Der britische NME präsentiert in einem Feature die 20 „greatest unsung heroes“ und erwischt erstaunlich viele hier ebenfalls hochgeschätzte Künstler: unter anderem Bill Drummond, Billy Childish, Lydia Lunch, Dan Treacy, Richard Hell, Alex Chilton und Mark E. Smith (als „Sieger“).
Zwischen all die großen Namen hat es überraschenderweise auch der Berliner Alec Empire von Atari Teenage Riot geschafft:

„Atari Teenage Riot’s record „Live At Brixton Academy 1999″ was the first album to ever score 11/10 in NME. There’s a valid reason for this – it is TERRIFYING. It’s such an insane act of cutting off your nose to spit your face- of hijacking your own gig to turn it into a half-hour of blank white noise, then releasing it.
With Atari, Alex Empire invented digital hardcore and reconnected techno with politics, while as a label boss of Digital Hardcore Recordings, he’s been the leading light in the Berlin electronic avant-vanguard. In his present infinity of solo guises, and with a May ATR reunion and new single confirmed, he still has no idea to behave.“

(Gavin Haynes im NME)