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An Interview with Rudy Ratzinger of :Wumpscut:
Posted: Sunday, April 15, 2007
By: Matthew Johnson
Assistant Editor

Love it or hate it, it's hard to deny the influence that :Wumpscut: has had on the EBM and industrial scene. Founded by Rudy Ratzinger in the early '90s, the project created high expectations for cold, aggressive electronics with such releases as Music for a Slaughtering Tribe and Bunker Gate Seven, then turned all those expectations on their heads with Wreath of Barbs, which alienated some fans with its explorations of melodic darkwave and techno but featured two of Ratzinger's biggest club hits to date. Subsequent releases have run the gamut from the female vocals and Renaissance-inspired melodies of Evoke to the grim futuristic storyline of last year's Cannibal Anthem.

Since 2004, :Wumpscut: has been incredibly prolific, releasing at least two CDs a year; his latest album, Body Census, was released earlier this month on Metropolis Records, alongside the Goth Census EP. Continuing with the aggressive but atmospheric sound of Cannibal Anthem, Ratzinger's newest work explores such favorite :Wumpscut: themes as religion and blind faith while also making several oblique references to the gothic and industrial scenes that have by turns embraced and rejected his music. In a taciturn but nonetheless intriguing interview with ReGen, he shares a little insight into the themes and moods of Body Census and even opens up a little about what movies he's been enjoying lately.

You have a new album and single out. Does this album highlight your more aggressive side or your more melodic side?

Ratzinger: Sounds harsher than Evoke did. Cannibal Anthem was more aggressive again, and Body Census increases this mood, I would say.

Are there any guest vocalists or other contributors on this album?

Ratzinger: Onca [of Cerebral Apoplexy], who was already on Cannibal Anthem.

You've worked recently with Yendri, who contributed three remixes to the Goth Census single and whose most recent CD was released on your Mental Ulcer Forges label. How did you come to work with this artist?

Ratzinger: Pure chance! I heard her most impressive Dangerous Thought during a scene party, lost focus, and found it again in late 2005. One of the most important acts for me, at the moment.

Have you worked with any upcoming electro artists recently, and do you have any current plans for more releases on Mental Ulcer Forges?

Ratzinger: Not at the moment; even our market is kind of a catastrophe for newcomers at the moment.

You have released several collections of remixes and alternate tracks of your earlier material, like the BlutKind release. Are there any plans to release similar collections from later in your career?

Ratzinger: No material left anymore.

Last year's :Wumpscut: release was a concept album about a cannibal society. Is Body Census a concept album as well?

Ratzinger: No, this time it is more like a collection of moods during the production phase.

Songs like 'You Are a Goth' and 'Homo Gotik Industrialis' seem to be making a direct statement to fans. What statement would you like to make to the gothic and industrial scenes?

Ratzinger: Don't swallow all kinds of rhythmic-ized trash, boys and girls!

Early in your career, you coined the phrase 'Endzeit electro' to describe your music. How does the concept of 'Endzeit' or apocalypse inform your music?

Ratzinger: In a perfect way; I don't like to make time-related statements about the problems of our time, you know.

How does the 'Endzeit' concept tie in with the use of religious symbolism on songs such as 'Adonai, My Lord' and 'Crown of Thorns?'

Ratzinger: I want 'Adonai' to be understood for 'The Lord' in general—no direct relation to Jewish culture. Religious blind faith is something I don't like at all. The same with 'Crown of Thorns, of course.

Do you believe in god?

Ratzinger: No.

Several of your releases reference science fiction movies, from the Alien series to the short films of Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Who are your favorite directors?

Ratzinger: Stanley Kubrick, for at least 75 percent of his movies, and Terry Gilliam, for at least 50 percent.

What recent films, if any, have particularly impressed you?

Ratzinger: Das Leben der Anderen [The Lives of Others] and Das Parfum [Perfume].

If you had an unlimited budget to create a film, what sort of film would it be?

Ratzinger: No fantasy stuff, be sure.

You've said before that the negative aesthetics of :Wumpscut: balance to your life, because most of the time you're a happy person. What gives you happiness in your life?

Ratzinger: The illusion of safety.