GothicWorld Interview 2002
(Bad English Translation)

"An Alien in Japan"

Raymond Watts and PIG are in Europe as far as possible a blank sheet. Differently it looks however, if one brings names such as Foetus, Einstuezende new buildings or KMFDM in the play, with which the native Britisher had its fingers more or less intensively in the play and partially also today still has. Above all its co-operation with KMFDM might have to be called here. Its own projects PIG and pig however are here only Insidern a term, contrary to Japan, where Watts among absolute superstar of the experimental Electro and Industrialszene ranks, so that it lived and worked during a longer period also in Tokyo than strangers under strangers. One of the results of this work is the album "Genuine American monster", which was originally already published in Japan 1999, then of Watts due to its multiple obligations in oblivion turned out perfectly, until its American label Metropolis remembered this album and asked for the Lizenzierung for the USA and Europe.

God is thanks, must one mark, because "Genuine American monster" is an unbelievably intensive and multilayered album, which interconnects many different influences and even three years after its publication still very freshly and innovatively works. Raymond Watts, a very talk-blessed and pleasant interlocutor, was therefore also very much surprised of the offer of the disk company to publish the album come meanwhile into oblivion and to promoten:

Raymond: That is indeed very amusing. I published and was afterwards immediately into other projects involved the album at that time. Since I am very chaotic however really badly organized and to the part and also no manager have, I have simply forget and moving that I was in the possession of the rights for the remainder of the world for this album. I was with pig, my other project busily, which is in Japan a correctly large thing with a Deal with BMG and a large tour, then following with KMFDM and "Attak", I became the second time father, had me separated and than I from the KMFDM US route again home came, asked me someone that with "Genuine American monster" and a possible publication outside of Japan would be. There I became its only at all again consciously. First I did not know also at all to begin so quite somewhat thereby, up to the day, when Eric Burton of Public propaganda called me, which I could not do up to then at all, and it communicated to me that they would be the responsible person graduation company for Germany. It is to be talked therefore already somewhat amusingly for me about this album. As far as I remember, the album is however completely useful (laughs)

GW: That can be underlined only, above all if one on unusual sound experiments and electronic Songs with Latin influences stand like "Salambo" or "Fleshfest", which break out of the otherwise closely put borders of the Electro category.

Raymond: I already made such things partially on my earlier albums, where I experimented with influences from Blues, Mambo or of Big of volume. That is therefore for me somewhat whole usual, even if the album, on which I work at present, will fail stylistic perhaps somewhat less eklektisch and less versatile. Naturally this that one finds many very different styles on an album, means what the critics finds naturally mad, but something confuses Programmacher with the radio, which arrange a program and selects only certain TRACKS, since it is not to be fastened stylistic. Perhaps you may call the album Industrial album, that are however not real it. You somehow find all possible influences on the album.

GW: The designation PIGs as Industrial is based undoubtedly on the musical courseness of Watts and its work with KMFDM, the German Punk legend downward, Foetus and naturally the collapsing new buildings.

Raymond: Yes, which is correct. I played also downward even a tour, on which we made the support for Johnny Thunders, before it deceased. That is already for a long time ago, even before we began with KMFDM.

GW: One seem obvious: Raymond Watts argued with its artistic work always new and in its style and strength extreme musical kinds of play and developed a fascination of plumbing borders and of exceeding these.

Raymond: I do not know whether one can call extreme, because for me that is natural a completely normal affair. When I pulled there in the eighties to Germany and also be enough for time had spent, I liked the music, which went off in such a way at that time. I long years in Berlin and Hamburg lived and liked volume such as jump from the clouds or the skin, which more interesting I found than, what in London did so in music at that time. I could not make friends myself also politically with that, which went off in such a way at that time in England and it found therefore really interesting in Germany to live. I would not say that what I had made at that time would have been extreme. It was to be gone for me simply normally raus on the stage to experiment and to redefine the musical borders. That was at that time also very much accepted. In addition it came that the meal, the beer and the life were generally better. The dwellings were speed limiting on the motorways, that were more cleanly, only the only one, which really disturbed me (laughs). I was busy however never only with a project or volume.

GW: Interesting with the fact surely it is that what thereby earned itself his first musikalkischen sporen at a time, which is to be surely ranked most coining/shaping phases related to the German music scene, among the most exciting and following generations.

Raymond: The new buildings were very exciting volume at the time, appeared to us only at that time that, what we made, not at all so extremely. For us it was to be been the feeling at the right time in the correct place. When I went out of personal reasons of Germany out of again back to England, then I had taken naturally also certain things and characteristics of the German culture and the daily life with. Afterwards I lived long time in Tokyo, because I wanted to absolutely experience an extreme cultural difference. I had to accept also difficulties the life in London again, after I had spent as much time of my life with interesting artists in Germany. I returned at that time from family reasons to London, me however with my artistic work in the environment of London simply not probably felt. Thus I went there very to much to Japan and with Japanese musicians and disk companies worked, a set of tours there played and me as "Alien" within the Japanese society and Tokyo very much better felt, than in London.

GW: Japan is to today still us Europeans an unknown, often very contradictory and paradox country. How does one feel as a foreigner in such a strange and appearing frequently incomprehensible culture area? How did co-operation with the Japanese music industry run?

Raymond: The life in Japan is already very strange. The music, which is produced in Japan, is a copy its that is published here. On the other side become musicians, who admire very driven off, experimental and extreme music to publish, much. I have over all the years try the people in to interest, which I make with Pig. Disk companies or managements knew here to begin simply nothing thereby since the whole was too driven off for them. It was neither Metal nor was it Dance music and from therefore for the disk companies simply not to be handlen. In Japan that was completely different and my music completely normally. There I had immediately the full financial support, also in marketing-technical regard. Everything was organized, begun by production up to the videos, and that really first-class. I could go at any time to the disk companies and present new projects such as pig or Shaft, projects the KMFDM similarly, but were still more extreme, and the people came to the Shows and the thing took care of, while European disk companies thereby knew to begin nothing. That was perhaps the principal reason, why I had felt there very well. On the other side liked I in addition, the cultural life and the fact that everything is so strange. It was also to successes a beautiful feeling back to Europe to come there without someone knew, who I am.

GW: Do the Japanese go in principle differently, perhaps more unabashedly, toward one, in order to achieve certain things together? Does the respect, which is brought to one there, of the attention, which one experiences in Europe, differ?

Raymond: There are some things, which are very many more pleasant on business level. You discuss certain things, hand to your partner afterwards the hand and drink a Sake and know that the 120,000 $-deal without any lawyers and managers over the table goes. One trusts each other very much more. On the other side is it in addition, like that the fact that you, if because of the soil is remain also lying there. Which concerns the public, then it is opposite very unlocked to new influences. The European public is there in its expectation attitude very many more conservative. I find, the Japanese public am a very grateful public. I like Japan however not because I am respected there more than in Europe. I find it there simply more interesting, particularly since there is also a large coalition between the feeling to feel as stranger there well and the fact that it is really very strange now times. That is very difficult to describe. It is to be undertaken fascinatingly steps in a society, which is still in such a manner conservatively coined/shaped, in addition, very openly in relation to new things. Everything in Japan seems to contradict themselves or be paradoxical. Meanwhile the world grew together so closely. You can go into a GAP Shop into London or Sydney, and everything is alike. But in Japan that is nevertheless still very strange, even if the things look similar as here in Europe. Culturally Japan is still unusually different.

GW: Raymond WattS lived Berlin, Tokyo or also the USA in London, which a constant unrest and Unrast as well as the urge suggest to learn to know new cultures and new humans. Where however does it feel now at home?

Raymond: (hesitates)? that is an interesting question. When I getourt the last mark two and a half months in the USA, lived my wife and I straight in divorce. I possess a house in London, where she lives with my children, and I had to state at one time for the end of the route that I did not have at home, where I can return to completion of the route. I had to go thus somewhere differently and I stated there that I had the feeling to never have really a at home. Even as a child I have to never know the feeling had, where mine at home is. Therefore I feel perhaps also so well at strange places. The feeling to be bound to a place makes fear for me.

GW: We come on the album to speak. Who or which is the "Genuine American monster"?

Raymond: I do not know at all so exactly. I was afraid, perhaps always of America, because I never understood it correctly. Humans, the wrong view of things, the misunderstandings, the missing understanding? by the whole tours and the large distances in the USA I have naturally also great, hospitable and splendourful humans become acquainted with, who were however nevertheless on the other side always very argwoehnisch, very stupidly, very bigott and very dangerous, like a large, very powerful and dangerous child. That makes fear for me. The "Genuine American monster" could quite be this Sniper, which drives by Washington and shoots innocent humans over the heaps. America is surely not honest and sincere a monster and. It does not possess sense of responsibility.

GW: A possible political background is not intended? After the acts of terrorism from 11 September 2001 one was confronted again and again with the statement that the USA, which "Genuine American monster" would have geernet, here the shaking fruits of their policy of expansion.

Raymond: No, actually not. The title of the album is meant rather plakativ and possesses no such depth, as it seems to perhaps give. It does not refer rather to the individual individual and so much to political or social features. If I with America are culturally confronted, it is now a McDonalds in London or Paris or my arrival on the JFK Airport in New York, then I always find that a little intimidating and frightening. A political Dimenison regarding the title of the album therefore does not give it even if KMFDM were brought at that time with the massacre to the Highschool in Columbine in connection. That in still much larger measure also Marilyn Manson was pushed over, although the Kids was at all no one on fans. They were KMFDM fans and had our Lyrics on their homepage and everything that we expressed in the reference to this thing, were rotated and wrongly against-given. That is also something, to which "Genuine American monster" refers.

GW: Thus what is accused to the Americans frequently with the term that morally and ethical double moral. Raymond: Yes, then one can probably express that best.

GW: Now the photographs to "Genuine American monster" are past already three years. A long time, in which Raymond Watts turned nevertheless certainly already again to new musical projects. What can we expect from this new Songs? Raymond: There is with the new Songs something that I would call orchestrale complexity, which is at the same time in addition, somewhat more straighter and more rockiger. I worked in the past always again on projects, which plumbed and shifted musical borders and different styles under a roof to have united, is it jazz, Blues, Metal, Indsutrial, Big of volume or whatever. This time I tried to go exactly the reverse way and to shift the borders not still further to arrange but the Songs simpler. A set of Songs I cut simply only to two guitars, a bass and a schlagzeug, in order to see like it am to work on such one level. Therefore it will have the appearance that the next plate will not completely so extremely fail.

GW: Does Raymond Watts regard itself certain due to its affiliation to the most different musical projects as a musical pioneer, if it concerns, mix seeming apparently incompatible styles with one another?

Raymond: It stands for me, believes I, not too, to judge of it. There are people, which see in such a way, but I would find it very practice-substantially to state from me to. I find it simply interesting with the most different styles to work, which lets whole naturally much generic term cure appear. Humans, who argue with music, find such a thing interesting and provocative, but regarding marketing is to be brought such a thing naturally heavily to the man, above all if each Song sounds differently.

GW: Feel Watts sometimes as as envy if does it sees the fact that volume such as Marilyn Manson or recently Sulpher success with a style have, because it crucially along-coined/shaped and arranged, without attaining ever even large success - at least in Europe -?

Raymond: I hear again and again comments like "Raymond, you must be nevertheless fully angepisst, because that and the song are nevertheless total Rip off of what you already made before four years", but does not interest me really. I have to become my music also never as vehicles regarded rich and famous. Does not interest me simply. Perhaps I wished myself sometimes secretly, which would be it like that. I make my thing simple. Sulpher have well one year ago here in London once a Show for us open and I personally were not too much impressed, but the whole Business machine runs well on for them, therefore I wish them all property. Honestly said I am much more interested in it, which happens in the newest consequence of my favourite soap opera or sounds like the new Arvo Paert CD, because to the new Marilyn Manson CD. I do not feel envy or a kind of competition separate find that they differentiate her completely from that, what I do. I am now times not so much at career, which marketing or any sales figures interests.