Photos of Letz not wearing his usual whiteface on stage have surfaced over the past month and caused a massive misunderstanding among the industrial scene. He has been accused donning blackface and being a racist. As it turns out, "Joe Letz" is actually 34-year-old David Mukembe, a performance artist of Gambian decent.
Said Mukembe, "This has been my greatest piece yet. In disguising myself as a Caucasian, sub-par drummer in a mediocre industrial band, I was able to shine a light on the impending death of industrial music."
Mukembe also made a clarifying statement about his whiteface, " I only disguised myself as an obnoxious white guy in order to blend in. This wouldn't have worked if I'd been one of the five black musicians in the scene. I in no way meant to insult white people or belittle their culture's struggles through history."
Mukembe also apologized for dragging out what was essentially a bad joke for over a decade. He has since left the band, and Combichrist's original drummer, Roland TR-909 has taken his place.
