| B i o g r a p h y |
:WUMPSCUT: (sometimes referred to as Wumpscut, :W:, or :////:) is an electro-industrial project from Germany. It was founded in May of 1991 by Bavarian disc jockey Rudy Ratzinger (born June 3, 1966).
Ratzinger has always been the main creative force behind :WUMPSCUT:, occasionally employing the help of others as guest artists. Ratzinger cites the influence of such bands as Leæther Strip as his reason for making the transfer from DJing to recording music. 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 cybergoth and industrial subcultures and its associated splinter groups, both in Germany and the United States. So far 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 is also available such as caps, mugs, etc. Rudy Ratzinger has to date released 10 studio albums plus a number of compilations comprising of demos, compilation tracks and remixes from deleted singles & EPs. The 10th :Wumpscut: album came out in April 2008. It is titled Schädling and was completed in November 2007.
Ratzinger also started his own record label, Beton Kopf Media, in 1995, which is restricted to :WUMPSCUT: releases 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. The logo for :WUMPSCUT: bears a striking resemblance to the logo for the fictional Weyland-Yutani corporation of Alien 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. Despite the project's popularity in the electro-industrial 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.'