Matthew Herbert 'Puzzled and Disappointed' By PETA's One Pig Criticisms

Matthew Herbert has issued a statement to Gigwise defending his album 'One Pig' in the light of PETA's criticisms last week.

The musician's unique record will follow the life cycle of a pig from birth to its slaughter and eventual butchering, with the intention of making musical instruments out of its body parts.

Last week, Gigwise reported the news that Herbert had been barred from recording the sounds of the pig's death by the vet in the slaughterhouse, prompting animal rights group PETA to condemn the project as a whole.

In response to PETA's statement, Herbert told Gigwise:

“I'm puzzled and disappointed by PETA's assertions about one pig because this project is in part about dealing head on with the conditions and realities of a modern food industry. As I eat meat, I would have thought PETA would have been pleased that I am confronting the consequences of that choice. Unlike most industrial pig farms, my pig was kept in excellent conditions but was always grown by the farmer for slaughter. My desire to listen in to that entire cycle and represent it as music is not, and never was intended to be cynically repackaged purely as entertainment.”

'One Pig' is part of a trio of records being released by Matthew Herbert in 2010.

The first, 'One One', is entirely sung, played and performed by Herbert and is expected for release in spring.

The summer will see the release of 'One Club' which is made entirely from sounds recorded in one night at the Robert Johnson night club in Frankfurt on September 30th, 2009.

'One Pig' will complete the trio of records at the end of the year.