NIN Ghosts in The Machine

QUESTION: What does an artist like Trent Reznor do when he wrests himself from the clutches of a monolithic label like Interscope?

ANSWER: Any damn thing he chooses.

The ultimate answer is a double disc set of, for the most part, improvisational music created within a specific amount of time without a specific aim, direction or concept.

For those of you looking for the follow-up hit to “Hurt”, or “Head Like A Hole”, sorry, it ain’t here. In fact there are NO vocal tracks on these two discs. The entire set is completely instrumental. Another clear stab at Interscope who repeatedly insisted that the number of instrumentals on Nine Inch albums decrease. Truth be told, they hated Reznor’s instrumentals.

From the view point of the long term, hard core fan, the instrumentals are sometimes the best part of NIN albums. Reznor was outspokenly negative about Interscope’s insistence that the Fragile album be interspersed between vocals and instrumentals when Reznor wanted to make one disc all vocal songs, the second disc all instrumentals. Reznor was quoted as saying Interscope denigrated his instrumentals as meanderings as they would never be commercial, radio-friendly “hits”.

This is a classic formula on how a major label can drive an artist screaming into indie-land. How do the major labels recoup? By often times stealing the profits from new venture capital of their current stable of artists in areas like downloading, online sales, licensing, etc.

But this is a review of Ghosts, not Interscope.

While their may not be the brooding lyrics of a Gothic generation available for this release, the price of admission is worth it simply for the audio acrobatics of Adrian Belew let loose with a floor full of effects pedals. Touring keyboardist Alessandro Cortini is also enlisted to join in on the fun as are long time contributors Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder.

To analyze each and every track on these discs would be time and space consuming. The tracks range in construct from simple piano pieces with synth atmospheres to songs that you would expect Reznor’s vocals to appear at any second, making them bona fide NIN tracks. In between there are songs that you would swear were lifted from Belew’s primary employers King Crimson, to tracks replete with Casio-type rhythm tracks all the way to rave worthy stompers that make you swear you can smell the methamphetamine.

Taken from an online press release, Reznor explain the music style and process thusly: “This music arrived unexpectedly as the result of an experiment. The rules were as follows: 10 weeks, no clear agenda, no overthinking, everything driven by impulse. Whatever happens during that time gets released as… something. We began improvising and let the music decide the direction. Eyes were closed, hands played instruments and it began. Within a matter of days it became clear we were on to something, and a lot of material began appearing. What we thought could be a five song EP became much more. I invited some friends over to join in and we all enjoyed the process of collaborating on this.

“The end result is a wildly varied body of music that we’re able to present to the world in ways the confines of a major record label would never have allowed - from a 100% DRM-free, high-quality download, to the most luxurious physical package we’ve ever created.”

Simply expect the unexpected, risings, fallings, and noodlings grandeur. These are experiments released to the public through online means first (in the wake of the success of Radiohead’s “In Rainbows”, released via online means with the audience determining the market value of the music) and THEN through conventional methods as an afterthought. Todd Rundgren (who Reznor has long sought to be a producer or at least vocal arranger on a NIN project) first released tunes through the Internet in 1994, so this has been on Reznor’s mind for many years. Although contractual obligations have long prevented this, we now reap the benefit of honest, pure artistic effort. What Reznor WANTS to release, what he WANTS us to hear.

So without benefit of major label interference, Reznor is now free to pursue his artistic vision as Prince did after fighting for release from Warner Brothers, as Rundgren did when his core audience was not cost-conducive enough for most labels, and as Robert Fripp has done with King Crimson after much detailed battles with EG records, Virgin records, and other labels who mishandled King Crimson royalties (for more information on his epic battle, please read Fripp’s blog on his DGM Live website).

Perhaps Reznor was inspired for the name of this disc by the thought of what the major labels are going to result in if these practices continue.