I would have to go back and find it, but I posted awhile back (I believe it was in the "Random NIN Thoughts" thread) that The Slip could refer to a time slip. How did I slip into this? Our narrator seemingly begins this part of the story disorientied, confused, but not all together unaware that something is going on or has gone on. This record, overall, seems to be about rebirth. You could even say the lines in "1,000,000": "Put the gun, in my mouth, close your eyes, blow my fucking brains out" is a reference back to The Downward Spiral.
The Fragile always struck me as Dante's Inferno or perhaps the entire Divine Comedy. I personally have little doubt, especially with the backwards songs on the NTAE vinyl, that "this" has been going on probably from the beginning but was apparent (to the narrator) at the end of TDS. Reinterpreting the themes of PHM and Broken on a macro sense, it's about someone trapped in a machine, but thinking it's just the "way of the world". Obviously, this is simplifying a great deal, but I don't believe there to be any solid through line for the "Nine Inch Nails Background World" (at the moment). Not all of these stories are chronologically linear, which I think complicates things.
I thought that song was always known as being related thematically to TDS considering the title and line "I feel a million miles away" is a continuation of "If I could start again a million miles away" from Hurt, I never knew this wasn't commonly accepted. The Slip always felt like an album full of references to other NIN albums with Letting You reusing the AIR flag, Lights in the Sky feeling like Still-era NIN, Head Down feeling like a continuation of Right Where It Belongs' lyrics, etc. Intentional or not that album ties back to a lot of past NIN and considering it was going to be "the last" NIN album for a while it makes sense they may have intentionally looked back for inspiration and thematic closure.
Also since this is the place to mention ways these EPs connect and connect to other albums, I don't know if anyone's mentioned the "NATURE IT IS VIOLENT, THE VERY NATURE OF THIS IS VIOLENT" line from In Two tying into the title of Add Violence. If nature is violent add violence means add nature/add realism, ie., add something real to the equation rather than simply slipping way and off into a fantasy world like the narrator of NTAE and Add Violence seems eager to do up until the moment of (very terrible) clarity that Background World provides.
Last edited by implanted_microchip; 05-26-2018 at 08:24 PM.
@kleiner352 , i rather like your take on the meaning of "violence" in this context.
Re: Reversed TDS tracks on the NTAE vinyl.
I Looked but couldn't find if anyone:
1. Listened to the NTAE EP tracks in reverse to see if there is any hidden shiz?
2. Tried phase cancelling the TDS tracks from NTAE with the original tracks.. ŕ la Red Horse Vector?
Probably nothing to see here, but... I am trying to believe
Last edited by mikeyjt; 06-03-2018 at 11:37 PM.
Last edited by mikeyjt; 06-04-2018 at 02:15 AM.
I thought the last thing discovered was hourofarroval.net...
Something I've always felt is that the real final piece of the whole YZ ARG was The Slip. Since the first time I heard it and, literally, every subsequent listen, I see it as the album that the Nine Inch Nails from the YZ ARG, the Nine Inch Nails that exist in 2022, would have released. Year Zero itself was about that world at the time and our world in 2007 and connections between the two, but The Slip always struck me as something more concrete. The lyrics and artwork and instrumentation feel like something from that version of 2022.
hey here's a random post you all can comfortably ignore i just haven't figured where to post it (although you might've gone through this)
watching some night mind videos i came across this - less than video we all know and some discussion had been put up back at that time regarding the "polybius" reference, but this video came up a little later than the add violence release and i'm only watching it now
this gives some solid-ass basis for the trilogy concept. not that we don't already believe it. it's just a fun fact. watching it right now
At this point someone has tried everything. People have even tried things that have left reality behind and seemingly work on some sort of moon logic. If there was something to find, and we hadn't found it by now, someone from the NIN camp would have logged on here in a new account and given us a push in the right direction. If any secret code is cracked, it will be after the new album releases, because nothing more is hidden in the last two releases.
This doesn’t directly relate to Add Violence, but I was reading a the artwork deconstruction posts a few posts back and had to throw this out there. I was listening to The Next Day the other night, and while looking at the artwork something struck me. The Next Day artwork completely subverts the Heroes cover, as does NTAE with Still. With all the Bowie prominence/references of late, I thought maybe there was a connection there.
I feel this, kinda. Mainly, because of “this isn’t the place” for obvious reasons. When he says “and if you see my friend” it makes me think his friend is someone he hasn’t spoken to in awhile. I guess it could be anyone who who misses someone but the vibe said Bowie to me that first listen.
That song brings all the feels.
Given today's interview on NIN.com I think we can finally put this stupid thread to bed. Next best thing to having a time machine.
Turns out it was an anti-arg to make us as hopeless as Trent. Great, this record is now even bleaker.
It's not a stupid thread, he just confirmed he really was playing with us. But in the end, nothing matters and we're all shit. Was an honor to play with you lads.
edit : wait a minute what are those liner notes on the vinyl sleeve ?
Last edited by StockAvuryah; 06-21-2018 at 09:32 AM.
I'm glad that the whole ARG thing can also be "put to bed", although it was, and has always been in question (your title also questioned its existance!).
I followed it and assisted with the machines, documentation and stuff like that. I do hope he continues to build and expand the machines. I was and still am very intrigued in what he had, or has in mind with that concept. I swear he at some point mentioned "world building", I feel as if he (or the community) labeled it that way and detached the whole "ARG" thing then a different direction would have been taken in regards to community involvement/reaction.
Seeing that cover, back cover, the comments about how cover art being "important" (or whatever the exact wording was) it was hard not to go immediately to "OH FUCK ANOTHER PUZZLE" but after a while it was clearly not going anywhere. Was there a deeper meaning? Yes? Probably? Maybe? But was it participatory in the way we all hoped? Most definitely not. The codes in the AV PC were (still are) intriguing...I'd love to see Trent comment on this...but overall the horse was beat dead long ago.
That said, I'm happy with the way it all played out. I think the EPs weave an interesting story even if it didn't end up going the way originally intended.
"There aren't any answers here. Not the ones you came looking for".
Can't help but wonder if that isn't intended for the listener as well. That we were hoping for some kind of resolution, answers to our questions, solution to our puzzle. We are left with mystery instead.