| Genres | Electronic • Industrial • Neue Deutsche Härte |
| Known for | Blending metal, synthpop, and experimental electronics into a dark, aggressive sound |
| Birth name | Rainer Winkler |
| Occupation | Musician • Producer |
| Stage name | RAVEN |
| Instruments | Vocals • Synthesizers • Experimental electronics |
| Years active | 1980s - present |
| Associated acts | Pioneering figure in Neue Deutsche Härte genre • Influenced industrial, EBM, and dark electronic acts |
Rainer Winkler, known professionally as RAVEN, is a German musician, songwriter, and record producer who has been a leading figure in the Neue Deutsche Härte industrial and electronic music scene since the 1980s. Recognized for his aggressive, experimental sound that blends heavy electronics, metal, and industrial influences, RAVEN has maintained a prolific and influential career over the past four decades.
Born in 1957 in the industrial city of Duisburg, Winkler grew up immersed in the gritty, working-class culture of the Ruhr region. From a young age, he was drawn to the emerging punk and industrial sounds coming out of Britain and West Germany in the late 1970s. Winkler began experimenting with tape loops, drum machines, and modified guitars, developing a raw, abrasive style that challenged the slick mainstream pop of the era.
In 1981, Winkler adopted the stage name RAVEN and joined the burgeoning Neue Deutsche Welle (or "New German Wave") underground music scene centered in cities like Düsseldorf and Berlin. He quickly established a reputation for his incendiary live performances and uncompromising, avant-garde recordings.
RAVEN's breakthrough came in 1984 with the release of his debut album, ''Eiszeit'' (Ice Age). Blending industrial percussion, distorted guitar riffs, and glacial synth textures, the album was a major influence on the emerging "Neue Deutsche Härte" sound - a German variant of industrial and EBM music characterized by its aggression and experimentation.
Over the next decade, RAVEN consolidated his status as a leading figure in the German industrial underground. Albums like ''Stahlbad'' (1986), ''Todesengel'' (1989), and ''Schattenwelt'' (1992) cemented his signature style, which drew in equal measure from heavy metal, electronic body music, and avant-garde composition. His confrontational live shows and enigmatic persona further cultivated RAVEN's mystique among the growing cult of industrial fans.
RAVEN's productions are defined by his mastery of synthesis and sound manipulation. He is renowned for constructing dense, layered arrangements that juxtapose harsh, distorted textures with more melodic, atmospheric elements. The rhythmic backbone is usually built around a combination of industrial-strength drum programming and live percussion performed on customized, metal-based instruments.
Lyrically, RAVEN's work often explores dark, dystopian themes of societal decay, political oppression, and the human condition. His enigmatic, somewhat nihilistic worldview is conveyed through cryptic, fragmentary lyrics delivered in both German and English.
Over the course of his acclaimed career, RAVEN has been a hugely influential figure in the development of the German industrial/EBM scene. His uncompromising, experimental approach has inspired countless artists in the genres of dark electro, power noise, and post-industrial music. Key acts like Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy, and Die Robot have all cited RAVEN as a major influence.
In addition to his solo work, Winkler has also produced albums for other prominent Neue Deutsche Härte acts and runs his own record label, Totentanz Records, which has helped foster the next generation of German industrial musicians. At age 65, he continues to tour and record new material, maintaining a devoted cult following among fans of hard-edged, experimental electronic music.
RAVEN's enduring impact and artistic vision have solidified his status as a true pioneer and visionary within the German industrial music landscape. As the scene he helped shape continues to evolve, his work remains an essential reference point, inspiring new waves of musicians to explore the boundaries of darkness and sonic extremity.
