Wizo

WIZO

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1985
Headquarters	Sindelfingen , Germany
Products	Punk rock music

WIZO () is a punk rock group originating from Sindelfingen, Germany, established in 1985. Their sound merges witty and politically charged lyrics with rapid, melodic punk rock, aligning with the German Fun-Punk scene. The band performs in German, highlighting the interplay between language and their music. Influences cited include Normahl, Hass, and The Exploited. Axel Kurth has spoken about the difficulties musicians encounter when trying to earn revenue through streaming platforms.

The band advocates for left-wing politics and stands firmly against Nazis, racists, and sexists. Their lyrics often address issues of equality concerning women, queer communities, and other marginalized groups. Kurth has expressed, "We are all Antifa. Anyone who resists discrimination based on arbitrary characteristics is anti-fascist."

1986–2005

In 1986, Jörn Genserowski (bass), Axel Kurth (guitar), and Jochen Bix (vocals) formed a band named "Wieso" in Sindelfingen, near Stuttgart. Later that year, after Ralf "Ratz" Plapp joined as drummer, they changed their name to "WIZO."

Their initial live performances took place in 1987 around Sindelfingen. The band recorded their first demo tape Keiner ist kleiner in 1988, followed by a second demo in 1990. When Jochen Bix relocated to Berlin-Friedrichshain and left the group, Axel Kurth assumed lead vocals and primary songwriting duties. Together with Andreas "Fratz" Thum, they created their own label, Hulk Räckorz, through which they released the EP Klebstoff in 1989.

WIZO’s debut studio album für'n Arsch, recorded in Stuttgart, was released in 1991. The band attracted attention for an unauthorized performance outside a courthouse during a notable trial.

Their 1992 album Bleib Tapfer featured the contentious single "Roy Black ist tot," which was labeled the worst CD of the year by a prominent German tabloid. In 1993, their punk rendition of Ace of Base’s All that she wants gained nationwide recognition and was broadcast on MTV.

The 1994 release Uuaarrgh! sold approximately 100,000 copies and was issued in the United States by Fat Wreck Chords with an altered tracklist. However, German authorities restricted sales of Bleib Tapfer to adults due to alleged "glorification of violence" in the track Kein Gerede.

WIZO performed at the 1994 Chaos Days festival, inspiring their song Chaostage 94. In 1995, they launched the album Herrenhandtasche, toured the United States as part of the inaugural Vans Warped Tour, and supported Die Ärzte as an opening act.

In 1996, WIZO played before an audience of 35,000 at Cologne’s Bizarre-Festival. However, disputes over filming led to legal complications that limited their future participation in festivals. That year also brought lineup changes when Ingo Hahn replaced drummer Charly Zasko.

In 1997, WIZO collaborated on the split EP Weihnachten stinkt! with Japanese punk band Hi-Standard. They encountered legal action from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Regensburg concerning album artwork featuring a pig depicted on a cross, which was censored in subsequent editions.

The 1998 release Kraut & Rüben EP, distributed by Fat Wreck Chords, introduced several of their German-language hits to an international audience. That year also saw Herr Guhl take over drumming duties from Ingo Hahn.

In September 2004, WIZO became pioneers in music distribution by releasing the Stick EP on USB flash drive containing MP3 files, videos, and additional material.

In November 2004, coinciding with the release of their album Anderster, WIZO announced their intention to disband following a farewell tour ending in March 2005.

Reunion

Following the band's breakup in 2005, Axel Kurth pursued solo endeavors under the name XLQ. Among his projects was a track created for VfB Stuttgart during the German Soccer Championships, which incorporated the melody from WIZO's Kadett B. Additionally, he produced covers of Dirk Michaelis' "Als ich fortging" and Michel Delpech's Pour Un Flirt. By late 2008, XLQ had contributed guitar work to a German boy band, composed music for a film, and participated in various other ventures.

In November 2009, WIZO declared their plan to reunite in 2010 and release a new album, introducing Thorsten Schwämmle as the new bassist in place of Jörn Genserowski. They appeared at the punk festival in May 2010 and took part in seven festivals throughout August, featuring guest guitarist from , including a performance at in Konstanz. An uncensored broadcast of their AREA4-Festival set was aired on WDR3's Rockpalast in October 2010. Thorsten Schwämmle departed from the group in December 2013.

The band launched Punk gibt's nicht umsonst (Teil III) ("Punk Isn't Free (Part III)") on 13 June 2014, followed by an accompanying tour. Ralf Dietel stepped in as bassist after Schwämmle's exit; nonetheless, bass lines on the album were penned by either Axel Kurth or Schwämmle. The song Unpoliddisch, performed by Axel using a Saxon dialect, had initially been released in 2012 under the alias Total Verboilt. In December 2015, drummer Thomas Guhl left due to family commitments and was succeeded by Alex Stinson from "Start A Fire".

On 21 June 2016, the single Verwesung was unveiled, followed shortly after by Adagio, which debuted at the Amnesia Rockfest in Québec on 25 June. Their album Der was officially released on 12 August 2016.

In 2018, WIZO issued the single "Ich war, ich bin und ich werde sein" ("I was, I am, and I will be"), inspired by a quote from Rosa Luxemburg. During their 2019 Die Schönheit des Verfalls European tour, they further solidified their presence in the market. After a five-year break, they returned with the single "Grauer Brei" on 5 May 2023, followed by the EP Prokrastination on 25 May. Their studio album Nichts Wird Wieder Gut, marking their first release in seven years, came out on 5 December.

Lineup

Throughout most of its existence, the band has predominantly functioned as a power trio.

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Demo Recordings

• Keiner ist kleiner (1988, independently issued cassette)
• Du, Wir Können Doch Gute Freunde Bleiben (1990, independently issued cassette)

Studio Releases

1. für'n Arsch (1991, Hulk Räckorz)
2. Bleib Tapfer (1992, Hulk Räckorz)
3. Uuaarrgh! (1994, Hulk Räckorz)
4. Herrenhandtasche (1995, Hulk Räckorz)
5. Anderster (2004, Hulk Räckorz)
6. Punk gibt's nicht umsonst! (Teil III) (2014, Hulk Räckorz)
7. Der (2016, Hulk Räckorz)
8. Nichts Wird Wieder Gut (2023, Hulk Räckorz)

Collections, Best-ofs, and Live Albums

1. Sterntalern Live in Herrenberg (cassette, 1988)
2. WIZO-Raritäten (MC, fan club exclusive, 1996)
3. Mindhalálig Punk (split release with Aurora) (1994/1997, LMS/Aurora Records)
4. Kraut & Rüben (CD / LP, 1998)

Singles and EPs

• Klebstoff (7", 1991)
• Roy Black ist tot (7", 1992)
• All That She Wants EP (1993)
• Das goldene Stück Scheiße (7", 1994)
• Hey Thomas (Maxi-CD, 1994)
• Doof wie Scheiße (7", 1996)
• Weihnachten stinkt! (split EP with Hi-Standard) (1997)
• Kraut & Rüben EP (1998)
• Stick EP (USB-Stick format, 2004)
• Adagio (MP3 release, 2016)
• Ich war, ich bin und ich werde sein (7" / Digital format, 2018)
• Grauer Brei (Digital release, 2023)

Compilation Appearances

• Peinlich peinlich ist hier alles (cassette, 1989)
• Intoxicate You (cassette, 1990)
• Schlachtrufe BRD II (featuring Kein Gerede – Live, 1992)
• Schön War Die Zeit.... Punk Im Don Quijote 1990-1991 (cassette, 1992)
• Willkommen zur Alptraummelodie (1992)
• Drink Together - Puke Together. More Flogging Pinheads (cassette, 1992)
• Vitaminepillen #3 (1993)
• Bring back the Vinyl (featuring OK Fred, 1994)
• Punk Uprisings (1995)
• Flashing in the pit (1995)
• Vitaminepillen #4 (1995)
• Pogo Strut Slam Swivel and Mosh (1995)
• Survival of the fattest (1995)
• Punk Chartbusters Vol. 2 (1995)
• Partisanen III (1996)
• GötterDÄmmerung - Tribute To The Best Band In The World (featuring Anneliese Schmidt, Ärzte tribute album, 1997)
• Stay Wild! (1997)
• Moto XXX Soundtrack (1998)
• Short Music for Short People (featuring The Count, 1998)
• Fat Music Vol. IV: Life in the fat lane (Fat Wreck Chords, 1999)
• Rock Explosion (2000)
• Fat Music Volume V: Live fat, Die Young (Fat Wreck Chords, 2001)
• Pankerknacker Hörspiel-CD (audiobook format, 2002)
• Fat Music Volume VI: Uncontrollable Fatulance (Fat Wreck Chords, 2002)
• Aggropop Now(2003)
• Punk Rock BRD Vol. 1(Weird System, 2003)
• Nazis Raus!(Weird System, 2004)
• Undercover(2004)
• Punk Rock BRD Vol. 2(Weird System, 2004)
• Rotten Schwuchtel Sampler(Gay Edge Liberation, 2009)
• Wrecktrospective(Fat Wreck Chords, 2009)
• Kein Bock auf Nazis Sampler(free release limited to 30,000 copies, 2014)