WORL D TOU R
A SI A
10 COU N T R IES
EU ROP E
DEC 2010
N . A MER IC A
THE ORIGINS OF THE BAND:
NINE INCH N AIL S IS THE MONIK ER USED BY SONG W RITER AND PRODUCER TRENT RE ZNOR . INCORPOR ATING EL EMENTS OF POSTPUNK , H A RD ROCK , EL EC TRONIC A AND INDUSTRIAL , NINE INCH NAIL S AL BUMS ARE CONCEIV ED AND PERFORMED L ARGELY BY RE ZNOR WITH THE OCC A SION A L PRODUCER OR MUSICIAN A SSISTING HIM IN THE PROCESS. RE ZNOR STARTED RECORDING UNDER THE NAME NINE INCH NAIL S IN 1988 W HEN HE WA S LIVING IN CL E V EL AND, OHIO, FOCUSING ON DANCE ABL E ROCK TH AT EMPH A SIZED THE ALIENATION AND H Y POCRISY OF MODERN LIFE.
A MARRIAGE OF INDUSTRIAL AND NE W WAVE:
IN 1989, RE ZNOR REL E A SED HIS FIRST AL BUM A S NINE INCH NAIL S, PRE T T Y H ATE M ACHINE. DR AWING INSPIR ATION FROM INDUSTRIAL ROCK AC TS LIK E MINISTRY BU T AL SO MOODY MODERN ROCK ARTISTS SUCH A S DEPECHE MODE, PRE T T Y H ATE M ACHINE OFFERED A ROUGH DR AF T
100
OF NIN’S MODUS OPER ANDI . ON “ HE AD LIK E A HOL E,” THE AL BUM’S BIGGEST SINGL E, RE ZNOR DEMONSTR ATED HIS SKIL L AT M ARRYING A DEFIA NTLY A NTIAU THORIT Y R ANT TO AN ENG AGING K E Y BOARD - DRIV EN TR ACK . PRE T T Y H ATE M ACHINE MOST CL E ARLY RE V E AL ED RE ZNOR’S LOV E OF ‘80S NE W WAV E, AN INFLUENCE TH AT WOUL D REM AIN ON L ATER AL BUMS BUT WOUL D NE V ER BE A S PROMINENT A S IT WA S HERE.
TRENT RE ZNOR DIVES INTO THE DARKNESS:
A F TER THE 1993 EP BROK EN , RE ZNOR RE T URNED WITH HIS SECOND FUL L- L ENGTH AL BUM A Y E AR L ATER . THE DOW NWARD SPIR AL BUILT ON PRE T T Y H ATE MACHINE’S MISANTHROPY, BU T ITS FE ARL ESS E X PLOR ATION OF RE ZNOR’S INNER DARK NESS WA S AL MOST A S BR ACING A S ITS JAGGED, H A RROWING TR ACK S. THE DOW NWARD SPIR AL DE ALT FR ANK LY WITH SUICIDE, SE X UAL PERV ERSION , RELIGION AND ADDIC TION . NINE INCH N AIL S W ERE MORE POPUL AR WITH MODERN ROCK FANS TH AN WITH M AINSTRE AM AUDIENCES, BU T RE ZNOR STARTED M AKING M AJOR INROA DS WITH TH AT AUDIENCE ON THE DOW NWARD SPIR AL , PARTLY TH ANK S TO THE H ALLUCINATORY DANCE TR ACK “CLOSER .”
NINE INCH NAIL S GET AMBITIOUS:
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NINE INCH N AIL S WOUL D NOT REL E A SE ANOTHER ST UDIO AL BUM UNTIL 1999. THE FR AGILE, AN AMBITIOUS DOUBL E AL BUM , PROV ED TO BE L ESS COMMERCIA L TH A N THE DOW NWARD SPIR AL A S ITS IC Y SONGS MOSTLY ESCHE W ED STR AIGHTFORWARD POP STRUC T URES. THOUGH L ESS DEPR AVED THEMATIC AL LY TH AN ITS PREDECESSOR , THE FR AGIL E WA S A DEEPLY TROUBLING LOOK AT HOPEL ESSNESS, ITS 10 0 MINU TES OF DESPER ATE DESPAIR SOLIDIF YING RE ZNOR’S BL E AK WORL DVIE W. DESPITE SEL LING H AL F A S M ANY COPIES A S THE DOW NWARD SPIR AL , THE A L BUM CONTINUED M AINSTRE AM AUDIENCES’ EMBR ACE OF HIS POISONOUS LY RICS AND INTIMIDATING H ARD ROCK , E V ENT UAL LY GOING DOUBL E PL ATINUM .
A TURN TOWARD THE POLITIC AL :
A NOTHER SIX Y E A RS WOUL D PA SS BEFORE RE ZNOR’S NE X T ST UDIO EFFORT, ALTHOUGH A S BEFORE HE WOUL D SATIATE H ARDCORE FANS’ A PPE TITE WITH REMIX A LBUMS IN BE T W EEN OFFICIAL REL E A SES. AT FIRST, 20 05’S WITH TEE TH SEEMED LIK E A MORE CONV ENTIONAL AL BUM A F TER THE THE FR AGIL E'S L ENGTH AND THE DOW NWARD SPIR AL'S DARK NESS. FOCUSING ON MORE STR AIGHTFORWARD ROCK ARR ANGEMENTS, WITH TEE TH MAY NOT H AV E POSSESSED THE L AY ERED COMPL E XIT Y OF PRE VIOUS EFFORTS, BU T RE ZNOR COMPENSATED WITH OV ERTLY POLITIC A L LY RICS, DECRYING AMERIC ANS’ FE AR OF CRITICIZING THE BUSH ADMINISTR ATION ON THE HIT SINGL E “ THE H AND TH AT FEEDS.”
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TRENT RE ZNOR CUTS TIES WITH THE RECORD INDUSTRY:
W HERE MA N Y OF HIS CONTEMPOR ARIES H AV E LOST STE AM CRE ATIV ELY IN THE 21ST CENT URY, RE ZNOR APPE ARED TO BE REENERGIZED A S HIS CONTR AC T WITH INTERSCOPE RECORDS RE ACHED ITS END IN 20 07. TH AT Y E AR , HE REL E A SED Y E AR ZERO, A NERV Y CONCEP T RECORD ABOU T A GOV ERNMENT- RUN FU T URE SOCIE T Y WITH OBVIOUS PAR AL L EL S TO POST-9/11 AMERIC A . CRITIC AL LY AND COMMERCIAL LY, THE RECORD WA S L A RGELY OVERLOOK ED, DESPITE THE FAC T TH AT IT WA S ONE OF HIS STRONGEST EFFORTS, AN AL BUM TH AT COMBINED THE AMBITION OF THE FR AGIL E WITH THE MAINSTRE AM SENSIBILITIES OF WITH TEE TH . 400
HIS OWN MAN AT L A ST:
A Y E A R L ATER , RE ZNOR ANNOUNCED TH AT HE WA S CU T TING TIES WITH INTERSCOPE AND DISTRIBU TING HIS MUSIC INDEPENDENTLY. PROVING TRUE TO HIS WORD, HE RELE A SED GHOSTS I-IV, A COL L EC TION OF INSTRUMENTAL S, THROUGH HIS W EBSITE. LESS TH AN T WO MONTHS L ATER , RE ZNOR SURPRISED THE WORL D BY OFFERING HIS NE X T ST UDIO AL BUM , THE SLIP, A S A FREE DOW NLOAD. THE SLIP DIDN’ T H AV E THE SAME POLITIC A L OV ERTONES OF YE AR ZERO, BU T IT REPRESENTED ANOTHER COMPEL LING CH AP TER IN RE ZNOR’S C ANDID ONGOING E X AMINATION OF HIS A NGST A ND INSECURITIES.
FOUNDER OF THE INDUSTRIAL ROCK MUSIC AL PROJEC T K NOW N A S NINE INCH NAIL S, HE WA S PRE VIOUSLY A SSOCIATED WITH THE BANDS OP TION 30, E XOTIC BIRDS, AND TAPE WORM , AMONG OTHERS. RE ZNOR L EF T INTERSCOPE RECORDS IN 20 07, AND IS NOW AN INDEPENDENT MUSICIAN .
TRENT REZNOR
DISCOGRAPHY
WITH TEETH
GHOST I-IV
100
200
2008
2005
2008
2007
YEAR ZERO
THE SLIP
PRETTY HATE MACHINE
THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL
1992
BROKEN
THE FRAGILE
DISCOGRAPHY
1999
1989 1994
THE HAND THAT FEEDS
JUST HOW DEEP DO YOU BELIEVE? WILL YOU BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS? WILL YOU CHEW UNTIL IT BLEEDS?
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
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