African Imperial Wizard, an industrial music act, stands exposed. The experimental band Xiu Xiu revealed the shocking truth on November 17, 2025. The performer is actually a middle-aged white man. The group calls it “extreme blackface and a profound level of racist appropriation.”
Pluto TV’s Hidden Movie Section Rivals Premium Services
Korean Netflix Has 200+ Shows US Version Doesn’t Stream
🔥 Quick Facts:
- Xiu Xiu exposed African Imperial Wizard backstage on Nov. 17 at the Hradby Samoty festival in Slovakia
- The artist claims Angolan liberation-war pedigree but is a European white male performing in KKK-inspired robes
- He wears gloves and African-print fabrics to hide his white identity while projecting racist imagery
- All music made with Ableton samples, not authentic cultural recordings
- The band called him a symbol of Western appropriation at its absolute worst
What Happened Backstage at Slovakia Festival
Xiu Xiu performed alongside African Imperial Wizard at Hradby Samoty in Bratislava on November 16. They didn’t know his true identity beforehand. When he came backstage after his set, he took off his hood. What emerged shocked everyone present. A middle-aged European man stood revealed underneath. The project’s entire mythology unraveled in that single moment. His “African” story suddenly seemed impossible to believe. Xiu Xiu decided to expose him publicly through social media.
“African Imperial Wizard is a middle aged white man. We had the extreme displeasure of playing with him last night not knowing who he was until he came back stage and, to our shock, took off his hood. This is extreme black face and a profound level of racist appropriation.”
Netflix reveals economics behind 3-season cancellations as viewership metrics drop
YouTube Premium Originals Nobody Talks About Are Award-Winning
The band described his act as “racist delusion.” His Bandcamp profile claims he founded the project “in the old low town of Luanda.” In reality, it originated in France through his bedroom production setup. He uses Ableton software to create samples that he frames as authentic African recordings. The band condemned his elaborate hoax as deliberate cultural theft disguised as artistic expression.
Why This Represents Cultural Appropriation at Its Worst
Xiu Xiu spelled out exactly why this matters to the music industry. He claims to call “his African brothers” to join him. The website promises involvement in a fictional “pan-African armed struggle.” Meanwhile, everything is fabricated from software samples and racist stereotypes. He even wears gloves to cover his white hands during performances. This level of deception goes beyond normal cultural appropriation. It’s deliberate masking designed to profit from Black and African art while hiding his white identity.
The band compared the situation to an imagined band called “Asian Gestapo.” Would venues book that group? Would music festivals promote white musicians openly mocking Asian culture? The point is crystal clear: this double standard exists and thrives in industrial and experimental music scenes. African Imperial Wizard exploited that blindness. He used racist imagery paired with false African claims to gain credibility. The entire project rests on one premise: nobody would question a man hiding under a hood claiming tribal authority.
His album covers feature stolen stock photography of sacred Xhosa rituals. He uses images of Mursi women holding weapons taken by travel photographers. Every culture vaguely “tribal” gets lumped into his fictional mythology. This isn’t homage. It’s a scavenger hunt for human suffering rebranded as conceptual art. Xiu Xiu called it “incompetently executed appropriation, which is somehow even worse.”
The Project’s Manufactured African Identity
African Imperial Wizard claims to be from Angola representing liberation struggles. His website mentions “voodoo,” “ancestors,” “spirits,” “colonizers,” and “sacred lands” randomly. It’s a “racist Mad Libs generator” according to Paste Magazine. The project mixes unrelated African traditions carelessly. It treats a continent of 54 countries as one monolithic backdrop. His records claim involvement in guerrilla movements across Africa. Behind the hood sat one man in France making beats in Ableton.
| Project Claims | Reality Exposed |
|---|---|
| Founded in Luanda, Angola | Actually created in France, started 2019 |
| Authentic African recordings | 100% Ableton samples |
| Pan-African armed struggle leader | Bedroom producer in hood and gloves |
| “Tribal” ancestral connection | White European man performing costume |
| Honors sacred traditions | Uses stolen sacred ceremony photos |
What Happens Next for Industrial Music Scene
The expose raises serious questions for festival bookers everywhere. How many other artists hide behind hoods and false identities? Which venues failed to vet him properly? The industrial and experimental music world has a racism problem. Xiu Xiu shined a spotlight on that reality. They’ll likely press venues to investigate their lineups more carefully. Booking agents may demand proof of artist backgrounds. The industrial community must now confront questions it’s avoided for years.
- Expect increased scrutiny of hooded performers at festivals
- Music venues will likely implement stricter artist vetting procedures
- Discussions about racism in experimental music will intensify
- Other questionable acts may face similar exposure from artists and fans
- Cultural appropriation conversations will continue across music genres
The incident also raises awareness about how racism operates in plain sight. A man can wear a hooded robe, claim African heritage, and book festival slots. Nobody questions it until someone actually sees who’s underneath. That’s the systemic failure here. The hood itself became permission to avoid scrutiny. Festival organizers and audiences enabled the deception through lack of accountability and oversight mechanisms.
How Does a White Man Get Away With This?
Perhaps the most disturbing question is: how did this work for so long? African Imperial Wizard performed multiple shows before getting caught. The project existed since 2019. For years, industrial music venues apparently accepted his story uncritically. His music appeared on Bandcamp. Festivals booked him. Music journalists covered him. Nobody verified his claims or demanded he remove his hood.
This reveals how Western institutions systematically fail to account for cultural theft. The music world prioritizes “authenticity” in artistic concepts while ignoring the actual identity of performers. A man claiming an African persona gets welcomed while African artists themselves often struggle for representation. Xiu Xiu‘s statement questions this contradiction directly. They asked: would this work for any other appropriative project? The answer is probably yes, which is the real problem. The industrial music scene tolerated obvious racism and called it artistic freedom. That era must end now.
Sources
- Paste Magazine – Comprehensive breakdown of the project’s fabricated mythology and racist appropriation
- The Needle Drop – Coverage of Xiu Xiu’s Instagram statement and full context
- Instagram/Xiu Xiu – Official statement from the experimental band on November 17, 2025
Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.