Photo by E Gabriel Edvy
For decades, Raymond Watts, the ‘Lord of Lard,’ has been a pivotal figure in the industrial music landscape, carving out a unique space with his bold and eclectic creativity. His legendary collaborations with industrial titans like Einstürzende Neubauten, KMFDM, and Psychic TV plunged him into Europe’s avant-garde and experimental scenes, setting the stage for his own groundbreaking work.
In the mid-1980s, Watts launched PIG, a project that unleashed a series of albums fusing abrasive industrial beats with darkly satirical lyrics and theatrical elements. This distinctive blend of electronic, rock, and classical influences forged a sound both brutal and sophisticated.
Watts’ unmistakable voice and provocative stage presence make him a magnetic live performer, often appearing in elaborate costumes to deliver intense, dramatic shows. His role in shaping KMFDM’s early sound underscores his influence and versatility. Beyond music, Watts has delved into visual arts and multimedia, tackling themes of decadence, corruption, and the human condition with a mix of dark humor and incisive social commentary. Watts has also written music for fashion houses, including like Chloe, Marios Schwab, Halston and The Row, as well as creating the sound design for the exhibition ‘Punk: Chaos to Couture’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Today, Raymond Watts and PIG unleash their latest beast, Red Room. This audacious album teases, taunts, tempts, and tantalizes with PIG’s unique fusion of hook-laden, genre-bending, electronic-tinged rock ‘n’ roll. It brims with malevolent reverence, glitz, glamour, sleaze, sin, and swing. It’s a decadent delight, a fierce feast of sound and fury, dripping with Watts’ signature style and sardonic wit.
The first single from PIG’s latest album, Crumbs, Chaos & Lies, is a ferocious, growling juggernaut of a track. Its lyrics paint a grim picture of society, saturated with deceit, division, and domination. People are portrayed as dogs, subjugated and subservient, their compliance ensured through manipulation. Themes of chaos, lies, and contempt permeate, presenting a stark reality, while the refrain “life’s a bitch until the day you die” hammers home a relentless, inescapable struggle. Alexis Mincolla (3Teeth) makes a cameo.
Watch the video for “Crumbs Chaos & Lies” below:
Guest appearances on Red Room include Chris Hall (Stabbing Westward), Jim Davies (The Prodigy, Pitchshifter), along with the PIG Choir: Chris Connelly (Revco, Ministry), Emily Kavanaugh (Night Club), I Ya Toyah, Marc Heal (Cubanate) and Burton C Bell (Fear Factory), En Esch, Susannah Doyle, Anita Kyoda, Mark Alan Griffiths, Mike Watts, Jimmy Livingstone, and more.
The album is out via Metropolis Records. Stream and purchase below:
Catch PIG live in the US this autumn:
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