March 10 2008
Nine Inch Nails – Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D and Ghosts I-IV
If you liked Year Zero, you’ll probably like Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D. Unlike past Nine Inch Nails remix albums,Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D doesn’t really indulge in noisy PoMo cut-ups the way Fixed and Further Down the Spiral did. Instead, we get Year Zero tracks dressed up with a healthy dose of electroclash and well-mannered experimentalism that twists the songs in new, interesting directions. That may seem like a less adventurous route to take, but at this point I’ll take something intended for repeated listens over a sonic endurance test. Oh, and for those who are interested, the package comes with a DVD packed with the component tracks and sound editing software, so you can get in on the remixing action from the comfort of your own home. One last note, I hate hate HATE the title Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D. Let’s not cater to l33tspeak, okay, Trent?
Ghosts I-IV is a significant shift in gears. Freed from the necessity of making music that will inevitably be a corporate product, Trent Reznor chose to release this collection of short, (mostly) instrumental pieces of incidental music. The tracks that make upGhosts I-IV are quite cinematic, each evoking a mood. Some tracks are ambient, some feature balladesque, melancholy keys and washes of sorrowsound, and some hit a challenging level of noise. Taken as a whole, the songs offer a diverse selection of sounds from an artist who has an obvious love for making music and pushing his own boundaries…as well as the boundaries of the record industry. And it looks like the experiment was successful; with little-to-no promotion, fans rushed to NIN’s website to purchase the album and score downloadable tracks to such an extent that Reznor had to call in for extra servers. The people have spoken, but are the record companies listening?
Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D
Ghosts I-IV
