Wumpscut:
Encyclopedia
:Wumpscut: is an electro-industrial
music project from Germany
. It was founded in May 1991 by Bavaria
n disc jockey
Rudolf "Rudy" Ratzinger (born June 3, 1966).
as his reason for making the transfer from DJing to recording music: "I was a DJ for several years and was tired of offering the audience only alien stuff. The first Leæther Strip works were responsible for trying something on my own."
First works performed by :Wumpscut: dates back to the early 1990s when Rudy Ratzinger started to play music in Bavarian club houses and in Southern Germany. In a 1997 interview, Rudy Ratzinger reveals that "Pornography" and "War Combattery" were his first two songs in EBM, those two four-minute songs are to be found on Defcon, the first demo issued by :Wumpscut: in late 1991. Yet, only "Pornography" was picked for reappearance on Blutkind
(although a remix of War Combattery surfaced on the Mesner Tracks re-release EP which was released before). According to Rudy, "War Combattery" was a great hit in club houses: "[It] was a very big success in the clubs in Southern Germany."
The release of the song "Soylent Green", which is named after the 1973 movie
and also contains audio samples
from the German dubbed version, first attracted attention to :Wumpscut:. Since its release in 1993, it has become a frequently played song at events and clubs in the goth and industrial
subcultures, in Germany
, UK and the United States
.
Ratzinger has published numerous recordings and remixes for other artists. :Wumpscut: is also very well known for elaborate box set releases including limited versions of a CD or LP release in a box with additional and often also limited bonus material (bonus tracks, "liquid soylent" energy drinks, posters, pins, stickers, bags, flags, etc.). :Wumpscut: albums are reissued regularly with variant artworks and occasionally bonus tracks. Standalone merchandise such as baseball caps, coffee mugs and t-shirts have also been made available for purchase.
Rudy Ratzinger has to date released thirteen studio albums plus a number of compilations: demos, compilation tracks, and remixes from deleted singles and EPs. The thirteenth :Wumpscut: album, Schrekk & Grauss, came out on April, 22 2011.
, Beton Kopf Media, in 1995, used exclusively to release :Wumpscut: material only. In 1996, he started the label Mental Ulcer Forges which was shut down after a while, though this label was finally relaunched in 2006. The label released albums by the following bands: Remyl
, Noisex
, B-Ton-K, Yendri
and F/A/V. Rudy also managed the label Fleisskoma with Karl Kimmerl (B-Ton-K), which has released work by the electronic band Press to Transmit.
lore; Ratzinger has incorporated samples from the third Alien film into his album Boeses Junges Fleisch
, as well as the fourth Alien film into his album Wreath of Barbs
.
genre, :Wumpscut: is a studio-only project and has never toured. When asked for his reason behind this decision, Rudy commented: "I cannot come up to my self-set level."
Electro-industrial
Electro-industrial is a music genre drawing on EBM and post-industrial that developed in the mid-1980s. While EBM has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial has a deep, complex and layered sound. The style was pioneered by Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, and other groups,...
music project from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was founded in May 1991 by Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Rudolf "Rudy" Ratzinger (born June 3, 1966).
History and members
Ratzinger has always been the main creative force behind :Wumpscut:, occasionally employing the help of guest artists (such as Aleta Welling, P·A·L, Selene etc.). Ratzinger cites the influence of such bands as Leæther StripLeæther Strip
Leæther Strip is a Danish musical project founded on January 13, 1988 by Claus Larsen. Its influence has been most felt in the electronic body music and electro-industrial genres. Perhaps to a certain extent, it may have influenced various film score productions. Leæther Strip was one of the...
as his reason for making the transfer from DJing to recording music: "I was a DJ for several years and was tired of offering the audience only alien stuff. The first Leæther Strip works were responsible for trying something on my own."
First works performed by :Wumpscut: dates back to the early 1990s when Rudy Ratzinger started to play music in Bavarian club houses and in Southern Germany. In a 1997 interview, Rudy Ratzinger reveals that "Pornography" and "War Combattery" were his first two songs in EBM, those two four-minute songs are to be found on Defcon, the first demo issued by :Wumpscut: in late 1991. Yet, only "Pornography" was picked for reappearance on Blutkind
Blutkind
Blutkind is a double album released in 2000 by the German industrial group :wumpscut:. The album is mostly a collection of :wumpscut:'s earliest material, save the new tracks 'Hang Him Higher' and 'Praise Your Fears'. Some tracks are taken from :wumpscut:'s original demo tapes in 1991 and 1992...
(although a remix of War Combattery surfaced on the Mesner Tracks re-release EP which was released before). According to Rudy, "War Combattery" was a great hit in club houses: "[It] was a very big success in the clubs in Southern Germany."
The release of the song "Soylent Green", which is named after the 1973 movie
Soylent Green
Soylent Green is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Charlton Heston, the film overlays the police procedural and science fiction genres as it depicts the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman in a dystopian future suffering from pollution,...
and also contains audio samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from the German dubbed version, first attracted attention to :Wumpscut:. Since its release in 1993, it has become a frequently played song at events and clubs in the goth and industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
subcultures, in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, UK and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Ratzinger has published numerous recordings and remixes for other artists. :Wumpscut: is also very well known for elaborate box set releases including limited versions of a CD or LP release in a box with additional and often also limited bonus material (bonus tracks, "liquid soylent" energy drinks, posters, pins, stickers, bags, flags, etc.). :Wumpscut: albums are reissued regularly with variant artworks and occasionally bonus tracks. Standalone merchandise such as baseball caps, coffee mugs and t-shirts have also been made available for purchase.
Rudy Ratzinger has to date released thirteen studio albums plus a number of compilations: demos, compilation tracks, and remixes from deleted singles and EPs. The thirteenth :Wumpscut: album, Schrekk & Grauss, came out on April, 22 2011.
Record label
Ratzinger started his own record labelVanity label
A vanity label is an informal name given sometimes to a record label founded as a wholly or partially owned subsidiary of another, larger and better established record label, where the subsidiary label is controlled by a successful recording artist, designed to allow this artist...
, Beton Kopf Media, in 1995, used exclusively to release :Wumpscut: material only. In 1996, he started the label Mental Ulcer Forges which was shut down after a while, though this label was finally relaunched in 2006. The label released albums by the following bands: Remyl
Remyl
Remyl is an electronic music project founded by three friends in Oslo, Norway in 1992.-Description:Remyl makes experimental electronic music. Labeled by some as industrial and as dark ambient by other. It is often inspired by science fiction themes and man/machine relations. The tracks vary between...
, Noisex
Noisex
Noisex is the name of a power noise and industrial music act from Germany. It has long been releasing music on the Ant-Zen record label and Rudy Ratzinger's label, Mental Ulcer Forges.-Members / history:...
, B-Ton-K, Yendri
Yendri
Yendri is a German solo electronic music project. Yendri prefers to describe her own work as simply electronic music. In addition to music, Yendri enjoys a multitude of art forms including painting and photography....
and F/A/V. Rudy also managed the label Fleisskoma with Karl Kimmerl (B-Ton-K), which has released work by the electronic band Press to Transmit.
Logo
The logo for :Wumpscut: bears a striking resemblance to the logo for the fictional Weyland-Yutani corporation of AlienAlien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
lore; Ratzinger has incorporated samples from the third Alien film into his album Boeses Junges Fleisch
Boeses Junges Fleisch
Boeses Junges Fleisch is an album recorded by the German industrial act, :wumpscut:. It was released in Compact Disc format on Beton Kopf Media in 1999, under the catalogue number ETAH 9....
, as well as the fourth Alien film into his album Wreath of Barbs
Wreath of Barbs
Wreath of Barbs is a 2001 album by :wumpscut:.-Track listing:# "Opening the Gates of Hell" – 4:08# "Deliverance " – 4:43# "Wreath of Barbs " – 5:23# "Dr...
.
Live performance
Despite the project's popularity in the electro-industrialElectro-industrial
Electro-industrial is a music genre drawing on EBM and post-industrial that developed in the mid-1980s. While EBM has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial has a deep, complex and layered sound. The style was pioneered by Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, and other groups,...
genre, :Wumpscut: is a studio-only project and has never toured. When asked for his reason behind this decision, Rudy commented: "I cannot come up to my self-set level."
External links
- Official website
- List of releases
- :Wumpscut: at MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....