Back for the first daytime set of 2020 (actually the first anywhere). As the event fell on International Women’s Day, Scott and I both played a larger-than-usual number of tracks featuring female artists.
Set 1 – 10:20am-11:45am
Underworld feat. Evelyn Glennie – And I Will Kiss Kruder & Dorfmeister – Original Bedroom Rockers Massive Attack – Inertia Creeps Sneaker Pimps – 6 Underground :Wumpscut: – Wreath Of Barbs (Violet Remix) Kirlian Camera – Ascension Jean-Michel Jarre – September Niels Gordon – Chloro V-Zylanz – Jet Set Willy A8 Off – Electric Salsa Confettis – The Sound Of C Nux Nemo – Hiroshima Tragic Error – Klatsche In Die Hande Amnesia – Ibiza Cassandra Complex – Moscow Idaho
1pm-2pm
Light Asylum – Heart of Dust Rein – There Is No Authority But Yourself Invasion of Female Logic – Trendsetter //TENSE// – Chain Randolph & Mortimer – Enjoy More Malaise – Something Else Mao Tse Tung Experience – Irregular Times Noxious Emotion – Mass Strvngers – Nostalgia Statemachine – Thermal Noise Echo Image – Standing Alone Les Anges De La Nuit – The Apocalypse Machine Rox – Bring Back Reality Ayria – The Gun Song Angelspit – 100%
3pm-4pm
Death In Vegas – Dirt Two Lone Swordsmen – Sex Beat (Andrew Weatherall Tribute) Moby & The Pacific Void Choir – Don’t Leave Me Earth Loop Recall – Optimism Creeping In Action Directe – UK Unit:187 – Capital Punishment Luxt – American Beast L’Âme Immortelle – 5 Jahre Within Temptation – Stand My Ground Pythia – Army Of The Damned Leaves Eyes – To France The Birthday Massacre – Video Kid Helalyn Flowers – Kamikaze Angel Propaganda – Dr.Mabuse Parralox – Headhunter
When writing guides such these, it’s often hard to choose the next band to cover. Sure, I can use social media to gauge interest in specific projects, but there’s also got to be a personal motive to invest time and effort in researching and writing a piece this long. It’s a particularly big decision when you deal with exceptionally prolific artists – the timing has to be right, lest one get bogged down in a body of work too large to take in. And it just so happens I’ve been spending recent months investigating the dark and obscure corners of one of the largest back-catalogues my genres of choice have to offer. It’s time to take a look at Wumpscut. (Yes, officially the name is supposed to be bookended with colons, but if I do that here, my grammar checker will throw a wobbly).
Wumpscut was formed by the Bavarian DJ Rudy Ratzinger in 1991, inspired by the likes of Skinny Puppy, Leæther Strip and Dirk Ivens among others. The name means nothing – it was an entirely synthetic creation. His style has been referred to as both ‘dark electro’ or ‘electro-industrial’ – the terms are interchangeable as far as online discussion goes, and since few musicologists acknowledge so much as the existence of the style post-mid 1980s, it’s unlikely we’ll ever get a clear answer. Just accept that if you’re not into dark synthetic textures, hard electronic rhythms and angry vocals, dealing with some of the most unpleasant subject matters both fiction and reality have to offer, you might as well quit reading now.
Whilst this was very much a solo project, Rudy occasionally brought in guest musicians, mainly for female vocals, as well as sampling extensively from movies and bands from a variety of genres – the Alien movies are an obvious influence, inspiring as they did the project’s official logo. He also remixed other artists frequently and featured on many compilations. The one thing Wumpscut never did was play live. Rudy never had any desire to take the project to stage – neither did he feel like he could have done the music justice if he had done so.
I hope this guide will serve to be comprehensive, though what it won’t be is 100% exhaustive. This is, after all, a Listeners Guide, not a Collectors Guide or Fanatics Guide. Most Wumpscut albums have been released several times, in several formats, and there’s no way I can cover every version of all of them. Physical format collectors will have to check resources like Discogs.com for a full shopping list. Be prepared to shell out for the box set versions. My cupboard isn’t big enough for that kind of excess.
If you’re happy to stay virtual, I recommend Wumpscut’s Bandcamp page, which has just-about-everything for 5 Euros per album. The Concentrated Camp editions are the best way to get the most complete versions of each album, and there’s also sizeable compilations covering all the loose ends, of which there are many. Devoted fans can also get vinyl masters and ‘Inheritance’ editions (draft/demo versions from the DAT tape archives), but I’m not going to cover these – perhaps someone else will one day. Casual fans can stream most of the studio albums on the regular services, but the remixes and rarities are covered inconsistently, so you might not find every track I mention.
This may be too long for many of you, so you can just Skip To The End and just find out what songs are worth listening to. But if you’re up for the full and complete text – it’s time to get started.
Back to the classic linup for our December edition. In keeping with the spirit of the event, everything in this section except the final run is requests.
Set 1
The Cure – Burn Sisters Of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection Depeche Mode – Wrong Project Pitchfork – Souls VNV Nation – When Is The Future? Mesh – Automation Baby Covenant – Call The Ships To Port Code 64 – Leaving Earth Talk Talk – Such a Shame Agent Side Grinder – Life In Advane Suspiria – Awfully Sinister Virgin Prunes – Pagan Love Song London After Slimelight – Psycho Magnet Type O Negative – Life Is Killing Me Razed In Black – Share This Poison
Set 2
Note that Scott did a fairly sizable set whilst I ate my pizza between the above and this – hence the presence of yet-another 2003-vintage Type O track so soon. Glad some other people rate this album!
Dio – Holy Diver Ozzy Osbourne – Mr.Crowley Type O Negative – Nettie Die Krupps – Robo Sapien The Prodigy – Fuel My Fire Johnny Moped – Hard Loving Man The Damned – Plan 9 Channel 7 The Fall – How I Wrote Elastic Man Nirvana – Lounge Act Rammstein – Engel Iron Maiden – Hallowed By Thy Name Aerosmith – Crazy Alice In Chains – Man In The Box
Set 3
Scorpions – Wind Of Change Davie Bowie – The Man Who Sold The World Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side Patti Smith – Dancing Barefoot
Final Tag-Team
Scott’s tracks are in italics.
Blondie – Doom Or Destiny Danielle Dax – Cat House Xmal Deutschland – Augen-Blick Joy Division – New Dawn Fades Jesus and Mary Chain – Just Like Honey Faetal – Divide By Zero Muse – New Born Radiohead – The Bends Mansun – Wide Open Space The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony Echobelly – King of the Kerb Suede – The Beautiful Ones Garbage – #1 Crush
Back to Tufnell Park once more for the Christmas edition of the quarterly indoor alternative market. Joining me on the music today was Scott and guest DJ Chelle Helle. As for my own contributions, no real theme for me today….. there doesn’t always has to be reason to play something providing it’s a good song!
11:10am-12:05pm
Jill Tracy – Evil Night Together Boyd Rice and David Tibet – The End Of The World Hafler Trio – Of the Building of Forms by Vibrations Sopor Aeternus – Hades »Pluton« Diary Of Dreams – Colorblind Project Pitchfork – Karma Monster Ravenous – The Voices You Hear Stochastic Theory – What You Weren’t The Department – As It Transformed OneTwo – Signals Minuit Machine – Battles Chris & Cosey – This Is Me The Knife – Pass This On
2pm-3pm
The Horrorist – One Night In NYC Needle Factory – Blind Numb – Redact Aghast View – Retaliate Pittersplatter – Mummies & Music Boxes Heimatærde – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Matt Hart – Superficial DUST – Mind Arkham Asylum – Ground Zero Disturbed – Down With The Sickness NIN – The Hard That Feeds The Fair Sex – The House Of Unkinds The Eternal Afflict – San Diego 2k9 The Young Gods – Tear Up The Red Sky Ghosting – Bombed The World
My return to Yesterday’s Shadow after a couple of years, now a quarterly event at The Other Place (basement bar of The Albany). Also my first (and probably only) late-night set of 2019. Here’s what I played.
Set 1 – 10pm-10:30pm
The Monochrome Set – The Monochrome Set The Fall – Totally Wired Toyah – I Want To Be Free Act – Snobbery and Decay Altered Images – I Could Be Happy Peter Schilling – Major Tom (Coming Home) Visage – Der Amboss Camouflage – The Great Commandment Nitzer Ebb – Let Your Body Learn
Set 2 – 12:30am-1am
Depeche Mode – Everything Counts (Live 101) OMD – Enola Gay Ultravox – Sleepwalk Front 242 – Welcome To Paradise Fad Gadget – Ricky’s Hand Killing Joke – Requiem Talking Heads – Psycho Killer The Undertones – Teenage Kicks The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
With Scott unavailable once more, DJ Translight stepped in to join me for our Open Request List Event, which has now been running for 5 years. All but the first few and last few are requests.
Set 1
Johnny Cash – Hurt The Tornados – Telstar The Shadows – Wonderful Land Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter The Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat T.Rex – Jeepster Bauhaus – Double Dare The Cure – Primary Depeche Mode – Stripped Blutengel – You Walk Away Diary Of Dreams – She Apoptygma Berzerk – Non-Stop Violence Nine Inch Nails – Only Light Asylum – Dark Allies
Set 2
In Extremo – Küss mich Moonspell – Opium Paradise Lost – Erased 69 Eyes – Gothic Girl Dreadful Shadows – Through The Mirror The Cult – Rain The March Violets – Grooving In Green Sisters Of Mercy – Marian Gene Loves Jezebel – Desire Virgin Prunes – Baby Turns Blue The Normal – Warm Leatherette Portion Control – Amnesia Static-X – Cold
Set 3
IAMX – Think Of England Garbage – #1 Crush Marilyn Manson – The Lamb Of God PJ Harvey – Down By The Water Light Asylum – IPC Ministry – Stigmata Sex Pistols – Bodies Magazine – Shot By Both Sides The Raincoats – Fairytale In The Supermarket Alien Sex Fiend – Ignore The Machine
Terminates Here vs Translight final tag-team
Not quite alternating one-for-one, but DJ Translight’s tunes are in italics.
Sopor Aeternus – The House Is Empty Now Inkubus Sukkubus – Lilith, Kali, Nemesis, Morrigan The Damned – Smash It Up (Parts 1&2) Rammstein – Zeig Dich Megaherz – Wir könnten Götter sein Ghost – Year Zero Witt – Wo Versteckt Sich Gott ASP – Geisterjagd The Beauty Of Gemina – The Lonesome Death Of A Goth DJ Project Pitchfork – Sunset Devastation NIN – Dead Souls Earth Loop Recall – Like Machines
The Tufnell Park dome continues to host this event and I continue to provide the music. Scott couldn’t join me this time, so instead DJ Translight (Ich Will/Sunday Lullaby) and Ays Kura (Die Kur/NMTCG) played sets. Here’s what I played.
12 noon to 1pm
Nocturnal Emissions – Never Give Up Mechanical Cabaret – 304 Holloway Road Torul – You Won She Wants Revenge – Out Of Control Vendemmian – Yesterday’s Gone Children On Stun – Celebration (Rejoice) Terminal Gods – Electric Eyes Siouxsie (no Banshees) – Into A Swan Esben and the Witch – Marching Song Chelsea Wolfe – Feral Love Witch Of The Vale – Trust The Pain Kælan Mikla – Draumadis Vic Anselmo – Das Dunkle Land (Das Ich cover)
3pm to 4pm
Lola Angst – Mr. Trise X Kirlian Camera feat Eskil Simonsson – Sky Collapse Apoptygma Berzerk – Backdraft (Deviced by The Invincible Spirit) :Wumpscut: – Churist Churist Praga Khan – Injected With A Poison Swamp Terrorists – Rebuff Sleeping Dogs Wake – Point Black Mussolini Headkick – Compassion Paresis – I’m Not Afraid Of You 2.0 Hexedene – Turn OHMElectronic – Uppercut Die Klute – It’s All In Vain Machines Of Loving Grace – Butterfly Wings Stabbing Westward – Save Yourself Lord Of The Lost – Die Tomorrow
This guide comes after a lengthy break in my long-form writing. In order to get back on track, I realised I had to cover a band where I could really spin a tale, both in terms of the band’s own history and how their music affected me. And when I think back to which band broke the Anglo-American dominated nature of my CD collection back in the late 1990s and dragged me willingly into the ‘scene’ that has dominated my life ever since, Apoptygma Berzerk are the band most responsible.
The name means little to many, indeed it means nothing at all in linguistic terms. However, behind that incomprehensible name is a fascinating, diverse, sometimes frustrating project, one who’s never afraid to state its influences, but always willing to take them in a variety of directions. It is a project of many facets, many influences and many motivations, and hence despite not having the largest backcatalogue of all the bands I’m planning to cover, it’s still my longest Listener’s Guide to date.
A 4-band line-up headlined by Riotmiloo at The Beehive in Bow. I wasn’t actually planning to DJ this event, but circumstances meant I played last minute improvised set off my phone between the acts. Here’s what I came up with.
The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud – Amara Tanta Tyri IV Dernière Volonté – A Bout Portant Qntal – Ad Mortem Festinamus
<Rotten Bliss>
Einstürzende Neubauten – Ich Gehe Jetzt Coil – Love’s Secret Domain Cabaret Voltaire – Nag Nag Nag SPK – Mekano Nocturnal Emissions – Never Give Up
<Cynthia’s Periscope>
Synth-Etik – Dimensional Construct S.K.E.T. – God In A Gun P.A.L. – Workout
Continuing the day’s musical actions with our Open Request list at Aces and Eights
Set 1
Clan Of Xymox – A Day Covenant – Bullet VNV Nation – Carry You Front 242 – Headhunter V1.0 DAF – Der Mussolini Front Line Assembly – Resist Project Pitchfork – Human Crossing Cat Rapes Dog – American Dream Rammstein – Du Hast Metallica – For Whom The Bell Tolls AC/DC – Highway To Hell Rolling Stones – Paint It Black The Pretenders – Stop Your Sobbing
Set 2
Kite – Jonny Boy Absolute Body Control – Never Seen Cabaret Voltaire – Sensoria Front 242 – Happiness (Re:Boot) Prodigy – Firestarter (Empirion Remix) KMFDM – Godlike (Chicago Trax) Rammstein – Radio NIN – Sin Rob Zombie – Sick Bubblegum Placebo – Ashtray Heart Killing Joke – Love Like Blood
Set 3
James Rays Gangwar – Destination Assassination Secret Discovery – Small World Daniel Ash – Here She Comes Gary Numan – My Name Is Ruin
Final Tag Team
Once again, a bizarre final run of requests to see out the day. For technical reasons, Scott and I both played a block of three rather than alternating all the way….Scott’s tracks are in italics.
Suicide – Rocket USA Ministry – Revenge NIN – Terrible Lie Tool – Stinkfist Guns’n’Roses – Mr Brownstone Marilyn Manson – Tainted Love Revolting Cocks – Devils Cock Billy Idol – White Wedding Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil King Crimson – Indiscipline The Cure – 10:15 Saturday night (about 23 hours and 45 minutes out)
Outro: Vivaldi – Summer (Concerto No. 2 In G Minor – Presto)
(to mark our first ever request for classical music)
