Editing Rapeman

{{Short description|American noise rock band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{For|the manga|The Rapeman}}
{{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
| 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>}}
| years_active      = 1987–1989
| label             = {{flatlist|
*[[Touch and Go Records|Touch and Go]]
*[[Blast First]]
*[[Au Go Go Records|Au Go Go]]}}
| past_members      = *[[Steve Albini]]
*[[David Wm. Sims]]
*[[Rey Washam]]
}}

'''Rapeman''' was 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 (band)|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>{{Cite web |last=Warwick |first=Kevin |date=2017-12-06 |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]] 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 in live iterations of Pete Conway’s solo 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 ===
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" /> 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>

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
* ''[[Two Nuns and a Pack Mule]]'' (1988, [[Touch and Go Records]]/[[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) (1987) - "Dutch Courage"
* ''The Devil's Jukebox'' (Blast First) (1989) - "Dutch Courage"
* ''Indie Top 20 Vol. VI-Pride Of Independents'' (Beechwood) (1989) - "Bud(d)"
* ''Au-Go-Go sampler #1'' cassette (Au Go Go) (1989) - "Hated Chinee"

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Rapeman}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:American noise rock music groups]]
[[Category:American post-hardcore musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Chicago]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies in music]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1987]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1989]]
[[Category:Touch and Go Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical trios from Illinois]]
[[Category:Blast First artists]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:1989 disestablishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Naming controversies]]