From KMFDM to Prince: Pig Covers Unexpected Songs on “Candy (Rewrapped)”

If you are or were into industrial music, you might already know Raymond Watts. Not only is he the main guy behind Pig, he was a founding member of the German industrial band KMFDM. Embarrassingly, I have to admit, I used to blast KMFDM’s music while driving my mom’s Subaru Legacy with the windows down in the small New Hampshire towns where I grew up in the 90s.

Unlike KMFDM, Pig incorporated jazz and orchestral influences, and they were known for frequently changing their style. For instance, their 1999 album “Genuine American Monster” featured Latin rhythms, which were notably uncommon in the industrial genre.

After a decade-long hiatus, Pig made a strong comeback in 2016 with the release of “The Gospel,” featuring fellow KMFDM founder En Esch. And they didn’t stop there. In fact, they went on a spree of releasing albums, including the eclectic collection of covers called “Candy” in 2019, which was just re-mastered, reworked, and re-released as “Candy (Rewrapped)”.

It’s filled with covers of well-known hits but with a Pig twist. Imagine Mike Patton’s mellower, croony vocals taking on songs like the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.” And to add an extra layer of peculiarity, it even features adult film star and occasional musician Sasha Grey.

Pig also decided to take on songs like the Spice Girls’ “Two Become One,” Prince’s “Kiss,” and INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart.” And if that wasn’t enough, they also covered Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That.”

I’m not saying this record is necessarily good, but it’s definitely worth a listen if you’re curious or love eccentric (and sometimes terrifying) cover songs.