Whatever may be the future of the music industry, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor seems determined to be instrumental in finding it.
Reznor — who works alone in NIN — always marched to the beat of his own drum machine. See the “scenes missing” video for “Closer” or his five-year cycle between each of his first four albums as further evidence.
In the past 12 months, Reznor’s shown even more moxie. He has:
— Parted ways with his long-time label, Interscope Records, with no plans to join a different one, making him rock ‘n’ roll’s biggest unsigned act;
— Issued Ghosts I-IV, a collection of four, nine-track instrumental EPs available here, the first of which can be obtained gratis;
— Released his dystopian opus, Year Zero (cover at right), which injected human growth hormone into the veins of the concept album. The centerpiece of an alternate-reality game, Zero turned NIN fans into clue scavengers, deciphering coded messages on T-shirts and even searching restrooms at shows for tracks leaked on USB thumb drives;
— Issued Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D, a remix of the Zero album.
Considering NIN turns 20 this year, one sees Reznor turning his eye to ascending new peaks. With a No. 1 album, chart-topping singles, and legions of adoring fans already, there’s little left to prove.
He’s cultivated such an image, the Nails logo — the initials of the group, with the second N backward, outlined by a black box — is iconic.
Up-and-coming independent artists don’t have such images. That’s where labels prove their continued relevance and necessity. To shun their favor would be to bite the hand that feeds. They provide marketing, advertising and other support to help an artist make its name.
Only an artist with Reznor’s history, fans and level of notoriety can attempt a project as massive as Zero, leave his label and issue a collection of instrumental tracks on his own.
For even doing the Zero game and album, Reznor deserves kudos. Whether it worked, he stands alone in even a willingness to tie an album’s release into an alternate-reality game.
Allowing free downloads, such as the first disc of Ghosts (cover at right), is hardly new territory, but it’s still noteworthy. When an indie artist gives away music, it’s called marketing; when Reznor does it, it’s called daring.
That’s what Zero and Ghosts demonstrate. Reznor has to show himself, his fans and the world that he still has eagerness to push himself, that there are still further summits on the horizon.
Whether he’s a success is yet to be seen, but also irrelevant. An artist of his caliber willing himself into innovation is intriguing and worth watching.
After all, isn’t it those who march to the beat of a different drum who often find a new rhythm?
Check out the video for Year Zero's "Survivalism":
Update: Or, bounce over to For Those About to Rock's MySpace to see the video for this entry's title, "The Hand That Feeds"
Comments