Yesterday Nine Inch Nails sole member Trent Reznor shocked fans by announcing the immediate online-only release of his new album “Ghosts Volumes 1-4” which no-one seemed to be in anyway aware of. Ghosts consists of 36 new instrumental tracks composed and recorded over an intense ten week period last autumn. In the words of Mr Reznor himself: "I've been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn't have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective - dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams. I'm very pleased with the result and the ability to present it directly to you without interference." By interference he is referring to the fact that the album can be purchased cheaply and downloaded straight from the bands website in various formats and pricing schemes how that he has no contract with anyone. What a hero.
Working with a team of regular NIN contributors including Atticus Ross, Alan Moulder and Alessandro Cortini, Trent has created an album of soundscapes and electronica songs which clearly focuses on improvisation and experimentation. While instrumental tracks have appeared on most NIN albums, lyrics and clear concepts have always been a central force at work behind Reznors work. Indeed certain lyrics have often been responsible for the alienation of many a NIN fan. But how does a Nine Inch Nails album rate without words? (Since I have thus far only been listening to the first two volumes, tracks 1 to 18, I can only review what I’ve heard and maybe I’ll write about the rest later.)
The opening track is one of the strongest on the album and reminds me of a depressed Philip Glass experimenting with synths- melancholic piano notes play and eerie synths rise up and a choir-ish sound in the background. The elements, while few, work together well and prepare the listener for an album which will be fairly minimal and progressive. The next track is similarly eerie and atmospheric with a spooky keys playing over a wall of distorted sound. Reznor returns to more familiar rocky territory as the album progresses, but electronic computer-driven elements remain central throughout. The angsty guitar riffs and eastern sounds are recognisably “nailsy” and remind me of songs from the Fragile era and production techniques used on more recent albums. Track four, with its gentle yet articulate organic guitars and drums sounds a bit like a Radiohead song. That is until a harsh guitar rips through the heart of the track. Some of the tracks which are particularly paired down to basic sounds and loops sound uninspiring and boring, although expecting an instrumental ambient album to be something more from what is essentially a rock band might be too much to hope for. The mixture of heavy and gentle songs can sometimes be disconcerting- just as you were enjoying a slower piece, a heavy track cuts in without warning. And I just can seem to get used to whatever harsh distortion is being used on the guitars. The piano pieces are what appeal to me most, especially the tracks nine, twelve and thirteen. Nine has a nice dubby feel to it with gentle beats, twelve recalls some of his sadder songs and breaks into an energetic pace. Thirteen is a relaxed mature piece with various different instruments weaving in and out.
Many of the louder songs contain elements of early industrial metal; bands like Ministry and Skinny Puppy are audible throughout. But the songs are far from being loaded with sound- in most cases they are minimal stripped down compositions. However most songs are too short to take full advantage of minimalism, the listener is too conscious of the different elements at work; the subtly just isn’t there. And sometimes the instruments don’t seem to be working together at all; whether this chaos is intentional isn’t clear. Another problem is that many of the songs are predictable- the song beings with the main riff, beat and loop and other instruments enter at regular intervals, and after 3 minutes the song is over without ever really deviating from the beginning.
As an album it is unconvincing. It doesn’t seem as though a lot of time was spent of the album (it was recorded over a ten week period) and many of the tracks feel underdeveloped. I’m not sure what Trent is trying to make. Is this his attempt at an electronic/ambient album? It comes off too much like IDM for beginners mixed with lessons learned from listening to copious amounts of Brian Eno. Ultimately I think what fails it is the inability of Trent to separate himself from a “rock songwriter” sensibility or perspective. Or maybe he’s made exactly what he set out to make- a sort of creepy electronic rock soundtrack. Whatever it is, I’m glad he’s not expecting normal people to pay for it.
You can download Ghosts at www.nin.com for money or maybe it's availible on a torrent site somewhere?
Go here for an alternative "Ghosts" review.
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