Nine Inch New: Trent Reznor’s New Project
So I worked all weekend. Boo-hoo. It was actually one of those ‘fun’ work-weekends where you’re all alone in the office, getting about double—no, triple!—the productivity out of yourself that you’d get during the week when the phone is ringing, etc., and, well, I had a blast.
In-between dorkily pondering my productivity index and typing insanely fast, I noticed that my ‘NIN Official News’ RSS feed had an unread message in it. Odd, since that band broke up, right? Upon opening said unread message, I see a note, from Trent, whom I heart:
My other band How To Destroy Angels have made our first music video.
I had no idea there was this other band. And then my second thought: What a God-awful band name. I guess my days of being a Trent Reznor apologist aren’t over after all.
After watching the video a couple times (and the always-fantastic ‘teaser’ material that we’ve come to expect from TR) I still don’t quite know what to say. It’s definitely got the Reznor production that I am craving. And the vocalist (his new wife Mariqueen Maandig…NOT ‘the chick from the Sneaker Pimps’ which is what my old ass at-first-thought) is breathy and dark enough to keep me intrigued. The video is bar-none one of the coolest things I’ve watched online in some time. I worry that poor Atticus Ross will get lost in the married-couple vibe (if not the married-couple press-hook, as evidenced by Pitchfork’s coverage) but, well, we’ll see.
All in all, I’m pretty excited about this. I’ve always been a fan of Reznor’s non-radio work (Further Down the Spiral, Things Falling Apart…the remix stuff) and this hearkens back to that but (of course) goes much-much farther.
Anybody else care? Do you like the little 30-second teaser format (a few below) or think it’s wankery from a dude who made his best album 20 years ago and then became a douche? Sound off Bloglin!
- Hateball
May 17th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Amazing! I had no idea. Thanks for sharing duder.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Was close to posting this vid yesterday, but didn’t think anyone except myself would care. It’s sick.
NIN aren’t broken up, he’s still going to make music under that name, however it won’t be a touring act any longer.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
@John: Of course! Thanks for liking!
@Corn: Yeah, I realized that once I posted it, but I’m lazy. I think the official deal is that he is NIN, and will make music under that moniker indefinitely, but yes, they are disbanded as a touring entity. He has yet to disappoint me, however, so I don’t care what he calls himself.
Though I guess I wish he picked a different name for this. Just sounds so Hot Topic to my ear.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Quite possibly the most intriguing and wonderful thing I’ve heard in a long while. Awesome video and just enough Trent-inspired production to make the new sound enjoyable to anyone who’s missed that delightful apocalyptic sound that he does so well!
Shall be keeping an eye/ ear out for this new project…
May 17th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
“How to Destroy Angels” was taken from COIL. It’s the name of their very first single.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
All band names are dumb. This got it’s name from Coil (supposed future collab too). Video is dope.
May 17th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
COIL doesn’t exist anymore. John Balance died in 2004 and Sleazy lives in Thailand recording as SoiSong, the Threshold Boys Choir, and Throbbing Gristle.
May 17th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
I myself have an angel-phobia as pertains to pop culture and/or music, which is where my distaste for the name stems from. I just feel like it’s an easy mark, and while it may have been shocking in 1984 (though probably wasn’t) in 2010 it’s a bit tired.
The music makes up for it, however. For me.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
So Trent got married and immediately started a side project with his wife? *sigh*
May 18th, 2010 at 1:12 am
Worse things have happened…
May 18th, 2010 at 9:52 am
very interesting. has that grimy techno skronk sound to it. the vocals don’t hurt but I kinda dig the non-vocal samples more.
May 18th, 2010 at 10:52 am
Yeah, like fixed gear bmx tricks ;)
June 1st, 2010 at 9:26 am
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