Listening Post

Chinese post-punk band Re-TROS’ new track is about the mystery of 16,000 dead pigs in a river

Disgusting. But good song.

Those who like to keep a keen eye on BBC’s Most Read stories will probably have come across this one from four years ago. Inexplicably, at the time, almost 6,000 dead pigs were found washed up on the banks of Shanghai’s Huangpu river. The number eventually went on to be nearer 16,000.

That event is the subject matter for the latest single from Chinese band Re-TROS (the full title of the band is Rebuilding The Rights Of Statues) for straight forwardly titled new track ‘Pigs in the River’.

It’s the latest song that the Beijing-based band will release their third album ‘Before The Applause’, which comes out in the UK on 15 September.

They only made their UK debut earlier this year – playing a pair of shows, one in London, another in Liverpool. This track has that spooky, baritone, lounge feel or Kid Congo or Nick Cave.