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Line 4: {{More citations needed\|date=September 2010}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> \| name = Rapeman \| image = Rapeman band promo photo.jpg \| caption = Rapeman {{circa \|1988}} \| landscape = yes \| background = group_or_band \| ~~alias~~origin = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], =U.S. \| genre = {{Hlist\|[[Post-hardcore]]\|[[noise rock]]<ref>{{Cite web \|date=Jun 7, 2021 \|title=Noise Rock Guide: History and Characteristics of Noise Rock \|url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/noise-rock-guide \|access-date=June 27, 2023 \|website=[[MasterClass]]}}</ref>}}▼ ~~\| origin = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], U.S.~~ \| years_active = 1987–1989 ▲\| genre = {{Hlist\|[[Post-hardcore]]\|[[noise rock]]<ref>{{Cite web \|date=Jun 7, 2021 \|title=Noise Rock Guide: History and Characteristics of Noise Rock \|url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/noise-rock-guide \|access-date=June 27, 2023 \|website=[[MasterClass]]}}</ref>}} \| ~~years_active~~label = ~~1987–1989~~{{flatlist\| * [[Touch and Go Records\|Touch and Go]]▼ ~~\| label = {{flatlist\|~~ * [[Blast First~~\|Blast First!~~]]▼ ▲* [[Touch and Go Records\|Touch and Go]] * [[Au Go Go Records\|Au Go Go]]}}▼ ▲* [[Blast First\|Blast First!]] \| past_members = [[Steve = Albini]]▼ ▲ [[Au Go Go Records\|Au Go Go]] * [[David Wm. Sims]]▼ * Torso * [[Rey Washam]]▼ }} * John Leinbaugh▼ ~~\| associated_acts = {{flatlist\|~~ * [[Big Black]] * [[Scratch Acid]] * [[The Jesus Lizard]] * [[Flour (band)\|Flour]] * [[Shellac (band)\|Shellac]] }} ~~\| website =~~ ~~\| current_members =~~ ▲\| past_members = * [[Steve Albini]] ▲* [[David Wm. Sims]] ▲* [[Rey Washam]] ▲* John Leinbaugh }} '''Rapeman''' was ~~a short-lived~~an American [[noise rock]] band founded in 1987 and disbanded in 1989. It consisted of [[Steve Albini]] (formerly of [[Big Black]]) on [[guitar]] and [[singing\|vocals]], [[David Wm. Sims]] (formerly of [[Scratch Acid]]) on [[bass guitar\|bass]] and [[Rey Washam]] (formerly of Scratch Acid and [[Big Boys]]) on [[drum kit\|drums]]. In the years since their brief tenure, Rapeman’s sound has also been described as [[post-hardcore]].<ref name=crawdaddy>{{cite web\|url=http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/06/26/the-weakest-cut-siamese-dream/\|title=The Weakest Cut: Siamese Dream\|author=Greene Jr., James\|date=June 26, 2010\|publisher=[[Crawdaddy!\|Crawdaddy Magazine]]\|quote=[...]''This is understandable, considering what end of the spectrum Albini hails from. The guy once fronted a post-hardcore outfit called Rapeman and has written too many scathing punk indictments of mainstream society to count.'' [...]\|access-date=October 25, 2010\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110306154324/http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/06/26/the-weakest-cut-siamese-dream/\|archive-date=March 6, 2011}}</ref> Rapeman were formed as a parallel sister project to [[the Jesus Lizard]], although the latter outlasted Rapeman by several years.<ref>{{cnCite web \|last=Warwick \|first=Kevin \|date=~~June~~2017-12-06 ~~2023~~\|title=The Third Coming of the Jesus Lizard \|url=http://chicagoreader.com/music/the-third-coming-of-the-jesus-lizard/ \|access-date=2024-03-13 \|website=Chicago Reader \|language=en-US}}</ref> ==History== Rapeman was formed in 1987 when drummer Rey Washam and bassist [[David Wm. Sims]] relocated to Chicago from Texas after the breakup of their band [[Scratch Acid]].<ref name="Larkinindie">{{cite book\|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music\|The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music]]\|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)\|Colin Larkin]]\|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]\|date=1992\|edition=First\|isbn=0-85112-579-4\|page=228}}</ref> Steve Albini had just ended his group [[Big Black]],<ref name="Larkinindie"/> and was looking to switch to a musical project with a live drummer, instead of his [[Roland TR-606]] drum machine. Rapeman's initial 1988 releases included the mostly live recorded ''[[Budd (EP)\|Budd]]'' EP, the "Hated Chinee" b/w "Marmoset" 7" single, and their sole album, ''[[Two Nuns and a Pack Mule]]''.<ref name="Larkinindie"/> The band recorded in Albini's own home studio, often giving production credit to someone named Fluss, later revealed to be Albini's cat. All of Rapeman’s records were originally released on [[Touch and Go Records]] in the US, [[Blast First~~\|Blast First!~~]] in the UK, and [[Au Go Go Records\|Au Go Go]] in Australia. Rapeman left Blast First! in 1990 after Albini had an argument with the label over the release of a Big Black record. Touch and Go started distributing in the UK in 1992 and re-released Rapeman's records there. The band's final record before their breakup, the "Inki's Butt Crack" instrumental 7" single, was issued in 1989<ref name="Larkinindie"/> as part of the [[Sub Pop]] Singles Club. Albini later played bass ~~with~~ in live iterations of Pete Conway’s solo ~~Project~~project, [[Flour (band)\|Flour]], before going on to form [[Shellac (band)\|Shellac]] and expanding his work as a recording engineer. Sims reunited with ex-[[Scratch Acid]] vocalist [[David Yow]] to form [[the Jesus Lizard]] (with Albini recording their albums).<ref name="Larkinindie" /> Washam went on to drum for former [[Chrome (band)\|Chrome]] guitarist [[Helios Creed]]. Albini died on May 7, 2024.<ref>{{cite news\|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/steve-albini-storied-producer-and-icon-of-the-rock-underground-dies-at-61/\|title=Steve Albini, Storied Producer and Icon of the Rock Underground, Dies at 61\|first1=Nina\|last1=Corcocan\|first2=Jazz\|last2=Monroe\|publisher=Pitchfork\|date=May 8, 2024\|accessdate=May 8, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2262785/steve-albini-dead-at-61/news/\|title=Steve Albini Dead At 61\|first=Tom\|last=Briehan\|publisher=Stereogum\|date=May 8, 2024\|accessdate=May 8, 2024}}</ref> === Name controversy ===▼ According to Albini, Rapeman's first American tour garnered negative press response and protests at several of their gigs solely from the band's name.<ref name="rock-names" /> In the 1994 book, ''Rock Names'' by Adam Dolgins, Albini revealed that "''[[The Rapeman\|Rapeman]]'' is ... the title character in a [[Japan]]ese [[comic book]] that I had come across through a friend of mine. The comic book is just a total mind-bender. There's a whole genre of [[manga\|comics in Japan]], [[rape]] stories where women are raped in really graphic detail for whatever reason".<ref name="rock-names">{{cite web\|url=http://www.petdance.com/actionpark/bigblack/press/rocknames.php\|title=Steve discusses the naming of Big Black and Rapeman\|author=Interview with [[Steve Albini]]\|publisher=Action Park, quoting Rock Names by Adam Dolgins\|date=May 6, 1994\|access-date=May 21, 2007\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505005923/http://www.petdance.com/actionpark/bigblack/press/rocknames.php\|archive-date=May 5, 2007}}</ref> Albini and drummer Washam became "sort of obsessed" with the comic, and named their new group after the titular satirical anti-hero. ▲=== Name ~~controversy~~ === In a ''Kreative Kontrol'' podcast in 2014, Sims discussed always having issues with the name, saying it was "the biggest musical regret" of his life.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://vishkhanna.com/2014/04/18/ep-92-the-jesus-lizard-week-with-david-wm-sims/ \|title=Ep. #92: The Jesus Lizard Week with David Wm. Sims \|website=Kreative Kontrol (vishkhanna.com) \|date=April 18, 2014 \|access-date=November 24, 2019}}</ref> The name Rapeman was taken from the [[Japanese manga]] series ''[[The Rapeman]].'' Albini discovered the manga through a friend who ran an import business, and found its combination of [[rape fantasies]] and the [[superhero]] genre "simultaneously utterly repellent and fascinating". He described it as "the product of decades of repression and misogyny being expressed through a different cultural tradition".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Burnett III \|first=Zaron \|date=2021-11-08 \|title='I'm overdue for a discussion about my role in inspiring 'edgelord' shit': a conversation with Steve Albini \|url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/steve-albini-counsel-culture-interview \|access-date=2024-05-16 \|website=[[MEL Magazine]] \|language=en-US}}</ref> He named the band in a deliberate attempt to repel audiences and do the "opposite" of bands that were desperate to appear on [[MTV]].<ref name="Gordon-2023">{{Cite news \|last=Gordon \|first=Jeremy \|date=2023-08-15 \|title=The evolution of Steve Albini: 'If the dumbest person is on your side, you're on the wrong side' \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/15/the-evolution-of-steve-albini-if-the-dumbest-person-is-on-your-side-youre-on-the-wrong-side \|access-date=2024-05-12 \|work=[[The Guardian]] \|language=en-GB \|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Rapeman's name drew criticism and protests at several gigs.<ref name="rock-names">{{cite web \|author=Interview with [[Steve Albini]] \|date=May 6, 1994 \|title=Steve discusses the naming of Big Black and Rapeman \|url=http://www.petdance.com/actionpark/bigblack/press/rocknames.php \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505005923/http://www.petdance.com/actionpark/bigblack/press/rocknames.php \|archive-date=May 5, 2007 \|access-date=May 21, 2007 \|publisher=Action Park, quoting Rock Names by Adam Dolgins}}</ref> In a 2020 interview on the ''Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal'' podcast, Albini called it a "flippant choice" that was unconscionable and indefensible. He likened it to getting a bad tattoo.<ref>{{cite web \|date=April 3, 2020 \|title=Ep150: Steve Albini (Shellac, Big Black, Rapeman) \|url=https://www.radioneutron.com/2020/04/03/ep150-steve-albini-shellac-big-black-rapeman/ \|access-date=7 May 2020 \|website=Radioneutron.com}}</ref> In a 2021 interview with ''[[MEL Magazine]]'', Albini said he had been ignorant of women's issues and had falsely assumed that many social problems, such as misogyny and homophobia, were already solved.<ref name=":0" /> In a ''Kreative Kontrol'' podcast in 2014, Sims said the name was his biggest musical regret.<ref>{{cite web \|date=April 18, 2014 \|title=Ep. #92: The Jesus Lizard Week with David Wm. Sims \|url=http://vishkhanna.com/2014/04/18/ep-92-the-jesus-lizard-week-with-david-wm-sims/ \|access-date=November 24, 2019 \|website=Kreative Kontrol (vishkhanna.com)}}</ref> In an April 2020 interview on the ''Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal'' podcast, Albini expressed regret for the name of the band, saying that he did not feel he had been "held to account for being in a band called Rapeman". He added that "it was a flippant choice", calling it unconscionable and indefensible. He later likened it to getting a bad tattoo.<ref>{{cite web \| title=Ep150: Steve Albini (Shellac, Big Black, Rapeman) \| url=https://www.radioneutron.com/2020/04/03/ep150-steve-albini-shellac-big-black-rapeman/ \|website=Radioneutron.com \| date=April 3, 2020 \|access-date=7 May 2020 }}</ref> He again addressed the mistakes in October 2021 on his Twitter account. "A lot of things I said and did from an ignorant position of comfort and privilege are clearly awful and I regret them. It's nobody's obligation to overlook that, and I do feel an obligation to redeem myself...".<ref>{{cite tweet \| user=electricalWSOP \|number=1448050175658713092 \|title=I certainly have some 'splainin to do, and am not shy about any of it. A lot of things I said and did from an ignorant position of comfort and privilege are clearly awful and I regret them. It's nobody's obligation to overlook that, and I do feel an obligation to redeem myself...}}</ref> He added, "I expect no grace, and honestly feel like I and others of my generation have not been held to task enough for words and behavior that ultimately contributed to a coarsening society."<ref>{{cite tweet \| user=electricalWSOP \|number=1448050176745086977 \|title=A project I've undertaken piecemeal as I've matured, evolved and learned over time. I expect no grace, and honestly feel like I and others of my generation have not been held to task enough for words and behavior that ultimately contributed to a coarsening society.}}</ref> ==Discography== ===Studio albums=== * ''[[Two Nuns and a Pack Mule]]'' (1988, [[Touch and Go Records]]/[[Blast First~~\|Blast First!~~]]/[[Au Go Go Records\|Au Go Go]]) <small>[[UK Indie Chart\|UK Indie]] No. 4<ref name="Lazell">Lazell, Barry (1997) ''Indie Hits 1980 - 1989'', Cherry Red Books, {{ISBN\|0-9517206-9-4}}</ref></small> ===Singles and EPs=== * ''[[Budd (EP)\|Budd]]'' EP (1988, Touch and Go/Blast First!/Au Go Go) <small>UK Indie No. 2<ref name="Lazell" /></small> * "Hated Chinee" 7" single (1988, Touch and Go/Blast First!/Au Go Go) * "Inki's Butt Crack" 7" single (1989, [[Sub Pop]] Singles Club)<ref name="Larkinindie"/> ===Compilation appearances=== * ''Nothing Short Of Total War'' (Part One) ([[Blast First ~~Records\|Blast First]]~~) (1987) - "Dutch Courage" * ''The Devil's Jukebox'' (Blast First) (1989) - "Dutch Courage" * ''Indie Top 20 Vol. VI-Pride Of Independents'' (Beechwood) (1989) - "Bud(d)" Line 88 ⟶ 73: [[Category:Musical trios from Illinois]] [[Category:Blast First artists]] [[Category:1987 establishments in Illinois]] [[Category:1989 disestablishments in Illinois]] [[Category:Naming controversies]]