Wednesday, May 07, 2008

NIN - The Slip. Free. Now. Go.

Looks like Mr. Self-Destruct has been busy. Nine Inch Nails just released *another* new album called "The Slip". I don't know when it came out, I'm only hearing about it through the grapevine, and I'm a registered member at nin.com!

Go to this website and enter your e-mail, you will receive a download link that once activated is good for one hour. Tell Trent I sent you. And ask him if he's cleaning out the studio or something, because with the Ghosts double album coming out LAST MONTH, that's quite a bit of music in a damn short period of time.

Did I mention it's free?

Art Is Resistance
-Zero

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Saturday, March 15, 2008

NIN - Ghosts Film Festival

You might be tired of me going on and on about how visionary and cool Trent Reznor is...

...I'll stop going on about him when he stops giving me reasons. Case in point:



Art Is Resistance
-Zero

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Thursday, March 06, 2008

New Nine Inch Nails Album Release

After the inital carnage of Nine Inch Nails new release, 'Ghosts I-IV' I forked over my $10 (Plus $6.99 for, um, Shipping and Handling, er, I meant "Shipping" and "Handling"...) and downloaded all 36 tracks.

Yes, that's 36 tracks, and not a vocal on a-one of them. Still haven't had a chance to listen to the whole thing yet, but I like what I hear so far. It's the essence of what makes NIN so great. Layers. Textures. Tones. Things that most bands today can't even imagine, and what makes people like Pink Floyd, Marillion, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix masters in their craft.

The real buzz behind Ghosts is the release format. The first nine tracks are being given away online for free under Creative Commons licensing.

I could go on (again) about how the old Music Industry don't f**king work, and how I think it should be fixed, but this article from fool.com does a better job than I could.

Art Is Resistance
-Zero

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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

NIN and ARG: Alternate Reality Gaming

The latest Escapist Magazine has a short article on the interactivity surrounding Nine Inch Nail's latest masterpiece: Year Zero.

Those who don't know WTF I'm talking about can take a look through these old posts or you can go here for the latest, a sighting of the mysterious force called 'The Presence' this time sighted over Minneapolis: http://www.hourofarrival.net/

Or you can dive headfirst into the maelstrom at ninwiki.com

The excitement surrounding Year Zero has died down since the album's release in April, but it is picking up buzz again with the upcoming release of the Remix album. The second half of the Year Zero album is due out sometime next year, and I predict that the conspiracy will reach new heights around the end of 2007.

The article in the Escapist (aside from calling Year Zero a "Dark and Noisy work"), defines the marketing campaign surrounding Year Zero as an ARG, short for Alternate Reality Game. The 'game' is free to play, and anyone with an Internet connection and some time (*lots* of time) can jump in and play. Clues are left in different formats in different places (e-mail, voice mail, websites, secret meetings in public places, secret codes left in plain sight...) but now-a-days, the internet is the perfect place for ARGs.

In the case of Year Zero, the 'prize' was a secret concert. You can read more about the Year Zero ARG here.

No doubt, the term ARG can be applied to other social events; from serial killers leaving clues for the police, or my sister and I trying to schedule a time to get together for lunch. We leave each other e-mail and voice mail clues as to when a good time and place would be, and try to 'solve the puzzle' as it were.

I'm hoping more artists and entertainers will generate this level of interactivity with their fans.

Art Is Resistance
-Zero

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Wednesday, May 02, 2007

My review of Lindsey Thomas' review of Year Zero

The latest City Pages contains Lindsey Thomas' review of Year Zero. Strangely, instead of calling attention to the amazing marketing campaign and phenomena behind Year Zero, she completely Dismisses it:


"...not a single original thought to be found..."
"..If Year Zero reveals anything, it's that his music does little for people with a working knowledge of current events and a desire for sonic evolution.


Her review saddens me more than I can say. I thought that Year Zero was a strong album, with some great hits like "Capitol G" and "The Beginning of the End". The song, "In This Twilight" is a phenomenal piece of music.

Overlooking the music, the message in Year Zero is a timely one. The great, dumbing down of society. People sick of the way things are being run, finally rising up and rebelling, joining the underground Open Source Resistance...

Even if one were to ignore the music and the message (a horrific thing for a *music critic* to do,) Year Zero is still a remarkable album in the method it was marketed. Finally, there's an artist who has figured out how the new music system works, and he is showing the world by DOING. Trent Reznor is creating an image and an event which extends WAY beyond the music. He is inviting everyone to be part of the phenomenon; social puzzles, secret codes, intentionally leaked songs, interactive websites, secret concerts, freaking phone messages fer crissakes! He isn't sitting around trying to look kewl and sound "indie" while releasing shit-rock like all the pitchfork.com darlings, he's actually DOING SOMETHING NO ONE HAS DONE BEFORE!

...and Lindsey Thomas comes along like some old person who has never heard of the internet, and dismisses the entire astonishing thing by saying he hasn't got a single original thought.

Wow.

I suppose that if the White Stripes did the same thing, she would be praising their idealism and creativity the way she praised Arcade Fire for their insight and suggested that they have 'plumbed new depths of social commentary', but she doesn't even give a passing nod to the artist who is starting an underground revolution.

When that revolution marches down the street in front of her house, she will wish she had spent more time researching that review.

Blog on,
-CZ

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Year Zero Update

Year Zero from Nine Inch Nails is not an album, it's an event. That means that what you read in this review are only the facts *to date*. Keep your eyes and ears open for more.

Blog on,
-CZ

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Friday, April 20, 2007

Thank God For Trent Reznor

Required reading for those who think I dote on too much about my personal hero, Trent Reznor:


Here is the take from Bob Ezrin, an industry insider whose opinion is far more worthy than my own.


Blog on,
-CZ

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

NIN Year Zero - The conspiracy continues [Updated]

The new NIN album: Year Zero arrived in stores yesterday. But that's nothing. Just a minor step in the existing enigma surrounding the most amazing viral marketing campaign the world has never seen.

Thermal-sensitive printing on the CD reveals binary code. Decode it to reveal the next website...

Another phone number revealed on the CD packaging: 1-866-455-6580 Give it a call. The message is short, from the US Bureau of Morality.

Clues leading to clues leading to clues. Ammo boxes to fuel the Open Source Resistance were handed out from men in a van, given to anyone who knew where to be at the appointed time. Some of the ammo boxes contained cell phones. On Apr 13th, the phones rang, inviting whoever answered to a secret location in Los Angles on April 18th.

Fucking Fucking Brilliant.

The beginning of the end.

[UPDATE 19 Apr 07 - Those who received cell phones were called again, and invited to more than just a show: http://crowdctrl.com/2007/04/19/resistance-meeting-turns-into-free-nin-show This is performance art! ]


Blog on,
-CZ

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Thursday, April 05, 2007

RIAA VS NIN (Maybe)

The interesting news is NOT that the R.I.A.A. doesn't know it's A.S.S. from a H.I.T.G., we knew that already.

The interesting news is NOT that Trent Reznor tips some info about the ongoing NIN Year Zero marketing campaign:

...The same source told Billboard that NINE INCH NAILS frontman Trent Reznor views the campaign as a "new entertainment form." The source added that the campaign will continue for the next 18 months.

"Year Zero" is reportedly the first of two concept albums, the second of which Reznor hopes to finish next year...

-From http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=69841


Of course, "The Campaign" mentioned is well documented at ninwiki.com, so I won't cover it here.

No, the potential news is a lovely theory I just concocted, which the tools on Digg.com nearly figured out.

Fact: Roadrunner Records, as pointed out on Digg, is a member of the RIAA.

Fact: A member of the RIAA is pointing out that the RIAA sued website owners for posting intentionally leaked copies of the new NIN album.

Sounds stupid right? Why tell everyone that you did something so stupid?

Until you add this:

Fact: Trent Reznor is a marketing genius.

If the tools on Digg.com weren't so busy posting "The RIAA SUX!!!!", "NIN RULEZ!!!" and providing links to download copies of songs which are already easily streamed from the yearzero.nin.com website, they might have figured it out.

My theory, of course, is that the lawsuit and press release were expected, and possibly planned. I would not put it past anyone to take advantage of the free publicity offered by the RIAA's timely lawsuit, not to mention how fast the word spreads on the RIAA's foolish decisions.

Make the RIAA look bad AND get free publicity for your new album release...which JUST SO HAPPENS to be this month....

*What* a coincidence!

I'm telling you, folks: Marketing Genius.

Blog on,
-CZ

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NIN YEAR ZERO!

As if we needed further proof that Nine Inch Nails kicks every manifestation of Ass conceivable, you can go to this link, and listen to the new album Year Zero in it's Entirety. For Free.

Click on "Listen to Year Zero" and enter your e-mail, Bam. Stream The Entire Album For Free.

This should tide me over until April 17th when the CD comes out, and the conspiracy should rise to new heights. The CD Packaging hides a secret which only heat will reveal...

Blog on,
-CZ

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Friday, February 23, 2007

Wanna hear something REALLY Scary?

First, a warning. This is scary stuff, and I'm not joking.

Call this phone number 216.333.1810

I assure you, it is just a recording. The recording is just over 2 min long.

You can also download the audio from here, but It's much more effective to listen to it on the phone.

The clever will know the why. I'm just giving you the how.

Blog on,
-CZ

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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

NIN - Year Zero

An album for ME? Thanks Trent. You rawk.

Just in time for my birthday too.

Shucks
-CZ

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Monday, October 24, 2005

NIN Concert Review

[NOTE: This post is re-written for entry to the Citypages Critic of the Year Contest:]


NIN Concert Review – 11 Rocktober, 2005

After washing away the blood and sweat (some of it my own) left behind after an evening with Trent Reznor, et al. I am ready to give a reasonable recounting of the Nine Inch Nails concert at the Xcel Energy Center.

The venue: Two words; Fuh Sillities. Plenty of places to load up and unload your bladder. Clean clean clean. Fantastic sound system. Well done.

The crowd: I have been to all NIN concerts here in MN since the Downward Spiral tour, and the crowd has changed substantially over the years. Very few in the crowd wore the faded black gang colors of my industrial/goth brethren. Many of them look like people you stood in line next to at Rainbow last week. Ages ran the gamut.

The show: Trent Reznor does not talk much in concert. He does not take requests. He does not care if you mosh while he plays peaceful, minimalist movements like “Right Where It Belongs”. He does not care if you stand unmoving and transfixed, your lighter in the air during “Hurt”. He does not care if the crowd sings the chorus to “Terrible Lie” so loudly that he does not have to. He does not care if you cower in fear for your life while the crowd becomes blissfully suicidal during the encore, “Bite The Hand That Feeds”.

He does not care. Period. The man is pissed off and willing to share, and hardly mellowed with age. His anger is still contagious and therapeutic. This is church for me and many others. Hallelujah.

Conrad Zero

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Wednesday, October 12, 2005

NIN Concert Review - 11 Rocktober, 2005

Christina and I just returned home from attending the gala event of Trent Reznor, et al., and after washing the blood and sweat from my body (some of it my own) I am ready to give a reasonable recounting for those who have never experienced the "Minnesota Mosh"

Through some strange Ticketmaster Computer Glitch of Fate, we ended up with two tickets to the main floor of the concert at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. We arrived during the Queens of the Stone Age set, and had some drinks and took to the floor during the intermission. I let Christina pick our spot; I was just happy to be so close - Usually I end up with seats so high up you get a better view by looking over the shoulder of the guy in the next row, who is using his cell phone to view lo-res still pix being posted to the Interweb by some drunk guy in the twentieth row. Little did I know Christina would march us up to front-and-center, about 15-20 rows back from the front line.

Of course, this is where the mosh pit broke out. So I got two shows for the price of one, and I can't say which was more visually entertaining. I did learn more about the Mosh, and identified several helpful tidbits to help you if you are at a Lutheran Potluck and a Mosh breaks out.

First, the people not wearing shirts (usually male) are Professionals. Watch them, they know what they are doing, and tend to enforce the rules.

Second, The Circle usually spins widdershins (anti-clockwise).

Third, It is OK to run full-tilt-out-of-control straight into another person, but punching or kicking them is frowned upon.

Fourth, If you knock anyone over, help them back up.

Fifth, If anyone passes out or gets knocked out, (or if you don't really like them), 'put them up' which means to raise them up so the crowd gets them body surfing, then Security will quickly haul them out, as body surfing is not allowed.

As far as NIN, they were awesome with one exception. I would have loved to believe that Trent just lives and breathes for touring, but I know that he doesn't. There is something to be said for the days when you couldn't be informed about the artist's personal life to know that they are having management or financial troubles, or just had a shitty day, unless you read it in Rolling Stone. As it were, I knew that his previous drummer was off the tour due to health problems, well, maybe it gave Trent more fuel to burn, because the concert was spectacular. The show was awesome, and I was even closer to Trent than when I visited his home in New Orleans' French Quarter, two years ago.

It is funny to watch a angry moshing group try to hold the slam dance together when Trent shifts to his more ambient, passive movements. Make that Really Funny.

Blog on,
-CZ

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Monday, January 03, 2005

With Teeth is Finished!

HELL YEAH!  Bring it!

-C

It's the day all NIN fans have been waiting for!!!



Although there is no release date attatched with that it's still one step closer! 2005 promises to be a very good year for all us NIN fans.

(Written by: Niobe)


[SuicideGirls: News Wire]

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Conrad Zero - Minneapolis Musician Author and Demonologist