Rapeman: Difference between revisions

| name = Rapeman

| image = Rapeman band promo photo.jpg

| caption = Rapeman {{circa |1988}}

| landscape = yes

| background = group_or_band

| aliasorigin = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], =U.S.

| years_activelabel = 1987–1989{{flatlist|

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 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'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>

According to Albini, 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>

* ''[[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>

* ''[[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)

* ''Nothing Short Of Total War'' (Part One) ([[Blast First Records|Blast First]]) (1987) - "Dutch Courage"