PIG (band)
Encyclopedia
Raymond Watts is the founding and sole member of the post-industrial music project PIG, sometimes written as
Watts was an early member and periodic collaborator of KMFDM
, and has been a visible part of the industrial music scene since the early 1980s. He has toured with KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails
, Schaft
, Schwein
, and Einstürzende Neubauten
.
According to the official website, PIG is currently in the studio recording a new album. Raymond Watts, Dr. Shinto
& John Gosling released a 4 song EP Titled Mellan Rummen on November 15, 2010 on Amazon.com
beats. His album and song titles tend to be witty, rife with alliteration
("Prayer Praise & Profit") or are plays on the titles of popular works or phrases (The Swining
/ "Symphony for the Devil"). He also manages to work food or pork related terms into his albums. Like KMFDM, humor features prominently in PIG's lyrics, although they tend towards a darker/grittier tone than KMFDM's.
in 1984, and has a heavy presence on their 1995 album Nihil
, which spawned the hit "Juke Joint Jezebel
". A collaborative EP titled Sin Sex & Salvation
was released in 1994 under the moniker "PIG vs. KMFDM". KMFDM has in turn assisted Watts with his PIG projects in production and personnel. Current KMFDM guitarists Steve White
and Jules Hodgson
(as well as former KMFDM guitarist Günter Schulz)
and drummer Andy Selway
have been involved with PIG. Watts has performed with KMFDM as part of the touring lineup, with the concerts billed as "KMFDM featuring PIG". The setlists for those shows feature KMFDM songs alongside Pig songs. A live CD from the 2002 "Sturm & Drang" tour was released on Metropolis Records
that same year.
Watts was given a tongue-in-cheek description in the lyrics to the KMFDM song "Intro" from the 2003 album WWIII
:
and avant-garde
artists, receiving credits as PIG and Raymond Watts interchangeably. He has also been credited as "Nainz Watts" or "Nains Watts" on several early releases.
, where he enjoyed considerably more success than in the United States and United Kingdom, but some of those albums were eventually released in the US.
In 2004 he signed to Grand Recordings for distribution in the UK, under the name "Watts".
in questionable quality. The video for Arbor Vitate is actually a re-cut version of the Schaft
video of the same song.
Watts was an early member and periodic collaborator of KMFDM
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
, and has been a visible part of the industrial music scene since the early 1980s. He has toured with KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Schaft
Schaft
Schaft is a Japanese musical side project whose main members are Fujii Maki of Soft Ballet and Hisashi Imai of Buck-Tick. Schaft can be thought of as being a supergroup in that Maki and Imai form the core of the group and a rotating roster of collaborators, who are well-known within their genres,...
, Schwein
Schwein
Schwein is a music group comprising members of Buck-Tick, KMFDM, and PIG. Members Raymond Watts and Hisashi Imai , both having worked together in Schaft, were joined by Atsushi Sakurai , Sascha Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli...
, and Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten is a German post-industrial band, originally from West Berlin, formed in 1980. The group currently comprises Blixa Bargeld , Alexander Hacke , N.U...
.
According to the official website, PIG is currently in the studio recording a new album. Raymond Watts, Dr. Shinto
Dr. Shinto
Damien Shinto is a psychiatrist, musician, film director and multi-artist from Greenland.He has released music films and books in collaboration with artists, writers and actors like Raymond Watts , Cora Watson and Daniel Watson .In 2010 he contributed with music, art and text to the project...
& John Gosling released a 4 song EP Titled Mellan Rummen on November 15, 2010 on Amazon.com
Style
PIG tends to sound more orchestral than KMFDM, with darker, more complex, more ambientAmbient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
beats. His album and song titles tend to be witty, rife with alliteration
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
("Prayer Praise & Profit") or are plays on the titles of popular works or phrases (The Swining
The Swining
The Swining is a 1993 album released by Raymond Watts . It was released exclusively in Japan, being re-released in the United States by Cleopatra Records in 1999 as part of The Swining/Red Raw & Sore. Music videos for the songs "The Fountain of Miracles" and "The Seven Veils" were filmed but remain...
/ "Symphony for the Devil"). He also manages to work food or pork related terms into his albums. Like KMFDM, humor features prominently in PIG's lyrics, although they tend towards a darker/grittier tone than KMFDM's.
Collaboration with KMFDM
Because Raymond Watts is a central figure in both PIG and KMFDM, the two projects have seen much crossover. Watts has contributed his skills as a songwriter and vocalist to several KMFDM albums, including their first album OpiumOpium (album)
-Personnel:All information from KMFDM.net.*Sascha Konietzko*Raymond Watts*Ton Geist...
in 1984, and has a heavy presence on their 1995 album Nihil
Nihil
Nihil is the eighth album by the German industrial rock band KMFDM, released in 1995. It was recorded in Seattle, Washington. It sold over 120,000 copies....
, which spawned the hit "Juke Joint Jezebel
Juke Joint Jezebel
"Juke Joint Jezebel" is a song by industrial rock group KMFDM from their 1995 album Nihil. It is KMFDM's most widely known song to date, with around three million copies of the song sold in various forms.-History:...
". A collaborative EP titled Sin Sex & Salvation
Sin Sex & Salvation
Sin Sex & Salvation , is an EP released by KMFDM and Raymond Watts . The artist for it is usually listed as KMFDM vs. PIG.- Track listing :All tracks written by Raymond Watts, Sascha Konietzko and Svet Am.-Personnel:*PIG:...
was released in 1994 under the moniker "PIG vs. KMFDM". KMFDM has in turn assisted Watts with his PIG projects in production and personnel. Current KMFDM guitarists Steve White
Steve White (guitarist)
Steve White is an English guitarist for KMFDM, first joining the band in 2002 for the Sturm & Drang Tour, and later appearing on several live albums/DVDs and the studio albums Hau Ruck, Tohuvabohu and Blitz . Previously he was a member of PIG, the project of fellow KMFDM contributor Raymond Watts....
and Jules Hodgson
Jules Hodgson
Jules Hodgson, also credited as Joolz or J. Hogstorm, is the guitarist for KMFDM, an industrial band, and The Spittin' Cobras . He is a former member of PIG and Lodestar. In 2006, Hodgson married pin-up model Go-go Amy and divorced in 2008. Jules now resides in Seattle, Washington...
(as well as former KMFDM guitarist Günter Schulz)
and drummer Andy Selway
Andy Selway
KMFDM drummer Andy Selway spent his early years in Luton, England, but moved to Kirton near Felixstowe in Suffolk where he remained until his early 20s...
have been involved with PIG. Watts has performed with KMFDM as part of the touring lineup, with the concerts billed as "KMFDM featuring PIG". The setlists for those shows feature KMFDM songs alongside Pig songs. A live CD from the 2002 "Sturm & Drang" tour was released on Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the post-industrial field such as electro-industrial, synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and gothic musical genres....
that same year.
Watts was given a tongue-in-cheek description in the lyrics to the KMFDM song "Intro" from the 2003 album WWIII
WWIII (album)
WWIII is KMFDM's thirteenth studio album. It follows the common KMFDM practice of naming albums with five-letter words. This is KMFDM's only release on Sanctuary Records. Lyrically, the album is very political. The songs primarily attack George W. Bush's presidency, various US wars in the Middle...
:
-
- The Lord of Lard, the Mighty Swine
- He loves ManchegoManchego cheeseManchego is a cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain from the milk of sheep of the Manchega breed, which is aged for between 60 days and two years....
and a bottle of wine - Also known as Raymond Watts,
- He screams out his lungs while his brain slowly rots!
Other collaborations
Watts has worked with several industrialIndustrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
and avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
artists, receiving credits as PIG and Raymond Watts interchangeably. He has also been credited as "Nainz Watts" or "Nains Watts" on several early releases.
- From 1984 to 1986 Watts was sound engineer for Mona MurMona MurMona Mur is a German vocalist - born Sabine Bredy in Hamburg to Polish parents, 1960.In 1982 she first collaborated with FM Einheit, Marc Chung, and Alex Hacke, all of Einstürzende Neubauten. As "Mona Mur und die Mieter " they recorded the 12" Jeszcze Polska...
. - From 1985 to 1989 Watts was a sound engineer for Einstürzende NeubautenEinstürzende NeubautenEinstürzende Neubauten is a German post-industrial band, originally from West Berlin, formed in 1980. The group currently comprises Blixa Bargeld , Alexander Hacke , N.U...
. - Watts has occasionally collaborated with J. G. ThirlwellJ. G. ThirlwellJames George Thirlwell , aka Clint Ruin, aka Frank Want, aka Foetus, is an Australian vocalist, composer and record producer...
, briefly playing bass in FoetusFoetus (band)Foetus is the primary musical outlet of industrial music pioneer J. G. Thirlwell. Until 1995 the band underwent various name changes, all including the word foetus. Monikers adopted at different times include Foetus Under Glass, You've Got Foetus On Your Breath and Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel...
Corruptus and co-writing songs for Steroid MaximusSteroid MaximusSteroid Maximus is an instrumental side project of J.G. Thirlwell. Thirlwell is best known for his main band, Foetus. Steroid Maximus contains elements of jazz, big band, avant-garde, soundtrack and exotica styles.-History:...
on the album Gondwanaland. Thirlwell, in turn, has cowritten and remixed songs for PIG. - Watts recorded music for ex-girlfriend spoken-word artist SowSow (band)Sow is the musical project of Anna Wildsmith. Raymond Watts, for a time Wildsmith's boyfriend, was also heavily involved in the production of the major releases.-Style:Most tracks are primarily spoken word supported by experimental industrial soundscapes....
(born Anna Wildsmith)'s 1994 album Je M'AimeJe M'AimeJe M'Aime is a studio album by Sow released in 1994 and re-released in 1999. Je M'Aime is the first major release of Sow.-Releases:*Hyperium Records #39100932 42 - CD, 1994*Invisible Records #INV 144 CD - CD, 1999 -Track listing:...
and again for her 1998 album SickSick (Sow album)Sick is the second studio album by Sow released in 1998. This album spawned no singles. At this time Sow comprises Anna Wildsmith with "Boys", where the Boys are Raymond Watts, Euphonic, Sascha Konietzko, Hoppy Kamiyama & Optical 8, Martin King, and Günter Schulz.-Releases:*Invisible Records #INV...
. The former was reissued under the name "Pig/Sow" in 1999. - PIG's 1995 album SinsationSinsationSinsation is an album by PIG released in Japan in 1995. It was later released in the United States on Nothing Records on September 17, 1996...
was released in the US on Trent Reznor'sTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
label Nothing RecordsNothing RecordsNothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by John Malm Jr. and Trent Reznor in 1992...
. PIG also toured with Reznor's band Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
in the UK. - Japanese-based band SchaftSchaftSchaft is a Japanese musical side project whose main members are Fujii Maki of Soft Ballet and Hisashi Imai of Buck-Tick. Schaft can be thought of as being a supergroup in that Maki and Imai form the core of the group and a rotating roster of collaborators, who are well-known within their genres,...
employed Watts as a lyricist/vocalist for the 1994 album SwitchbladeSwitchblade (album)Switchblade is a 1994 album by Schaft. A promotional video for the song Arbor Vitate was filmed, and was later re-used by PIG for their version of the song.-Track listing:# "Olive" – 5:04# "The Hero Inside" – 4:01# "Thirsty Fly" – 6:27...
and companion remix collection SwitchSwitch (EP)Switch is a 1994 remix EP by Schaft. Switch is a companion release to Switchblade, which is where the original versions of the remixes come from.-Track listing:# "Arbor Vitate " – 5:03# "Cold Light " – 5:31...
. - In 2001, Watts and KMFDM frontman Sascha KonietzkoSascha KonietzkoSascha Konietzko , also known as Sascha K and Käpt'n K, is a German musician and producer. He is the founder, frontman, and "anchor" of industrial rock band KMFDM. Konietzko jokingly purports himself to be the father of industrial rock...
teamed up with Japanese musicians Sakurai Atsushi and Imai Hisashi (also of Schaft and Buck-TickBuck-TickBuck-Tick is a rock band formed in 1983 in Fujioka, Japan. The band has consisted of Atsushi Sakurai , Hisashi Imai , Hidehiko Hoshino , Yutaka Higuchi and Toll Yagami for the majority of its existence...
) to form the project super group SchweinSchweinSchwein is a music group comprising members of Buck-Tick, KMFDM, and PIG. Members Raymond Watts and Hisashi Imai , both having worked together in Schaft, were joined by Atsushi Sakurai , Sascha Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli...
. SchweinSchweinSchwein is a music group comprising members of Buck-Tick, KMFDM, and PIG. Members Raymond Watts and Hisashi Imai , both having worked together in Schaft, were joined by Atsushi Sakurai , Sascha Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli...
released two albums SchweinsteinSchweinstein-Personnel:* Sakurai Atsushi – vocals* Imai Hisashi – guitar* Raymond Watts – vocals, programming, guitar* Sascha Konietzko – vocals, programming* Lucia Cifarelli – vocals* Jules Hodgson – guitar* Chris Ignatiou – guitar* Julian Beeston – programming...
and Son of SchweinsteinSon of SchweinsteinSon of Schweinstein is a remix EP by Schwein. Released following Schweinstein, Son of Schweinstein features remixes of tracks found on Schweinstein.-Track listing:...
; the latter being remixes from the first. - Watts has also provided production, mixing, remixing, and/or vocals for Psychic TVPsychic TVPsychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
, ChemlabChemlabChemlab is a coldwave and industrial rock band formed in Washington D.C., USA, in 1989 by Dylan Thomas More, Joe Frank , and Jared Louche . Influenced by the pioneers of the industrial genre, such as Throbbing Gristle, Chemlab mixed experimental sounds with rock and metal, which they dubbed...
, Haloblack, 2-Kut, Hoodlum Priest, Steroid MaximusSteroid MaximusSteroid Maximus is an instrumental side project of J.G. Thirlwell. Thirlwell is best known for his main band, Foetus. Steroid Maximus contains elements of jazz, big band, avant-garde, soundtrack and exotica styles.-History:...
, H3llb3nt, The Hit ParadeThe Hit ParadeThe Hit Parade is a British pop music group, based in London, England. Named after the NBC US television programme, Your Hit Parade, which was broadcast across America in the 1950s as a showcase of the best of chart music, The Hit Parade was formed in 1984, by three schoolfriends Raymond Watts,...
, Brain Drive, Buck-TickBuck-TickBuck-Tick is a rock band formed in 1983 in Fujioka, Japan. The band has consisted of Atsushi Sakurai , Hisashi Imai , Hidehiko Hoshino , Yutaka Higuchi and Toll Yagami for the majority of its existence...
, D.I.E., Sakurai Atsushi, Sprung Aus Den WolkenSprung Aus Den WolkenSprung Aus Den Wolken is a German musical group based out of Berlin, part of Berlin's underground music movement of the 1980s - sometimes referred to as the "Geniale Dilletanten" movement by Blixa Bargeld of Einstürzende Neubauten...
, The Megaton Men, MortiisMortiisMortiis is a band from Notodden, Norway fronted by Håvard Ellefsen, who is also known as the namesake of the band. The name is a misspelling of the word 'mortis', which is the pronunciation used by the band. However, Mortiis started as the solo project of Ellefsen as a means to convey a story...
, Judda, and Zos Kia. - Watts contributed an original composition to the soundtrack of the computer game MDK2MDK2MDK2 is a video game and sequel to the third-person shooter, MDK. The original MDK was developed by Shiny Entertainment and released in 1997 by Interplay. The sequel was developed by BioWare....
. It plays on the title screen and one of Max's levels. http://raymondwatts.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=projects&action=display&thread=1133155860&page=1
Discography (partial)
Several of his albums were originally released in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he enjoyed considerably more success than in the United States and United Kingdom, but some of those albums were eventually released in the US.
In 2004 he signed to Grand Recordings for distribution in the UK, under the name "Watts".
Studio albums
- A Poke in the Eye... With a Sharp Stick (1988)
- Praise the LardPraise the LardPraise the Lard, a record album by PIG , was initially released on Concrete Records in 1991 and re-released by Cleopatra Records in 1997....
(1991) - The SwiningThe SwiningThe Swining is a 1993 album released by Raymond Watts . It was released exclusively in Japan, being re-released in the United States by Cleopatra Records in 1999 as part of The Swining/Red Raw & Sore. Music videos for the songs "The Fountain of Miracles" and "The Seven Veils" were filmed but remain...
(1993) – Japan only release; reissued in 1999 in America on The Swining/Red Raw & SoreThe Swining/Red Raw & SoreThe Swining/Red Raw & Sore is an album by Raymond Watts . The Swining/Red Raw & Sore is the American release of The Swining and Red Raw & Sore by Cleopatra Records...
(1999) - SinsationSinsationSinsation is an album by PIG released in Japan in 1995. It was later released in the United States on Nothing Records on September 17, 1996...
(1995) – US release in 1996 - WreckedWreckedWrecked is a 1996 album released by Raymond Watts . Wrecked was originally released in Japan in 1996, and was later released in the United States on September 16, 1997 by Wax Trax/TVT Records. Each release is different, with different track run times, as well as different tracks present. A...
(1996) – US release; Japanese release in 1997 has somewhat different track listing - Genuine American MonsterGenuine American MonsterGenuine American Monster is an album by Raymond Watts, under the name PIG. It was initially released in Japan in 1999, and did not see a release in the United States until 2002 October 22 on Metropolis Records...
(1999) – US release in 2002 - PigmartyrPigmartyrPigmartyr is an album by Raymond Watts, a.k.a. PIG. This was the first album he signed as "Watts" instead of "PIG". The First copies Pigmartyr (2004) is an album by Raymond Watts, a.k.a. PIG. This was the first album he signed as "Watts" instead of "PIG". The First copies Pigmartyr (2004) is an...
(2004) – UK only release, using the "Watts" name. - PigmataPigmata-Track listing:# "Suck Spit Shit" – 5:29# "Here To Stay" – 3:31# "Reject" – 3:51# "Situation" – 3:38# "Kundalini" – 5:46# "Vitriol Vice and Virtue" – 5:15# "Take" – 5:01# "Arbor Vitate" – 4:33...
(2005) – remastered version of PigmartyrPigmartyrPigmartyr is an album by Raymond Watts, a.k.a. PIG. This was the first album he signed as "Watts" instead of "PIG". The First copies Pigmartyr (2004) is an album by Raymond Watts, a.k.a. PIG. This was the first album he signed as "Watts" instead of "PIG". The First copies Pigmartyr (2004) is an...
, using the "PIG" name, with three additional tracks.
EPs
- A Stroll in the PorkA Stroll in the PorkA Stroll in the Pork is a 1992 EP released by Raymond Watts Originally released in the United States by Concrete Records and in the United Kingdom by Contempo Records. Re-released in 1998 in Japan by Blue Noise Records.-UK Version:...
(1992) - Hello Hooray
- Red Raw & SoreRed Raw & SoreRed Raw & Sore is a 1994 EP released by Raymond Watts . Released exclusively in Japan, Red Raw & Sore contains two original tracks, "Red Raw & Sore" and "One Meatball", as well as three remixes of songs from The Swining, "Rope", "Blades" and "The Fountain of Miracles"...
(1994) – Japan only release; reissued in 1999 in America on The Swining/Red Raw & Sore (1999) - Sin Sex & SalvationSin Sex & SalvationSin Sex & Salvation , is an EP released by KMFDM and Raymond Watts . The artist for it is usually listed as KMFDM vs. PIG.- Track listing :All tracks written by Raymond Watts, Sascha Konietzko and Svet Am.-Personnel:*PIG:...
(as PIG vs KMFDM) (1994) – collaborative EP with KMFDM - PainiacPainiacPainiac is a 1995 EP released by Raymond Watts . Painiac has only ever been released in Japan. The version of the song that appears on this single is that of an earlier recording than the version that appears on Sinsation.-Track listing:...
(1995) – Japan only release - Prime Evil (1997) – Japan only release
- No One Gets Out of Her AliveNo One Gets Out of Her AliveNo One Gets Out of Her Alive is a 1998 EP by PIG.-Track listing:# "No One Gets Out of Her Alive" – 5:53# "Jump the Gun" – 5:14# "Contempt" – 4:31...
(1998) – Japan only release - Disrupt Degrade & DevastateDisrupt Degrade & DevastateDisrupt Degrade & Devastate is a 1999 EP released by Raymond Watts . It features two new tracks, "Disrupt Degrade & Devastate" and "Flesh Fest", as well as a remix of each track and live versions of the songs "Everything" and "The Only Good One's a Dead One", both from Wrecked-Track listing:#...
(1999) – Japan only release
Singles
- "Never For Fun" (1988)
- "Sick City" / "Shit for Brains"Sick CitySick City , a 12" maxi record release of PIG, was released on Potomak in 1989. J. G. Thirlwell as well as John Caffery were heavily involved in this record.-Track listing:# "Sick City" – 4:58...
(1989) - "Shit for Brains" – Germany only release
- "The Fountain of Miracles" (1993)
Music videos
Several music videos have been filmed, but most remain unreleased outside of Japan. Most videos have surfaced online on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in questionable quality. The video for Arbor Vitate is actually a re-cut version of the Schaft
Schaft
Schaft is a Japanese musical side project whose main members are Fujii Maki of Soft Ballet and Hisashi Imai of Buck-Tick. Schaft can be thought of as being a supergroup in that Maki and Imai form the core of the group and a rotating roster of collaborators, who are well-known within their genres,...
video of the same song.
- Shit for Brains (1988)
- The Fountain of Miracles (1993)
- The Seven Veils (1993)
- Painiac (1995)
- Everything (1996)
- Arbor Vitate (2004)
External links
- Official PIG Website The official Raymond Watts/PIG website
- Raymond Watts Fan Site Includes bios, discographies of PIG/KMFDM/side projects, interviews, lyrics, photos, wallpapers, news, forums, and an online radio station.
- The Complete Pig Discography The most complete online list of Raymond Watts's releases.
- Pigspace Raymond Watts on MySpace
- Metropolis Records website