politician like 3 00:00:21,099 --> 00:00:28,099 You need to turn this up a little bit 4 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,730 *music* 5 00:00:36,700 --> 00:00:39,880 Do you remember this piece? 6 00:00:40,649 --> 00:00:44,503 you can even turn it up a little bit more 7 00:00:52,233 --> 00:00:55,195 *boom* 8 00:00:57,405 --> 00:01:00,537 *boom* 9 00:01:05,376 --> 00:01:24,999 *introduction music of 30C3* 10 00:03:07,719 --> 00:03:18,949 *still music playing* 11 00:03:36,459 --> 00:03:37,399 Hello and … 12 00:03:37,709 --> 00:03:41,410 *applause* 13 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,140 … welcome to Hamburg! 14 00:03:47,140 --> 00:03:48,239 My name is Alec Empire 15 00:03:48,239 --> 00:03:52,079 and what you just heard was the music piece 16 00:03:52,079 --> 00:03:57,510 I wrote for last years anniversary opening video installation 17 00:03:57,510 --> 00:04:02,069 The 30C3 18 00:04:02,069 --> 00:04:03,189 Those of you in the audience, 19 00:04:03,189 --> 00:04:05,359 who couldn’t attend last year, 20 00:04:05,359 --> 00:04:06,969 there was a video installation 21 00:04:06,969 --> 00:04:08,499 that ran on multiple screens 22 00:04:08,499 --> 00:04:10,379 it showed the 30 year history 23 00:04:10,379 --> 00:04:13,180 of the Chaos Computer Club. 24 00:04:13,180 --> 00:04:14,849 The beginning - the 80ies, 25 00:04:14,849 --> 00:04:16,548 then the 90ies, you know, 26 00:04:16,548 --> 00:04:22,010 when the internet became accessible for everyone, 27 00:04:22,010 --> 00:04:23,180 then the years after 28 00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:25,530 and now we’re here… 29 00:04:25,530 --> 00:04:27,740 This is really amazing for me, to be here 30 00:04:27,740 --> 00:04:31,060 and thank you for coming! 31 00:04:31,060 --> 00:04:34,770 And thanks also to the CCC for this invitation 32 00:04:34,770 --> 00:04:37,270 because I'm a musician, you know, 33 00:04:37,270 --> 00:04:40,340 I'm not really a hacker. 34 00:04:40,340 --> 00:04:42,229 So when I received the request 35 00:04:42,229 --> 00:04:44,419 I have to admit, it kind of blew me away 36 00:04:44,419 --> 00:04:47,280 to be invited here and speak to you. 37 00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:49,259 I assume most of you in the audience 38 00:04:49,259 --> 00:04:50,810 do not know who I am, 39 00:04:50,810 --> 00:04:54,620 and there is probably also a percentage of people here 40 00:04:54,620 --> 00:04:58,600 who want to forget that they’ve ever heard a song of me. 41 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,490 *laughter* 42 00:05:01,490 --> 00:05:04,750 So, I wanna quickly introduce myself. 43 00:05:04,750 --> 00:05:09,009 I am a musician, producer, composer, 44 00:05:09,009 --> 00:05:10,500 also sound engineer, 45 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:15,569 I am the director of Digital Hardcore Recordings, 46 00:05:15,569 --> 00:05:18,770 which is a record label which is based in London. 47 00:05:18,770 --> 00:05:23,770 I'm a member of Atari Teenage Riot, 48 00:05:23,770 --> 00:05:26,560 *applause* 49 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:31,590 which is a collective of musicians. 50 00:05:31,590 --> 00:05:35,030 I was born in West-Berlin in the 70ies, 51 00:05:35,030 --> 00:05:38,759 so I experienced the Berlin Wall and its Fall, 52 00:05:38,759 --> 00:05:42,400 yes, I was very involved in the techno and electronic music scene 53 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,220 when it exploded in Europe via Berlin 54 00:05:45,220 --> 00:05:48,800 in the early 90ies. 55 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,539 I don’t want to go into this for too long 56 00:05:51,539 --> 00:05:52,780 but I basically have been involved 57 00:05:52,780 --> 00:05:55,599 in the production of around 400 releases, 58 00:05:55,599 --> 00:05:57,300 worked with tons of musicians 59 00:05:57,300 --> 00:06:01,830 like Björk, Gary Numan, Rammstein, 60 00:06:01,830 --> 00:06:06,530 Primal Scream, Slayer, or classical musicians 61 00:06:06,530 --> 00:06:09,759 like The Brotzki Quartett, 62 00:06:09,759 --> 00:06:14,639 The music press calls me “sonic terrorist”. 63 00:06:14,639 --> 00:06:17,439 I toured with Nine Inch Nails, 64 00:06:17,439 --> 00:06:20,120 Wu Tang Clan, Rage Against The Machine, 65 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,300 Moby and many others. 66 00:06:22,300 --> 00:06:28,169 Here you see a poster from the late 90ies, 67 00:06:28,169 --> 00:06:32,229 and I think you get the idea, 68 00:06:32,229 --> 00:06:34,599 where we stand politically. 69 00:06:34,599 --> 00:06:37,319 *some laughter* 70 00:06:37,319 --> 00:06:40,310 here you see Trent Reznor wearing 71 00:06:40,310 --> 00:06:45,039 an Atari Teenage Riot shirt… 72 00:06:45,039 --> 00:06:48,599 *laughter* 73 00:06:48,599 --> 00:06:51,370 and here's a legendary photo of Aphex Twin 74 00:06:51,370 --> 00:06:53,460 and as someone on the internet pointed out 75 00:06:53,460 --> 00:06:57,349 in the corner there … 76 00:06:57,349 --> 00:07:00,569 there's a mysterious person sitting in the garage 77 00:07:00,569 --> 00:07:05,330 wearing an Atari Teenage Riot t-shirt. 78 00:07:05,330 --> 00:07:08,039 *laughter* 79 00:07:08,039 --> 00:07:10,139 For years I didn't even notice this, 80 00:07:10,139 --> 00:07:13,300 so, who was pulling the strings? 81 00:07:13,300 --> 00:07:18,729 In the late 90ies the Beastie Boys 82 00:07:18,729 --> 00:07:21,610 put out an album by Atari Teenage Riot 83 00:07:21,610 --> 00:07:25,139 called “Burn Berlin Burn”, 84 00:07:25,139 --> 00:07:29,280 it went gold in the United States, 85 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,199 the international release of “Burn Berlin Burn” 86 00:07:32,199 --> 00:07:34,409 was a slightly different version 87 00:07:34,409 --> 00:07:41,330 and it was called “Delete Yourself”. 88 00:07:41,330 --> 00:07:44,449 So the last 20 years of my life were an absolut ride. 89 00:07:46,529 --> 00:07:48,810 We're the collective, we try to 90 00:07:48,810 --> 00:07:51,469 stay off the grid as much as we can, 91 00:07:51,469 --> 00:07:53,419 because we know about the dangers 92 00:07:53,419 --> 00:07:56,360 of the music industry and its hype machine. 93 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,849 It can swallow you and then it spits you out. 94 00:08:00,849 --> 00:08:05,909 And most artists can’t get back up again. 95 00:08:05,909 --> 00:08:07,529 So when I spoke to Thorsten and Erdgeist, 96 00:08:07,529 --> 00:08:11,669 and a little bit to Frank, 97 00:08:11,669 --> 00:08:13,409 they told me that they want me to speak 98 00:08:13,409 --> 00:08:16,669 about my approach to music today, 99 00:08:16,669 --> 00:08:19,819 the political ideas and methods behind it 100 00:08:19,819 --> 00:08:21,069 because they are very unusual 101 00:08:21,069 --> 00:08:24,680 and have a lot in common with hacking. 102 00:08:25,550 --> 00:08:28,870 Usually musicians are inspired by other musicians, 103 00:08:28,870 --> 00:08:32,969 but we are inspired by hackers. 104 00:08:33,948 --> 00:08:36,900 So, there're like 3 words: 105 00:08:36,900 --> 00:08:38,229 Atari – Teenage – Riot 106 00:08:38,229 --> 00:08:42,589 I wanna play you a little clip from 1999 107 00:08:56,990 --> 00:09:03,990 *music: “Revolution Action”* 108 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:57,100 Okay 109 00:10:57,100 --> 00:11:01,780 *applause* 110 00:11:03,710 --> 00:11:06,030 the video for the song “Revolution Action” 111 00:11:06,030 --> 00:11:08,260 was directed by Andrea Giacobbe. 112 00:11:09,590 --> 00:11:12,530 It opens with a shot of Wall Street 113 00:11:12,530 --> 00:11:15,510 and then the company faces a little 114 00:11:15,510 --> 00:11:18,490 … technical problem. 115 00:11:19,260 --> 00:11:22,000 This was in 1999 and it's maybe interesting 116 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:27,700 for you to know, that MTV UK banned it right away, 117 00:11:27,700 --> 00:11:31,200 because they feared, that people would get 118 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:35,530 epileptic fits or something like that. 119 00:11:35,530 --> 00:11:38,550 But actually MTV international did show it 120 00:11:38,550 --> 00:11:40,330 in many other countries. 121 00:11:40,660 --> 00:11:42,420 Over the past ten years 122 00:11:42,420 --> 00:11:44,520 the internet spread this video 123 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,600 and – you saw an edited version of it now – 124 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:50,060 and the internet is probably, 125 00:11:50,060 --> 00:11:51,900 where most people saw it. 126 00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:54,550 Atari Teenage Riot is not a band, 127 00:11:54,550 --> 00:11:55,880 that is often a misunderstanding. 128 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:57,300 It’s more a lose collective 129 00:11:57,300 --> 00:12:00,660 of like minded musicians. 130 00:12:00,660 --> 00:12:02,390 What might be interesting for you to know is 131 00:12:02,390 --> 00:12:06,830 that we program every song on the Atari 1040 ST. 132 00:12:08,230 --> 00:12:12,210 *applause* 133 00:12:16,670 --> 00:12:21,770 The Atari 1040 ST, do you remember this even? 134 00:12:21,770 --> 00:12:25,920 *more applause* 135 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,400 Who doesn't even know this computer anymore? 136 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:30,620 I guess the majority of you guys here. 137 00:12:30,620 --> 00:12:33,560 It has 2MB RAM, *laughing* 138 00:12:33,560 --> 00:12:38,870 it's always a fucking pain to make music on it. 139 00:12:38,870 --> 00:12:42,090 It's like solving a difficult math equation 140 00:12:42,090 --> 00:12:45,260 or something at our time. 141 00:12:45,260 --> 00:12:46,690 But it's great. 142 00:12:46,690 --> 00:12:50,070 It has a very fast and tight MIDI attack, 143 00:12:50,070 --> 00:12:52,030 and every year that passes 144 00:12:52,030 --> 00:12:53,880 it becomes a new challenge 145 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,410 to drive this little thing in the red. 146 00:12:57,270 --> 00:13:00,680 But it’s cheap also at this point. 147 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:02,670 You know it's 20 bucks maybe on ebay 148 00:13:02,670 --> 00:13:05,550 or something … 149 00:13:08,410 --> 00:13:12,070 You can create art and beauty on a computer 150 00:13:12,070 --> 00:13:14,380 and – I always say this to musicians, 151 00:13:14,380 --> 00:13:17,440 who try to figure out like 152 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:19,820 learning the skills of a 153 00:13:19,820 --> 00:13:22,730 “more traditional” instrument. 154 00:13:22,730 --> 00:13:28,180 And you can also use music and art as a weapon. 155 00:13:28,180 --> 00:13:32,890 William S. Burroughs wrote a text in the “Electronic Revolution” 156 00:13:32,890 --> 00:13:35,570 about how riot sound effects can produce riots 157 00:13:35,570 --> 00:13:39,030 when you play them in a riot situation 158 00:13:39,030 --> 00:13:42,650 you simulate a riot, people hear the sounds, 159 00:13:42,650 --> 00:13:46,360 they change their behaviour, call the cops, 160 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,260 the cops appear on the scene, 161 00:13:49,260 --> 00:13:51,330 you have a riot. 162 00:13:51,330 --> 00:13:54,410 *some laughter* 163 00:13:54,410 --> 00:13:56,410 When we started in 1992 164 00:13:56,410 --> 00:13:59,750 the far right and Neo-Nazi scene in Europe 165 00:13:59,750 --> 00:14:02,660 was on the rise, 166 00:14:02,660 --> 00:14:05,130 especially in Eastern Germany. 167 00:14:05,130 --> 00:14:11,890 We knew we had to fight against that. With music. 168 00:14:11,890 --> 00:14:14,690 So we decided to make electronic music 169 00:14:14,690 --> 00:14:19,170 on an Atari computer based on Burroughs’ text. 170 00:14:19,170 --> 00:14:22,690 Sampling technology was affordable at this point 171 00:14:22,690 --> 00:14:28,000 and we created these tracks that were almost collage like. 172 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,260 Back then the music scenes were pretty divided 173 00:14:30,260 --> 00:14:33,700 into groups like punks, ravers, metal fans, 174 00:14:33,700 --> 00:14:37,220 and the Hip Hop scene and so on … 175 00:14:37,220 --> 00:14:39,570 But our idea was to tear down those barriers 176 00:14:39,570 --> 00:14:44,000 and unite people from all genres for the politics. 177 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,720 Fashion, race, sex, social background and so on 178 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:53,940 shouldn’t exclude anyone from joining. 179 00:14:53,940 --> 00:14:56,610 I still believe in this approach even though 180 00:14:56,610 --> 00:14:59,200 the music has to be adjusted from time to time 181 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:03,390 to make this work! 182 00:15:03,390 --> 00:15:08,290 Germany just celebrated the 25th anniversary 183 00:15:08,290 --> 00:15:11,820 of the Fall of The Berlin Wall 184 00:15:11,820 --> 00:15:14,910 and again we see racist and fascist ideologies 185 00:15:14,910 --> 00:15:17,590 spread all over Europe. 186 00:15:17,590 --> 00:15:20,560 Anti-Semitism, attacks on Jewish people 187 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,900 and the demonisation of Muslims. 188 00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:28,420 20 years ago we hoped these problems would be solved by now. 189 00:15:28,420 --> 00:15:29,530 But they aren't. 190 00:15:29,530 --> 00:15:33,670 It's important, that culture reacts to this 191 00:15:33,670 --> 00:15:38,410 and maybe even prevents this. 192 00:15:38,410 --> 00:15:41,550 The physical aspect of the music is very important. 193 00:15:41,550 --> 00:15:46,530 Using frequencies that give the listener an adrenaline rush. 194 00:15:46,530 --> 00:15:47,630 When people hear music 195 00:15:47,630 --> 00:15:52,220 they often fall into certain patterns of behaviour. 196 00:15:52,220 --> 00:15:54,280 We have all witnessed this many times. 197 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:56,670 You hear a christmas song, 198 00:15:56,670 --> 00:15:59,160 your brain switches immediately. 199 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,800 Or when soldiers hear the national anthem, 200 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,200 their body language changes very fast. 201 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:11,440 Weddings, funerals, supermarkets, rock concerts, 202 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,440 raves, birthdays and so on… 203 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,780 Be aware of those, become immune to them, 204 00:16:18,780 --> 00:16:19,810 and you are in less danger 205 00:16:19,810 --> 00:16:25,100 of being tricked into something. 206 00:16:25,100 --> 00:16:28,650 For those of you, who never attendend an Atari Teenage Riot show 207 00:16:28,650 --> 00:16:29,820 this is, how it looks like 208 00:16:29,820 --> 00:16:36,820 *video* 209 00:18:26,750 --> 00:18:32,540 *applause* 210 00:18:35,150 --> 00:18:38,970 The footage was filmed by visual artist Zan Lyons 211 00:18:38,970 --> 00:18:42,990 who was there to take some photos first 212 00:18:42,990 --> 00:18:45,020 but then switched to filming 213 00:18:45,020 --> 00:18:52,020 when the crowd started to tear down the barriers. 214 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:56,430 This was filmed at Fusion festival near Berlin. 215 00:18:56,430 --> 00:19:02,410 It's a festival which is completely corporate sponsor free 216 00:19:02,410 --> 00:19:06,320 that we played in 2010. 217 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:08,590 These things still exist and I think 218 00:19:08,590 --> 00:19:12,960 it is important to support them and go there. 219 00:19:14,060 --> 00:19:18,710 Last August we premiered a video at the EFF event 220 00:19:18,710 --> 00:19:25,710 at Defcon in Las Vegas in the US, which was this one. 221 00:19:30,140 --> 00:19:37,140 *music video: “Modern Liars”* 222 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,090 “Modern Liars love machines, 223 00:19:59,090 --> 00:20:01,780 they get inspired and steal your dreams. 224 00:20:02,490 --> 00:20:05,020 The price of victory was never higher. …” *cont.* 225 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:30,980 *applause* 226 00:22:31,150 --> 00:22:36,520 *laughing* I wish, I would have these comments during our shows 227 00:22:37,130 --> 00:22:41,530 so people would know what to do. *laughter* 228 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:47,180 In the video animated by Rob McLellan 229 00:22:47,180 --> 00:22:53,270 we wanted to use a 90ies style video game aesthetics 230 00:22:53,270 --> 00:22:59,170 to criticise sexism in video games, the entertainment industry 231 00:22:59,170 --> 00:23:05,550 and how it creates stupid rivalries between creatives. 232 00:23:05,550 --> 00:23:07,610 You know, a few weeks later 233 00:23:07,610 --> 00:23:10,100 the whole Gamergate thing happened 234 00:23:10,100 --> 00:23:13,950 so we were slightly off time with this video. 235 00:23:13,950 --> 00:23:16,920 I think … little bit later, 236 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,070 it would have been a good commentary, maybe. 237 00:23:20,070 --> 00:23:23,250 This was also an edited version, 238 00:23:23,250 --> 00:23:25,900 the whole thing is longer of course. 239 00:23:25,900 --> 00:23:27,780 I think the message is becoming clearer, 240 00:23:27,780 --> 00:23:30,410 if you see this whole thing. 241 00:23:30,410 --> 00:23:34,870 I often get asked by people from the hacking community 242 00:23:34,870 --> 00:23:40,100 why is it that not more musicians participate or help? 243 00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:45,190 Okay, people have maybe some friends who do some music 244 00:23:45,190 --> 00:23:50,630 and … you know … but I think, we can all agree 245 00:23:50,630 --> 00:23:54,470 that since that Metallica Napster fight 246 00:23:54,470 --> 00:23:59,650 musicians and artists don’t really want to get involved. 247 00:23:59,650 --> 00:24:03,870 But I think they should. 248 00:24:03,870 --> 00:24:10,870 Often people ask me ‘why isn’t there more protest music?’ 249 00:24:14,980 --> 00:24:18,510 There's that triangle, that a lot of creatives use. 250 00:24:18,510 --> 00:24:22,929 It's like high quality, high speed at low cost 251 00:24:22,929 --> 00:24:24,200 and you can never have the three … 252 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:31,200 It's just the reality of the creative process. 253 00:24:31,750 --> 00:24:33,020 Now think about what happens – 254 00:24:33,020 --> 00:24:35,830 and make no mistake about it 255 00:24:35,830 --> 00:24:39,040 because it is happening now since a few years – 256 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:43,230 so what happens when you try to do it with zero cost? 257 00:24:43,230 --> 00:24:48,470 It's almost like you're freezing culture. 258 00:24:48,470 --> 00:24:49,679 Now we could argue: 259 00:24:49,679 --> 00:24:55,990 If creativity is a resource, and compare it to fuel let’s say, 260 00:24:55,990 --> 00:25:00,550 then it is limited and can run out. 261 00:25:00,550 --> 00:25:03,610 When there is nothing left to loot. 262 00:25:03,610 --> 00:25:10,610 Decentralisation, but we are witnessing the exact opposite of that. 263 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,820 Jaron Lanier often gets criticised for his view 264 00:25:14,820 --> 00:25:21,820 and analysis of the situation, but he is right and it’s a fact. 265 00:25:23,950 --> 00:25:28,750 This philosophy, this thinking, has led to a notch curve, 266 00:25:28,750 --> 00:25:34,320 very tiny amount of people become very rich in this scheme, 267 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,850 everybody else loses or is driven out of business. 268 00:25:37,850 --> 00:25:43,820 It used to be more like a bell curve, more equal, 269 00:25:43,820 --> 00:25:47,370 fairer, it empowered the creatives, 270 00:25:47,370 --> 00:25:51,120 it brought us the music we love. 271 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:54,250 And all musicians creating music right now in the digital age 272 00:25:54,250 --> 00:25:57,070 depend on that second half of the last century 273 00:25:57,070 --> 00:25:59,790 for musical references. 274 00:25:59,790 --> 00:26:02,020 The era when recorded music flourished. 275 00:26:02,020 --> 00:26:05,140 So when then people say: 276 00:26:05,140 --> 00:26:09,670 “Wait , Alec, we rode horses and then cars came, 277 00:26:09,670 --> 00:26:11,800 they were invented and everything got improved …” 278 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:17,610 I've never fully agreed with that comparison. 279 00:26:17,610 --> 00:26:21,730 I don't think it really works here. 280 00:26:21,730 --> 00:26:24,820 And you can really identify a con man 281 00:26:24,820 --> 00:26:27,520 when you hear him argue this way. 282 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,300 It's just too simple. 283 00:26:29,300 --> 00:26:32,080 Because, if this was true, 284 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:36,090 then the work of the greatest music composers in history 285 00:26:36,090 --> 00:26:38,809 would be shared the most, 286 00:26:38,809 --> 00:26:44,290 people would understand complex music more and faster. 287 00:26:44,290 --> 00:26:48,350 But the exact opposite is the case right now. 288 00:26:48,350 --> 00:26:50,510 Music education was the first that was cut 289 00:26:50,510 --> 00:26:54,290 in most countries since the financial crisis. 290 00:26:54,290 --> 00:26:56,040 The reality is that young people today 291 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,030 only hear something like classical music in a soundtrack 292 00:26:59,030 --> 00:27:02,440 for blockbuster movies like Transformers 293 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:07,710 instead of learning and understanding it via the internet. 294 00:27:07,710 --> 00:27:11,140 Even popular mainstream artists who make pop music 295 00:27:11,140 --> 00:27:13,570 can only survive if they enter into, in my opinion, 296 00:27:13,570 --> 00:27:18,880 very compromising corporate sponsoring deals. 297 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,540 Independent artists are doing other jobs by now 298 00:27:21,540 --> 00:27:24,480 and can’t take risks. 299 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:29,890 In this system it gets harder and harder to speak out. 300 00:27:29,890 --> 00:27:33,820 It is well known that if we look at the charts 301 00:27:33,820 --> 00:27:37,740 that the majority of artists are coming from upper class 302 00:27:37,740 --> 00:27:40,900 or upper middle class backgrounds. 303 00:27:40,900 --> 00:27:43,290 Even Noel Gallagher of Oasis pointed this out 304 00:27:43,290 --> 00:27:49,679 in an interview with the BBC a few weeks ago. 305 00:27:49,679 --> 00:27:52,190 Many artists don’t like corporate sponsoring 306 00:27:52,190 --> 00:27:54,960 because it corrupts creativity. 307 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:57,290 I think, they are right. 308 00:27:57,290 --> 00:27:59,590 Because once you enter these agreements 309 00:27:59,590 --> 00:28:04,240 your mind just starts to think in a different way. 310 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:09,549 Think of a politician who knows he/she took bribes 311 00:28:09,549 --> 00:28:14,340 but acts in the media like he/she was ‘employed by the people’, 312 00:28:14,340 --> 00:28:18,970 and works ‘for the people’. 313 00:28:18,970 --> 00:28:21,270 So artists or those who work with artists 314 00:28:21,270 --> 00:28:26,720 access culture funds, government funds, especially in Europe. 315 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:30,610 We all know when libertarians, especially those from Silicon Valley, say 316 00:28:30,610 --> 00:28:35,640 “We don’t pay people. Not our problem, let somebody else worry about that.” 317 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:39,929 Well these companies are basing their businesses 318 00:28:39,929 --> 00:28:43,330 on the tax payer repairing the damage. 319 00:28:43,330 --> 00:28:46,700 That is just a reality right now. 320 00:28:46,700 --> 00:28:48,910 So we have created a system 321 00:28:48,910 --> 00:28:51,309 in which we are not driving creativity anymore, 322 00:28:51,309 --> 00:28:54,530 but by voting with our dollar, we handed that power 323 00:28:54,530 --> 00:29:00,010 over to bureaucrats and corporations. 324 00:29:00,010 --> 00:29:03,470 Those people don’t like to see political ideas expressed by creatives 325 00:29:03,470 --> 00:29:07,120 because it could get them in trouble. 326 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:08,710 I really want you to understand this 327 00:29:08,710 --> 00:29:11,429 because I honestly believed and I think many of you 328 00:29:11,429 --> 00:29:15,080 believed the same thing 2 decades ago: 329 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:18,809 We thought this problem was solved already. 330 00:29:18,809 --> 00:29:20,640 Solved distribution via the Internet 331 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:25,809 and the rest will work itself out somehow. 332 00:29:25,809 --> 00:29:27,890 Maybe it was working for a little while 333 00:29:27,890 --> 00:29:30,530 but things got out of balance again. 334 00:29:30,530 --> 00:29:34,110 It’s not so easy to point out the gatekeepers anymore 335 00:29:34,110 --> 00:29:36,710 in this more complex world, 336 00:29:36,710 --> 00:29:39,460 but they are out there and they are very busy, 337 00:29:39,460 --> 00:29:42,950 and they have adapted to our times. 338 00:29:42,950 --> 00:29:46,220 When I started I strongly believed in this principle: 339 00:29:46,220 --> 00:29:49,780 Political art becomes corrupt when it's becoming part 340 00:29:49,780 --> 00:29:52,920 of a corporate ad campaign. 341 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,170 The context matters so much 342 00:29:55,170 --> 00:29:57,220 that it can shut down an artist forever 343 00:29:57,220 --> 00:30:00,000 because we stop trusting their words. 344 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:02,870 *video* 345 00:30:03,980 --> 00:30:06,370 (Julian Assange: I'm here to show solidarity) 346 00:30:06,370 --> 00:30:09,390 (with the occupy London movement) 347 00:30:09,390 --> 00:30:12,700 (In our experience over the last five years) 348 00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:15,750 (the most frequent attacks on our organization) 349 00:30:15,750 --> 00:30:21,150 (have not been, even by intelligence organizations) 350 00:30:21,150 --> 00:30:22,770 (or military organizations,) 351 00:30:22,770 --> 00:30:27,390 (they have, in fact, been by banks.) 352 00:30:27,390 --> 00:30:34,390 *music starting* 353 00:30:50,669 --> 00:30:57,669 … “are you ready to testify” … 354 00:32:08,140 --> 00:32:11,290 (Assange: People cannot wear masks in London) 355 00:32:11,290 --> 00:32:15,450 (they cannot wear facial coverings in London) 356 00:32:15,450 --> 00:32:18,910 (and that basic anonymity is denied to people.) 357 00:32:18,910 --> 00:32:23,809 (I say, that sometimes it may be legitimate) 358 00:32:23,809 --> 00:32:27,230 (to deny anonymity. But we should not accept it) 359 00:32:27,230 --> 00:32:30,660 (until Swiss bank accounts and off shore bank accounts) 360 00:32:30,660 --> 00:32:33,710 (are also denied all their anonymity!) 361 00:32:34,570 --> 00:32:41,570 *more music* 362 00:32:45,580 --> 00:32:52,580 … “are you ready to testify” … 363 00:33:16,510 --> 00:33:24,120 *applause* 364 00:33:24,350 --> 00:33:27,390 So, what is quite interesting: This is from 2011, 365 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:33,400 so we were going onto a US tour and 366 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:37,570 we needed like a video and the video directors 367 00:33:37,570 --> 00:33:43,049 that we wanted to work with didn't have time enough to do it 368 00:33:43,049 --> 00:33:44,760 for the beginning of the tour basically, 369 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:49,809 so that we have it ready, so … 370 00:33:49,809 --> 00:33:53,150 we tried to do this typical kind of viral thing 371 00:33:53,150 --> 00:33:54,690 involving the fans, 372 00:33:54,690 --> 00:33:59,830 but what was quite interesting is, that we got sent 373 00:33:59,830 --> 00:34:05,669 a lot of these kind of clips by Anonymous activists 374 00:34:05,669 --> 00:34:11,730 and we put up the first version of the video, 375 00:34:11,730 --> 00:34:16,230 went on tour and in every city, we played in America, 376 00:34:16,230 --> 00:34:19,260 like about a week or two weeks after, 377 00:34:19,260 --> 00:34:22,049 there was an occupy protest. 378 00:34:22,049 --> 00:34:26,869 I don't think, that we caused it, but … 379 00:34:26,869 --> 00:34:29,619 It was very interesting to see 380 00:34:29,619 --> 00:34:34,079 how a pretty boring idea in the first place 381 00:34:34,079 --> 00:34:38,329 became something that connected activists 382 00:34:38,329 --> 00:34:40,248 basically on a global level. 383 00:34:40,248 --> 00:34:43,940 This is also where I met most hackers 384 00:34:43,940 --> 00:34:48,248 like from that scene, let's call it like that, 385 00:34:48,248 --> 00:34:50,418 for the first time, you know, backstage 386 00:34:50,418 --> 00:34:52,659 and it was a very exciting thing 387 00:34:52,659 --> 00:34:54,799 and then it ended up with the third version 388 00:34:54,799 --> 00:34:58,130 that you've just seen, where we even got 389 00:34:58,130 --> 00:34:59,349 that footage from Wikileaks 390 00:34:59,349 --> 00:35:02,099 and because it was a free song we thought, 391 00:35:02,099 --> 00:35:07,979 ‘why don't add this donation thing to the video?’ 392 00:35:07,979 --> 00:35:14,680 But then, a few months later – 393 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:15,900 and I don't want this too long, 394 00:35:15,900 --> 00:35:18,720 it is a real long story and Quinn Norton 395 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:22,109 did a great piece on it in Wired, 396 00:35:22,109 --> 00:35:25,589 I think you can still read it online – 397 00:35:25,589 --> 00:35:31,369 of course the corporate music industry reacts to that stuff. 398 00:35:31,369 --> 00:35:35,629 And they are linked also, you know, to selling devices. 399 00:35:37,639 --> 00:35:44,639 *video: Sony advertisement* 400 00:36:10,090 --> 00:36:13,119 *some laughter* 401 00:36:13,119 --> 00:36:20,119 So … no this 402 00:36:20,119 --> 00:36:27,119 was aired on American televison in February 2012. 403 00:36:29,769 --> 00:36:33,640 The thing is, they used our music, which … 404 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:39,420 you know, if you work with a publisher together, you kinda work it out, 405 00:36:39,420 --> 00:36:45,269 the money comes to you as a composer or a band or whatever. 406 00:36:45,269 --> 00:36:51,130 So what we did, to react to it, we donated … 407 00:36:51,130 --> 00:36:56,410 it was quite a lot of money, I think, 408 00:36:56,410 --> 00:37:01,430 to freeanons.org to the legal fund and … 409 00:37:03,830 --> 00:37:10,419 *applause* 410 00:37:10,419 --> 00:37:14,609 The thing is I kinda wanted to keep it quiet 411 00:37:14,609 --> 00:37:18,509 and do it without any … publicity, 412 00:37:18,509 --> 00:37:24,779 but the same weekend, that this ad aired on American television, 413 00:37:24,779 --> 00:37:27,239 there were a lot of arrests, 414 00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:32,539 so, of course, the Anonymous scene – 415 00:37:32,539 --> 00:37:35,829 or I don't exactly know what you call it at this point – 416 00:37:35,829 --> 00:37:40,069 a lot of people tweeted about this 417 00:37:40,069 --> 00:37:47,069 and it was, kinda little win in that situation. 418 00:37:53,089 --> 00:37:57,029 So, information wants to be free. 419 00:37:57,029 --> 00:37:58,220 Music is like language. 420 00:37:58,220 --> 00:38:02,369 There are so many layers of information in a music piece 421 00:38:02,369 --> 00:38:04,859 that most of us can only understand a fraction 422 00:38:04,859 --> 00:38:07,859 of what is communicated. 423 00:38:07,859 --> 00:38:12,119 Before music could be recorded people wrote it down, 424 00:38:12,119 --> 00:38:14,789 so other people far away were able to play it. 425 00:38:14,789 --> 00:38:16,749 I am still blown away by the fact 426 00:38:16,749 --> 00:38:19,660 how amazing music notation actually is 427 00:38:19,660 --> 00:38:22,569 and has worked since centuries. 428 00:38:22,569 --> 00:38:26,509 When you look at sheets of let’s say a symphony of Beethoven or Bach, 429 00:38:26,509 --> 00:38:31,349 there is a beauty that some of us feel when we look at code, 430 00:38:31,349 --> 00:38:34,249 that's what I was told by some hackers. 431 00:38:34,249 --> 00:38:39,849 It is almost like something very deep inside of us 432 00:38:39,849 --> 00:38:43,400 understands something before we can even explain that 433 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,130 to a colleague or a friend. 434 00:38:46,130 --> 00:38:48,640 I was always interested in the personality, 435 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:50,239 the character of the creator 436 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:53,690 that would shine through in those works. 437 00:38:53,690 --> 00:38:55,430 Even when these were anonymous, 438 00:38:55,430 --> 00:38:57,859 the work could tell me so much 439 00:38:57,859 --> 00:39:00,460 I could look at the world from a different perspective. 440 00:39:00,460 --> 00:39:04,519 Like, I was looking through them. 441 00:39:04,519 --> 00:39:08,279 Empathy is the key word here. 442 00:39:08,279 --> 00:39:10,180 For most people using the internet now 443 00:39:10,180 --> 00:39:13,559 it means defending your own world view, 444 00:39:13,559 --> 00:39:16,690 staying strong while standing in a shit storm, 445 00:39:16,690 --> 00:39:21,739 reading articles or comments that just confirm your opinion. 446 00:39:21,739 --> 00:39:28,700 Empathy is something that is hard to learn or to find right now. 447 00:39:28,700 --> 00:39:31,619 One thing, I just read a few days ago on Twitter and I really liked it, 448 00:39:31,619 --> 00:39:38,279 was the statement from Tor about the bullying and all that stuff 449 00:39:38,279 --> 00:39:42,289 and I think, to remind ourselves of that is so important. 450 00:39:42,289 --> 00:39:43,950 Some people are so cynical at this point 451 00:39:43,950 --> 00:39:46,279 that they don't think it matters, 452 00:39:46,279 --> 00:39:49,180 but I think, it really does. 453 00:39:49,180 --> 00:39:52,979 So it's well known that Mozart embedded secret codes in his compositions 454 00:39:52,979 --> 00:39:57,069 that would link to the Free Masons, for example. 455 00:39:57,069 --> 00:40:00,309 Music was always open, but you had train your ears 456 00:40:00,309 --> 00:40:04,369 to decipher the information embedded in it. 457 00:40:04,369 --> 00:40:06,519 When I wrote the little anniversary piece 458 00:40:06,519 --> 00:40:11,619 for last year’s opening video, that we heard in the beginning, 459 00:40:11,619 --> 00:40:15,940 I knew I just had to start with three C’s 460 00:40:15,940 --> 00:40:19,339 and, I have to admit, 461 00:40:19,339 --> 00:40:23,880 it was the first time, that I ever did that. 462 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:27,809 Usually children songs or christmas songs start like that 463 00:40:27,809 --> 00:40:32,099 and in my world it's … taboo. *chuckling* 464 00:40:32,099 --> 00:40:39,099 It was like ‘how can I make this kind of cool?’ 465 00:40:42,239 --> 00:40:43,890 We all know that when different musicians 466 00:40:43,890 --> 00:40:49,690 play from the same note sheet, they will sound different. 467 00:40:49,690 --> 00:40:50,369 The better they are 468 00:40:50,369 --> 00:40:52,619 the more their own personality shines through 469 00:40:52,619 --> 00:40:55,219 and we can later analyse these differences, 470 00:40:55,219 --> 00:40:58,009 e.g. with technology or software. 471 00:40:58,009 --> 00:41:01,710 But what we can’t do is to predict those micro decisions 472 00:41:01,710 --> 00:41:05,619 that an artist will make when creativity is happening. 473 00:41:05,619 --> 00:41:08,650 Too many factors of the universe are influencing that process 474 00:41:08,650 --> 00:41:12,019 and it's outcome is always different. 475 00:41:12,019 --> 00:41:17,180 Yes you can copy somebody else, that is happening all the time, 476 00:41:17,180 --> 00:41:19,259 but every once in a while there are artists, 477 00:41:19,259 --> 00:41:21,150 people who do something so special 478 00:41:21,150 --> 00:41:23,859 that they seize the time. 479 00:41:23,859 --> 00:41:27,690 Historically collectives have suppressed those people, 480 00:41:27,690 --> 00:41:31,329 because they did not fit in. 481 00:41:31,329 --> 00:41:33,450 But I hear people saying like to me: 482 00:41:33,450 --> 00:41:38,829 “But Alec, every creative act is just a copy of a copy of a copy.” 483 00:41:38,829 --> 00:41:43,059 “Authors just write down what other people say, 484 00:41:43,059 --> 00:41:48,269 painters just paint what the world shows them.” 485 00:41:48,269 --> 00:41:53,210 We all have heard this idea in all its variations before. 486 00:41:53,210 --> 00:41:54,999 Especially when tech giants want to justify 487 00:41:54,999 --> 00:41:58,499 monetisation of their users creations, 488 00:41:58,499 --> 00:42:03,900 monetisation that just takes from their users without giving anything back. 489 00:42:03,900 --> 00:42:07,759 Instagram is a very good example for that. 490 00:42:07,759 --> 00:42:11,640 And I keep hearing the same simplification again and again 491 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:14,049 and it is dangerous. 492 00:42:14,049 --> 00:42:15,940 Because it is an open attack 493 00:42:15,940 --> 00:42:18,749 on the rights and freedoms of the individual. 494 00:42:18,749 --> 00:42:23,239 And when you question those ‘new’ business models, 495 00:42:23,239 --> 00:42:25,210 the corporate PR machinery kicks in 496 00:42:25,210 --> 00:42:29,599 and peer pressure is applied to shut critics up. 497 00:42:29,599 --> 00:42:34,920 In my opinion the fight for privacy, the fight against surveillance 498 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:37,809 and the fight for creators’ rights have a lot in common, 499 00:42:37,809 --> 00:42:41,410 they are linked, they are connected. 500 00:42:41,410 --> 00:42:46,009 Authorities, corporate or political, who invade your privacy 501 00:42:46,009 --> 00:42:49,539 are also the ones who seize the products of your mind. 502 00:42:49,539 --> 00:42:53,739 That’s why open source and creative commons are great 503 00:42:53,739 --> 00:42:57,099 because those who participate in those adventures 504 00:42:57,099 --> 00:43:00,099 do it with consent. 505 00:43:00,099 --> 00:43:07,009 In my opinion, sharing MP3s creates passive consumers. 506 00:43:07,009 --> 00:43:09,829 I say share your whole recording sessions 507 00:43:09,829 --> 00:43:12,999 so people can look at how the beats were programmed, 508 00:43:12,999 --> 00:43:15,559 which combinations of notes and frequencies 509 00:43:15,559 --> 00:43:19,440 trigger those feelings that you like. 510 00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:21,150 This way people learn and understand 511 00:43:21,150 --> 00:43:25,110 and we can start moving forward. 512 00:43:27,429 --> 00:43:34,260 *applause* 513 00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:39,680 When I started Atari Teenage Riot in 1992 514 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:43,430 I wanted to take the revolutionary spirit of punk 515 00:43:43,430 --> 00:43:47,979 and digitise that so it could be transported into our time 516 00:43:47,979 --> 00:43:49,390 and hopefully be preserved 517 00:43:49,390 --> 00:43:53,430 so future generations could further develop it. 518 00:43:53,430 --> 00:43:54,499 When I use the word punk 519 00:43:54,499 --> 00:43:58,009 I don’t mean a certain look, fashion or music genre, 520 00:43:58,009 --> 00:43:59,950 I mean something that can be of course 521 00:43:59,950 --> 00:44:03,450 found in punk fashion or the music genre punk, 522 00:44:03,450 --> 00:44:04,710 but I mean this virus 523 00:44:04,710 --> 00:44:09,710 that makes people question authorities & control systems. 524 00:44:09,710 --> 00:44:14,849 Usually universities don’t produce those minds. 525 00:44:14,849 --> 00:44:20,450 But these minds are needed to bring necessary change or innovation. 526 00:44:20,450 --> 00:44:24,210 I think the hacker world is full of those, 527 00:44:24,210 --> 00:44:26,160 but the music world? 528 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:29,729 Platforms like YouTube and Facebook do not produce them, 529 00:44:29,729 --> 00:44:33,369 they make it impossible for these minds to get anywhere. 530 00:44:33,369 --> 00:44:35,769 The only interesting artists were those 531 00:44:35,769 --> 00:44:38,339 who knew how to trick those systems, 532 00:44:38,339 --> 00:44:43,119 fake stats, they thought like hackers. 533 00:44:43,119 --> 00:44:44,489 Introverts have created 534 00:44:44,489 --> 00:44:49,390 some of the most important works in the history of mankind. 535 00:44:49,390 --> 00:44:52,700 And introverts do not fit into that system 536 00:44:52,700 --> 00:44:58,229 that has the goal to generate the most clicks in order to sell ads. 537 00:44:58,229 --> 00:45:00,940 This system favours those who come up with the loudest 538 00:45:00,940 --> 00:45:03,499 and most conformist content fast. 539 00:45:03,499 --> 00:45:06,450 We can all sit back and enjoy 540 00:45:06,450 --> 00:45:09,729 when things get even more absurd 541 00:45:09,729 --> 00:45:11,239 but deep down we all know 542 00:45:11,239 --> 00:45:14,279 that it is all very short sighted 543 00:45:14,279 --> 00:45:17,739 and even goes against the hacker ethics. 544 00:45:17,739 --> 00:45:22,049 To create art and beauty on a computer. 545 00:45:22,049 --> 00:45:23,979 I always loved the phrase that I saw 546 00:45:23,979 --> 00:45:27,079 on one of the Anonymous twitter accounts a few years ago 547 00:45:27,079 --> 00:45:29,779 “On the internet you can be anything you want. 548 00:45:29,779 --> 00:45:32,630 It’s strange that so many people choose to be stupid.” 549 00:45:32,630 --> 00:45:34,379 *laughter* 550 00:45:34,379 --> 00:45:39,150 I think, you've heard about this … 551 00:45:39,150 --> 00:45:44,219 *applause* 552 00:45:44,219 --> 00:45:48,440 But it's also true, like on the internet you can consume anything you want 553 00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:52,400 and it's strange that so many people choose to consume something stupid. 554 00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:55,069 And you can replace consume with produce 555 00:45:55,069 --> 00:45:57,619 and it will also make sense! 556 00:45:57,619 --> 00:46:00,579 Most creatives produce for a target audience, 557 00:46:00,579 --> 00:46:04,960 an audience that is already defined by the content industry. 558 00:46:04,960 --> 00:46:10,170 It’s understandable that one wants to minimise any risk beforehand. 559 00:46:10,170 --> 00:46:14,009 Netflix praised this when the series “House of Cards” 560 00:46:14,009 --> 00:46:17,089 became successful with their viewers. 561 00:46:17,089 --> 00:46:21,259 Critics say that its success had probably more to do with the fact 562 00:46:21,259 --> 00:46:25,279 that it was based on the great original BBC series. 563 00:46:25,279 --> 00:46:29,869 So not as innovative as Breaking Bad for example. 564 00:46:29,869 --> 00:46:31,859 I noticed something interesting – 565 00:46:31,859 --> 00:46:35,249 in the media and by talking to other people about it, 566 00:46:35,249 --> 00:46:37,849 there was always that underlying idea 567 00:46:37,849 --> 00:46:42,329 that the algorithms are so smart and precise at this point, 568 00:46:42,329 --> 00:46:48,099 when they tell you you will like this, yes, you will totally like this. 569 00:46:48,099 --> 00:46:52,840 And many people accept that without even questioning it. 570 00:46:52,840 --> 00:46:57,059 So, are too many people becoming passive consumers again? 571 00:46:57,059 --> 00:47:00,479 Like our parents generation? 572 00:47:00,479 --> 00:47:06,999 High approval ratings prove that content is of high quality? 573 00:47:06,999 --> 00:47:09,229 If we are honest than then we must admit 574 00:47:09,229 --> 00:47:13,009 that most people make a judgement by looking at stats and comments 575 00:47:13,009 --> 00:47:15,069 before they have read the article, 576 00:47:15,069 --> 00:47:17,880 watched the video or listened even to the song. 577 00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:22,380 While culture is becoming more fragmented, 578 00:47:22,380 --> 00:47:25,630 we see an even more centralised accumulation of power 579 00:47:25,630 --> 00:47:29,539 when it comes to who is deciding over the future of the internet 580 00:47:29,539 --> 00:47:33,150 and how the majority of average people use it 581 00:47:33,150 --> 00:47:36,769 or have access to it. 582 00:47:36,769 --> 00:47:40,690 I know very well that I am speaking to probably exactly to the – 583 00:47:40,690 --> 00:47:42,390 I don't know how many people are here tonight – 584 00:47:42,390 --> 00:47:46,690 thousands of people on the planet right now 585 00:47:46,690 --> 00:47:49,420 who have not stepped into those traps, 586 00:47:49,420 --> 00:47:54,319 you are very conscious about how you use technology. 587 00:47:54,319 --> 00:47:57,569 I am saying this to you because at this point one could argue 588 00:47:57,569 --> 00:48:00,859 that we are all losing the war here, 589 00:48:00,859 --> 00:48:04,369 even though some smaller battles are won here and there 590 00:48:04,369 --> 00:48:07,869 every once in a while, but the bigger picture? 591 00:48:07,869 --> 00:48:10,859 I think it looks dark! 592 00:48:10,859 --> 00:48:15,369 I remember last year, the 30th anniversary, I couldn’t attend, 593 00:48:15,369 --> 00:48:17,329 but I felt it on the other side of the world, 594 00:48:17,329 --> 00:48:23,259 the Snowden revelations killed all doubts of what we’re up against here. 595 00:48:23,259 --> 00:48:25,950 It was like a reality shock, 596 00:48:25,950 --> 00:48:28,079 some even compared it to events like 9/11; 597 00:48:28,079 --> 00:48:33,429 there is the time before and after you got hit with the news. 598 00:48:35,039 --> 00:48:40,369 Everyone wanted to celebrate the 30 years of this great club and then this … 599 00:48:40,369 --> 00:48:47,369 I admit I was depressed on a constant basis since the summer of 2013. 600 00:48:48,969 --> 00:48:52,209 What depressed me most wasn’t the magnitude of the surveillance, 601 00:48:52,209 --> 00:48:54,150 it was how I witnessed a young generation 602 00:48:54,150 --> 00:48:56,849 that was so excited about democracy 603 00:48:56,849 --> 00:49:00,579 and the possibilities to improve it with technology, 604 00:49:00,579 --> 00:49:03,390 I witnessed how the spirit of that generation 605 00:49:03,390 --> 00:49:08,440 was crushed within almost a few weeks, it seemed. 606 00:49:08,440 --> 00:49:15,209 Hopelessness, cynicism and frustration spread like a virus. 607 00:49:15,209 --> 00:49:17,200 But the worst thing was that indifference 608 00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:18,999 from most people out there, 609 00:49:18,999 --> 00:49:22,519 people we really needed to mobilise those masses 610 00:49:22,519 --> 00:49:24,739 who make the difference in the end. 611 00:49:24,739 --> 00:49:28,759 To get the snowball rolling, turn it into an avalanche. 612 00:49:28,759 --> 00:49:31,959 I didn’t even feel like I wanted to perform anymore, 613 00:49:31,959 --> 00:49:36,880 our new album was finished, we were setting up its release, 614 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:39,509 preparing videos, getting all the tools ready. 615 00:49:39,509 --> 00:49:44,249 But the energy that everyone felt in 2010, 2011 616 00:49:44,249 --> 00:49:49,359 and perhaps even in 2012 seemed gone. 617 00:49:49,359 --> 00:49:56,359 I think decline of the Pirate Party in Germany shows that, too. 618 00:49:57,039 --> 00:50:00,069 In the first hours of when the Snowden story broke 619 00:50:00,069 --> 00:50:01,579 I tweeted this: 620 00:50:01,579 --> 00:50:04,589 “I’m surprised how indifferent so many feel 621 00:50:04,589 --> 00:50:07,420 about the US surveillance scandal. 622 00:50:07,420 --> 00:50:09,989 Look up Germany’s history. 623 00:50:09,989 --> 00:50:11,219 I have spoken to people 624 00:50:11,219 --> 00:50:14,819 who lived in Nazi and Eastern Socialist Germany – 625 00:50:14,819 --> 00:50:17,599 the spying on your life by the State is one thing, 626 00:50:17,599 --> 00:50:21,049 but what it does to your friends and family in the long run 627 00:50:21,049 --> 00:50:23,890 is beyond anything you can imagine right now. 628 00:50:23,890 --> 00:50:26,930 You lose trust in people you love, 629 00:50:26,930 --> 00:50:30,769 every conversation becomes half lie, half truth. 630 00:50:30,769 --> 00:50:34,170 It becomes part of everybody's lives. 631 00:50:34,170 --> 00:50:36,769 Nobody is an exception. 632 00:50:36,769 --> 00:50:39,459 So ignore music, games or whatever you do right now 633 00:50:39,459 --> 00:50:41,999 and research the topic. 634 00:50:41,999 --> 00:50:43,239 Anything you have said in the past 635 00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:46,529 can be twisted against you in a surveillance state. 636 00:50:46,529 --> 00:50:48,109 Made the wrong joke in ‘private’? 637 00:50:48,109 --> 00:50:52,749 You are constantly being blackmailed by those in ‘charge’. 638 00:50:52,749 --> 00:50:56,349 History has shown that these types of societies never last, 639 00:50:56,349 --> 00:51:01,489 they get so corrupted with lies that many people will suffer in the end. 640 00:51:01,489 --> 00:51:04,469 Everybody loses.” 641 00:51:04,469 --> 00:51:07,719 That was in the summer of 2013 642 00:51:07,719 --> 00:51:11,829 and my words resonated with many people in the online community. 643 00:51:11,829 --> 00:51:13,910 Even the Green Party contacted me, 644 00:51:13,910 --> 00:51:18,870 asked if I could see myself somehow working with them. 645 00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:24,149 I said no … 646 00:51:24,149 --> 00:51:29,499 *applause* 647 00:51:30,910 --> 00:51:35,640 and actually let me make one thing very clear right now, 648 00:51:35,640 --> 00:51:38,410 if you are a politician and you wonder 649 00:51:38,410 --> 00:51:41,739 why people are disillusioned with politics and don’t vote … 650 00:51:41,739 --> 00:51:45,689 Yes, we don’t trust you anymore. 651 00:51:46,490 --> 00:51:52,889 *applause* 652 00:51:54,149 --> 00:51:57,950 And in these situations I can’t thank everyone in the CCC enough 653 00:51:57,950 --> 00:52:00,289 for their hard work, commitment and passion. 654 00:52:00,289 --> 00:52:04,109 Let me say this as a musician, and I speak for many when I say this: 655 00:52:04,109 --> 00:52:07,900 People like us, we don’t understand every technical aspect of this stuff 656 00:52:07,900 --> 00:52:10,390 but what the CCC does sends a strong message 657 00:52:10,390 --> 00:52:12,959 and gives people hope out there. 658 00:52:12,959 --> 00:52:15,709 And that is very important right now. 659 00:52:15,709 --> 00:52:19,900 The right of privacy is very important to creative people. 660 00:52:22,190 --> 00:52:26,249 Culture can be a strong weapon! 661 00:52:26,249 --> 00:52:29,119 Even though at this point most of the information was known, 662 00:52:29,119 --> 00:52:32,229 feeling the atmosphere together with likeminded people 663 00:52:32,229 --> 00:52:36,289 in this old cinema in former East Berlin energised me again. 664 00:52:36,289 --> 00:52:39,950 You know, Jacob Applebaum, he invited me to the premier 665 00:52:39,950 --> 00:52:46,950 of the film “Citizenfour”. I don't know, if you've seen the film yet. 666 00:52:50,599 --> 00:52:53,930 It's a great documentary and I think, everyone here kinda knows it, 667 00:52:53,930 --> 00:52:56,239 but I wanted to point something else out today 668 00:52:56,239 --> 00:53:00,349 When I sat in this packed cinema next to Frank Rieger and all the other guys 669 00:53:00,349 --> 00:53:02,599 and the room was filled with amazing people 670 00:53:02,599 --> 00:53:04,239 who deeply cared about this topic 671 00:53:04,239 --> 00:53:06,499 and then Laura spoke to the audience and so on, 672 00:53:06,499 --> 00:53:08,349 I was so glad that I did not watch 673 00:53:08,349 --> 00:53:14,529 a crappy stream online, alone, in my cubicle. 674 00:53:14,529 --> 00:53:18,400 So when things look hopeless, remember to use culture, 675 00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:22,549 bring people together, share time and space together. 676 00:53:22,549 --> 00:53:29,549 Here is a photo of protestors in Tokyo during the Fukushima rallies in 2011. 677 00:53:33,099 --> 00:53:37,009 It says “Anti Tepco Riot”, 678 00:53:37,009 --> 00:53:38,849 so if you are an artist, be open 679 00:53:38,849 --> 00:53:41,160 and let others develop your art further. 680 00:53:41,160 --> 00:53:42,930 It’s ok to let go sometimes, 681 00:53:42,930 --> 00:53:46,819 if you disagree or something, just create new stuff 682 00:53:46,819 --> 00:53:50,799 and move forward. 683 00:53:50,799 --> 00:53:53,160 I was just told I have ten more minutes – 684 00:53:53,160 --> 00:53:56,229 damn, I really wanna speak about something 685 00:53:56,229 --> 00:53:58,589 that happens to me with Spotify, 686 00:53:58,589 --> 00:54:04,630 I hope, I have enough time. *chuckling* 687 00:54:04,630 --> 00:54:06,089 Because you might have heard it, 688 00:54:06,089 --> 00:54:08,459 in 2014 more and more artists started to speak out 689 00:54:08,459 --> 00:54:11,630 against streaming services like Spotify. 690 00:54:11,630 --> 00:54:15,619 Usually it is about royalties and I will not go into this too much right now, 691 00:54:15,619 --> 00:54:18,709 it is clear to everyone who can do basic math 692 00:54:18,709 --> 00:54:21,829 that these services are not the future business models, 693 00:54:21,829 --> 00:54:25,420 because they don’t put any money back into the hands of the musicians. 694 00:54:25,420 --> 00:54:27,339 These systems can’t be maintained. 695 00:54:27,339 --> 00:54:30,499 But I want to tell you my experience with Spotify. 696 00:54:30,499 --> 00:54:33,469 So in 1997 Atari Teenage Riot released an album 697 00:54:33,469 --> 00:54:36,349 on the Beastie Boys label called “The Future of War”. 698 00:54:36,349 --> 00:54:40,069 It was the album that introduced us to the world. 699 00:54:40,069 --> 00:54:43,579 Its sales reached gold status, 700 00:54:43,579 --> 00:54:45,959 critics praised it as possibly the strongest 701 00:54:45,959 --> 00:54:49,420 musical Anti-fascist statement to come out of Germany. 702 00:54:49,420 --> 00:54:53,150 For many it’s still the blue print of what can be done with a computer 703 00:54:53,150 --> 00:54:56,459 when it comes to pushing the limits of sound, 704 00:54:56,459 --> 00:54:59,729 connecting political lyrics with very physical music. 705 00:54:59,729 --> 00:55:03,660 Songs from it still get played at protests around the world. 706 00:55:03,660 --> 00:55:07,009 Influential music blog Stereogum rates it at number 9 707 00:55:07,009 --> 00:55:09,359 of the loudest albums ever, 708 00:55:09,359 --> 00:55:13,670 so to put this in perspective for you: 709 00:55:13,670 --> 00:55:20,229 ACDC is at 19, Aphex Twin at 16, Motorhead at 13. 710 00:55:20,229 --> 00:55:25,329 *some applause* 711 00:55:25,329 --> 00:55:27,619 What is maybe interesting for some of you, 712 00:55:27,619 --> 00:55:31,009 we used to print the recording set up in the booklet 713 00:55:31,009 --> 00:55:35,420 so more cyberpunks could join the digital hardcore movement. 714 00:55:35,420 --> 00:55:42,339 So 6 years later, in 2003 our label received a 40 page document 715 00:55:42,339 --> 00:55:44,309 from this institution in Germany called 716 00:55:44,309 --> 00:55:48,439 Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien. 717 00:55:48,439 --> 00:55:52,519 *laughter* 718 00:55:52,519 --> 00:55:56,449 This album was suddenly put on the Index. 719 00:55:56,449 --> 00:56:01,589 And they explained it over 40 pages. 720 00:56:01,589 --> 00:56:04,900 To give you an example of what they were criticising: 721 00:56:04,900 --> 00:56:06,930 African born rapper Carl Crack sings 722 00:56:06,930 --> 00:56:09,249 “I have a fear of a white planet”, 723 00:56:09,249 --> 00:56:13,519 so he was expressing his experiences with racism growing up in Germany 724 00:56:13,519 --> 00:56:18,180 where he was often the only black child and had trouble ‘fitting in’. 725 00:56:18,180 --> 00:56:22,819 A reason for the Bundesprüfstelle to shut him up, 726 00:56:22,819 --> 00:56:26,849 they argued that people of “caucasian skin color“ or something 727 00:56:26,849 --> 00:56:30,369 are being discriminated against here. 728 00:56:30,369 --> 00:56:34,089 *some laughter* 729 00:56:34,089 --> 00:56:38,059 You read this stuff, first you laugh about it, 730 00:56:38,059 --> 00:56:41,180 and when you get to page 18, you get so mad 731 00:56:41,180 --> 00:56:44,380 that you want to burn this thing. 732 00:56:44,380 --> 00:56:48,160 *some laughter* 733 00:56:48,160 --> 00:56:52,959 I think, people who work on video games know what I'm talking about. 734 00:56:52,959 --> 00:56:54,809 What does the Index mean? You are forbidden 735 00:56:54,809 --> 00:56:57,859 to sell the music, or play it in public. 736 00:56:57,859 --> 00:57:01,150 It’s a form of censorship. 737 00:57:01,150 --> 00:57:03,190 What actually happened was that a teacher in Bavaria 738 00:57:03,190 --> 00:57:06,739 found the CD with one of his students and reported it. 739 00:57:06,739 --> 00:57:10,019 Classic scenario where an outsider who doesn’t look deeper into something, 740 00:57:10,019 --> 00:57:12,670 takes action against something he doesn’t understand. 741 00:57:12,670 --> 00:57:16,079 It would have been easy to contact us, 742 00:57:16,079 --> 00:57:20,059 maybe even get us in the class room and clear this up. But no. 743 00:57:20,059 --> 00:57:24,729 How Germany deals with anti-fascist art is one thing 744 00:57:24,729 --> 00:57:27,589 but now it gets better. 745 00:57:27,589 --> 00:57:32,089 Years pass, the internet, thanks to Pirate Bay and the fans 746 00:57:32,089 --> 00:57:34,339 people can access the music – 747 00:57:34,339 --> 00:57:37,279 we didn't even care about the Index anymore. 748 00:57:37,279 --> 00:57:39,829 I made my peace with this whole thing and moved on. 749 00:57:39,829 --> 00:57:43,599 Ten years passed, when suddenly we receive notice from Spotify 750 00:57:43,599 --> 00:57:46,749 that we have been flagged. 751 00:57:46,749 --> 00:57:52,829 Because they were notified by the Bundesprüfstelle. 752 00:57:52,829 --> 00:57:55,930 And we were given an ultimatum: 753 00:57:55,930 --> 00:58:00,259 We remove this album from Spotify, or 754 00:58:00,259 --> 00:58:05,989 the whole catalogue of the whole label will get removed. 755 00:58:05,989 --> 00:58:08,969 So we are not even talking about Germany, 756 00:58:08,969 --> 00:58:14,160 we are talking worldwide and all other artists on the label. 757 00:58:14,160 --> 00:58:16,529 So my guys from the label put a call in, 758 00:58:16,529 --> 00:58:20,569 hoping to get to talk to a human being so we can clear this up. 759 00:58:20,569 --> 00:58:23,219 The woman on the other end is looking at her screen explains 760 00:58:23,219 --> 00:58:29,729 “this happens to bands who use Nazi references in their songs.” 761 00:58:29,729 --> 00:58:31,839 So my label manager explained 762 00:58:31,839 --> 00:58:37,449 that this artist Atari Teenage Riot has not only one Anti-Nazi song, 763 00:58:37,449 --> 00:58:42,369 all the music for over two decades was written to fight Nazi ideology 764 00:58:42,369 --> 00:58:48,339 and he offered to send the evidence, like song lyrics, articles, etc. 765 00:58:48,339 --> 00:58:50,709 So the Spotify woman’s answer was: 766 00:58:50,709 --> 00:58:55,390 “You know, Nazi or Anti-Nazi, it doesn’t matter you’re being flagged. 767 00:58:55,390 --> 00:58:58,630 We won’t change anything.” 768 00:58:58,630 --> 00:59:01,869 *some laughter, some booing* 769 00:59:01,869 --> 00:59:03,489 For now we decided to remove it 770 00:59:03,489 --> 00:59:06,680 because we didn’t want the other artists to suffer, too. 771 00:59:06,680 --> 00:59:10,099 But we are still looking into taking legal action. 772 00:59:10,099 --> 00:59:12,380 So whenever marketing people try to convince you 773 00:59:12,380 --> 00:59:16,369 that you should have one service hosting all content for you, 774 00:59:16,369 --> 00:59:18,969 in the cloud, convenient, keep this in mind. 775 00:59:18,969 --> 00:59:25,969 Out of sight, out of mind. Mistrust authority, promote decentralisation. 776 00:59:27,469 --> 00:59:34,469 *applause* 777 00:59:47,640 --> 00:59:49,279 I think when we speak about streaming services 778 00:59:49,279 --> 00:59:51,519 and how much they suck *chuckling* 779 00:59:51,519 --> 00:59:55,829 hopefully will be seen in a few years what they are 780 00:59:55,829 --> 00:59:57,660 if they don’t change. 781 00:59:57,660 --> 00:59:59,890 They are for me kind of a destructive force 782 00:59:59,890 --> 01:00:01,349 that doesn’t help creatives, 783 01:00:01,349 --> 01:00:04,079 only exploits them for short term profits. 784 01:00:04,079 --> 01:00:06,160 But I want to mention that the guys from Bittorrent 785 01:00:06,160 --> 01:00:09,299 are doing the right thing, in my opinion. 786 01:00:09,299 --> 01:00:12,390 I really think that Bittorrent is moving into a direction 787 01:00:12,390 --> 01:00:18,079 that gives the creatives control and let’s them decide. 788 01:00:18,079 --> 01:00:21,219 If you love music and everything that comes with it, 789 01:00:21,219 --> 01:00:28,199 support this service, use it, help build a better system. 790 01:00:28,199 --> 01:00:30,499 I don't think I have enough time, right? 791 01:00:30,499 --> 01:00:32,440 Herold: How much time do you need? 792 01:00:32,440 --> 01:00:37,650 Alec: I wanted to talk about us trolling Apple with our iPhone app 793 01:00:37,650 --> 01:00:41,390 *laughing* 794 01:00:41,390 --> 01:00:43,089 I don't want to make it too long. 795 01:00:43,089 --> 01:00:47,319 Herold: okay, five more minutes. 796 01:00:47,319 --> 01:00:54,349 Alec: I was told, I have an hour, this flies by so fast 797 01:00:54,349 --> 01:00:56,549 I'm overtime, okay. 798 01:00:56,549 --> 01:00:58,249 Damn it, let's come to an end. 799 01:00:58,249 --> 01:01:00,489 You know what? Let's forget this, 800 01:01:00,489 --> 01:01:04,769 I'm gonna put that up online, the rest 801 01:01:04,769 --> 01:01:09,809 *chuckling*, *applause* 802 01:01:15,119 --> 01:01:19,989 To me it seems like the world is split into two sides 803 01:01:19,989 --> 01:01:22,999 One sees the creative as a slave to the audience, 804 01:01:22,999 --> 01:01:26,199 self-exploitation 24 hours a day, 805 01:01:26,199 --> 01:01:29,670 the other sees the creative as the master of his audience, 806 01:01:29,670 --> 01:01:34,670 like they are an army of slaves that have to pay and pay and pay. 807 01:01:34,670 --> 01:01:36,359 If you never saw it this way, 808 01:01:36,359 --> 01:01:39,079 go read the comments below YouTube videos. 809 01:01:39,079 --> 01:01:40,979 *some laughter* 810 01:01:40,979 --> 01:01:42,229 Suddenly it all makes sense. 811 01:01:42,229 --> 01:01:46,359 By the way this is a phenomenon that is part of our culture, 812 01:01:46,359 --> 01:01:50,319 we inherited that from the times of the Cold War, 813 01:01:50,319 --> 01:01:52,979 when the battle between capitalism and socialism, 814 01:01:52,979 --> 01:01:54,949 West and East was fought. 815 01:01:54,949 --> 01:01:57,390 Other cultures, for example in Africa, 816 01:01:57,390 --> 01:02:00,369 have never looked at music through those lenses. 817 01:02:00,369 --> 01:02:03,180 I think it’s time to look at those, get inspired by them, 818 01:02:03,180 --> 01:02:05,819 so we can move forward and create something better, 819 01:02:05,819 --> 01:02:08,759 and finally leave these old battles behind. 820 01:02:08,759 --> 01:02:14,269 We were all born into this, but together we can find a way out of it. 821 01:02:14,269 --> 01:02:15,519 We just have to. 822 01:02:15,519 --> 01:02:18,119 How the media reported on the latest hack 823 01:02:18,119 --> 01:02:23,619 of “Sony by North Korea” couldn’t symbolise this better. 824 01:02:23,619 --> 01:02:27,150 Ask around in a few months, how will people remember this story 825 01:02:27,150 --> 01:02:30,559 and most people will probably repeat the headlines 826 01:02:30,559 --> 01:02:36,890 that were written to generate the most clicks, fast. 827 01:02:36,890 --> 01:02:42,279 Maybe we can just see a video at the end – 828 01:02:42,279 --> 01:02:48,209 damn it, there's so much I wanted to speak to you about … 829 01:02:48,209 --> 01:02:53,150 You know what, I show you two last things 830 01:02:53,150 --> 01:02:58,890 in case you haven't seen it yet, I think, 831 01:02:58,890 --> 01:03:03,209 culture needs to be used more for political battle and, 832 01:03:03,209 --> 01:03:07,920 erdgeist mentioned it, the protest of the May 1st demonstrations, 833 01:03:07,920 --> 01:03:10,299 I don't know, how many of you have seen this … 834 01:03:10,299 --> 01:03:17,299 let me just show it to you 835 01:03:18,099 --> 01:03:25,099 *video* 836 01:03:28,179 --> 01:03:35,179 *hardcore punk music in the background* 837 01:05:41,950 --> 01:05:48,340 *applause* 838 01:05:49,190 --> 01:05:52,430 Okay, there's a lot of other stuff I wanted to mention to you, 839 01:05:52,430 --> 01:05:55,890 but I don't have enough time right now, 840 01:05:55,890 --> 01:05:58,029 but basically what I wanted to say is, I think 841 01:05:58,029 --> 01:06:01,449 hackers and the artists must unite more 842 01:06:01,449 --> 01:06:05,170 and they have to start working on a much deeper level. 843 01:06:05,170 --> 01:06:06,529 Just build something better. 844 01:06:06,529 --> 01:06:08,359 Use culture, also in the fight. 845 01:06:08,359 --> 01:06:10,561 Okay, thank you. 846 01:06:10,561 --> 01:06:14,673 *applause* 847 01:06:14,673 --> 01:06:27,000 subtitles created by c3subtitles.de Join, and help us!