Keep It Together

[FernandoDante]

Alright, sounds cool. Who's got them links?

[screwdriver]

hey, that was pretty cool

[Presideo]

Very downtempo for a lead single, but I enjoyed it. Great production value (as expected)

[slave2thewage]

Getting major "The Fragile fucks Year Zero" from it. Really digging it.

[PQHooligan]

I liked the music, but the "keep it together" repetitive refrain seemed lazy - oh well

[jrdsctt]

So, "Keep it Together" kinda has a "The Greater Good" feel to it I think.

[Shnoorum]

That was bloody awesome! I need the full quality single now to hear all those background noises that they excel at

[tyrannus]

getting a very 'the fragile' vibe off of it; love the layers. its very quiet/ambient. curious to see if thats the whole vibe of the EP or if it will contrast with louder tracks.

[gorast]

Man, Trent was super up-front in the vocals on that one. Indicative of the vocals on the LP, perhaps?

That was nice and mellow, I enjoyed it a lot. The refrain was really well done, with all the vocal lines being out of sync on top of each other.

[sheepdean]

I'll be transcribing the lyrics to ninwiki once I have an audio file that I can pause and rewind, if anyone's interested

[The Reason Being]

LISTEN:

http://pitchfork.com/news/48122-listen-new-track-from-trent-reznors-how-to-destroy-angels-keep-it-together/ (http://pitchfork.com/news/48122-listen-new-track-from-trent-reznors-how-to-destroy-angels-keep-it-together/)


http://soundcloud.com/howtodestroyangels/keep-it-together

[sukey]

My bastard stream died literally as Zane was about to play the song so I hope someone else got it. I liked what I heard though - reminds me of previous HTDA combined with a The Greater Good type vibe (as others have already said).

EDIT: Yay for soundcloud links :)

[Shnoorum]

Sorry, I didn't record it due to the fact I had to hand record it through my phone. Tested it on the radio in general and it was just awfull quality. Decided it woldn't have been worth it and would only ruin the song

[Shnoorum]

Oh pitchfork, you guys allways have our backs

[DigitalChaos]

fuck yea
http://soundcloud.com/howtodestroyangels/keep-it-together

[jrdsctt]

I take it back, sounds like a mix of "Even Deeper" and "The Greater Good".

[bgalbraith]

Tried to stream it while driving through New Hampshire. AT&T's coverage was awful, so I only got part of the interview and maybe the latter third of the song.

From what I heard, it definitely sounded like it came from the TGWTDT mindset.

[howdidislipinto]

Missed all of this by a few minutes. Stupid work! Obviously the song is up, but I hope someone captured the TR interview. Y'know, just like old times. :)

[Horican]

and you can download it, 320 kbps, from soundcloud. yay

[NIN64]

I'm digging it!

[chikodelportiko]

Video!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uBTUMADjGk

[slave2thewage]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uBTUMADjGk

[arsenic]

here's the interview if you missed it

https://rapidshare.com/files/1284921094/htda_radio_one_8_oct_2012.m4a

[witte]

you're all so fast.... :)

[The Reason Being]

Oopsie guys, looks like they forgot to disable the download option on that one.

[Sporadic]

New song kind of reminds me of Me, I'm Not.

With every additional listen, it's growing on me.

[Shnoorum]

Oopsie guys, looks like they forgot to disable the download option on that one.

I feel bad about this but YOINK! I'll be getting it first thing tomorrow anyway, this is just to tide me through to the morning

EDIT: To avoid myself double posting for the third time. My god. Earphones on this is amazing. Some weird ass things going on in there, love it

[gorast]

Wow, that was certainly an unexpected overload of information.

I'm surprised that they left the Soundcloud download link up. Though, since it caps off at 100 (is that still what Soundcloud does?), it shouldn't be a huge thing.

[sheepdean]

http://www.ninwiki.com/Keep_It_Together#Lyrics

There's going to be errors (no way in fuck is she saying disasembelee for example), but this is lyrics 0.1

[Frozen Beach]

I'm a bit disappointed. This still sounds NINish. I'm starting to think Trent is having problems escaping from his current sound.

[BenAkenobi]

it sounds very similar to Book Of Eli score, dare i say

[DigitalChaos]

Video!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uBTUMADjGk
... wtf. are they trolling us?

[Sporadic]

http://www.ninwiki.com/Keep_It_Together#Lyrics

There's going to be errors (no way in fuck is she saying disasembelee for example), but this is lyrics 0.1

It sounds like she's saying disassembling.

[NIN64]

... wtf. are they trolling us?
Best music video I've seen in years IMHO!

[jessamineny]

... wtf. are they trolling us?

I felt like I got video Rick Roll'd.

[Sporadic]

With the way the title is stylized, my Year Zero offshoot theory doesn't seem that crazy :)


Year Zero was suppose to be a warning from the future to change our ways. We did change but maybe just enough to fuck with the future and not change the outcome? (or I guess if we are receiving the message this late, we delayed it a bit)

It makes sense that the more you mess with our present time, the more you inadvertently mess with the future. Those people aren't going to be the same.

[Shnoorum]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq6LYA7jYtI

I knew it reminded me of something. Akira Yamaoka goes hand in hand with these guys sometimes. All very talented buggers

[ManBurning]

Meh, just something about this side project rubs me the wrong way. I think i'll just hold off for the next NIN record if that ever comes out. I juat can't get into HTDA no matter how hard I try, and this track is no exception. I Think it's her voice that bothers me. Even with Trent singing more clearly on this song couldn't save it, so maybe my problem with the song lies a little deeper than Mariqueen's voice. It's very repetitive and kinda of drones on for 5 minutes. It's almost like the song is building up to something, but then just fades out and you're left still waiting for that big payoff.

[all3n_y]

Yes! A million times, yes! I liked the beginning but kept waiting for some sort of climax that never came!

[theperfectdruga]

Meh, just something about this side project rubs me the wrong way. I think i'll just hold off for the next NIN record if that ever comes out. I juat can't get into HTDA no matter how hard I try, and this track is no exception. I Think it's her voice that bothers me. Even with Trent singing more clearly on this song couldn't save it, so maybe my problem with the song lies a little deeper than Mariqueen's voice. It's very repetitive and kinda of drones on for 5 minutes. It's almost like the song is building up to something, but then just fades out and you're left still waiting for that big payoff.

I am with you 100%. I keep hearing how this is going to be different than the first EP, and it sounds the same. Best song HTDA has done was the cover on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo soundtrack. Not a good sign when you best effort is a cover.

[voidnz]

Has Trent been on Radio One yet?

THe new song is cool, but I can't say i'm blown away. I can see it being a grower though. I guess HTDA is going to be a bit like that.

[sheepdean]

New single, new video, and we're cluttering up the EP discussion thread

[DVYDRNS]

All i can say is... eh?

[gorast]

... wtf. are they trolling us?
Well, no one ever said we'd be getting a real music video for the song. Trent said they were working on "videos", and this probably isn't one of them.

I'll admit, I sat there the whole time waiting for something to happen, like the console blowing up or something.

Kind of like how I waited for something to really happen with the song.

[Shnoorum]

Meh, just something about this side project rubs me the wrong way. I think i'll just hold off for the next NIN record if that ever comes out. I juat can't get into HTDA no matter how hard I try, and this track is no exception. I Think it's her voice that bothers me. Even with Trent singing more clearly on this song couldn't save it, so maybe my problem with the song lies a little deeper than Mariqueen's voice. It's very repetitive and kinda of drones on for 5 minutes. It's almost like the song is building up to something, but then just fades out and you're left still waiting for that big payoff.

Well everyone is entitled to their own taste and opiniont so it's all good. Not that you needed my permission in the first place or anything. I'm actually adoring their sound. It's so calm and collected. I'd go as far as to say I'm looking forward to the EP and LP more than potential new NIN stuff.

[The Reason Being]

I don't think the anticipation and hype serves this music well. I really enjoyed the track, but I don't see HTDA being the kind of music that blows your head off right off the bat. This might be music to come back to after the hype has died down a little. I found the same with the first EP and the Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack. It's seething and it gets under skin, all it needs is time.

Very reminiscent of Massive Attack in my opinion.

[Corey Bloom]

I love the new song. It'll aid me in writing papers this semester I'm sure haha.

[NIN64]

Kinda slower then I'd expect for a single, but I like it.

[Fragilicity]

I really enjoyed it, wish I had my headphones cause I really appreciate the ambiance and left/right work.

[sheepdean]

I wonder if the video is ONLY trolling, or is related to the tape distortion of the artwork?

[BlueCalx]

Oh, hey, this isn't so bad! Is this going to be the vibe they're going for with all their stuff, though? This very downbeat, ambient pop? "Keep it together___" is nice and all, but even an EP of songs that sound exactly like this would grow stale quickly. It appeals to the side of me that really likes weird noises, but there's not much tune to it, it's all tension and no release.

[Sporadic]

I wonder if the video is ONLY trolling, or is related to the tape distortion of the artwork?

I'm surprised more people haven't seen music videos like that. Either debut stuff or people filming a vinyl playing.

Example:
https://vimeo.com/35405480
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW4outnu6os

[Frozen Beach]

I wonder if the video is ONLY trolling, or is related to the tape distortion of the artwork?
I think Trent doesn't really give a shit about actual music videos anymore, so he just did it this way because he thought it was neat to show it playing off the reel.

[voidnz]

It's probably not a music video. It's probably just a way of putting a song on youtube more interestingly than using a still image.

Has Trent been on Zane Lowe's show yet? edit: fuck missed it. what did he say

[The Reason Being]

He said they were going for quite a restrained approach this time around and experimenting with "space" in the music, something he "never really did with NIN". That and the full length LP is 98% finished.

Other than that nothing particularly insightful. Zane was trying to get more out of him but it didn't seem like he wanted to give anything away.

98%. Haha. Cry.

[Fragilicity]

He said they were going for quite a restrained approach this time around and experimenting with "space" in the music, something he "never really did with NIN".

I can definitely see what he meant by that, I only have listened to it on these shitty desktop speakers here at work and it 'felt' like a 'deep' song if you know what I mean. Honestly I didn't even listen to the vocals the couple times I listened to it, this one will be on repeat for a while picking out all the little things.

[DigitalChaos]

It's probably not a music video. It's probably just a way of putting a song on youtube more interestingly than using a still image.

Has Trent been on Zane Lowe's show yet? edit: fuck missed it. what did he say
That was one of my thoughts. It's much better than a static image that most use. The first 40sec of audio though...

[butter_hole]

this is fucking doooopeee

[thelastdisciple]

Not sure if I'm a big fan of this track, i don't hate it but really.... another "Discipline" style vocal hiccup, juggling vocal takes from Trent and Mariqueen with no real melody just out of sync and messy sounding.....

Some of Q's vocals even sound out of place in spots over this beat, it doesn't flow well for me...

I'm trying to find something to really hang on to here, something to like...

Listening to this track over and over, something's gotta give!

I can't see this as single and winning over the mainstream to a new band that's for sure.

[DigitalChaos]

That and the full length LP is 98% finished.
98%. Haha. Cry.
This is what "SOON" means!

[The Reason Being]

I wonder what gives with the download being still up on Soundcloud... They must know that 538 people have downloaded the track for free.

[Leviathant]

Because it's super unusual for Trent Reznor to post his music online for free. :confused:

[sheepdean]

Because it's super unusual for Trent Reznor to post his music online for free. :confused:
ETS: The only place where people complain about paid tracks, free tracks, unreleased tracks AND released tracks.

[gorast]

I liked that Zane shit on Trent a little bit after that 98% figure, considering we heard almost the same thing a year ago. 2015 indeed.

[WorzelG]

The fact that this was announced and first aired in the UK makes me more hopeful for an international tour of some nature

[Shnoorum]

Because it's super unusual for Trent Reznor to post his music online for free. :confused:

I still feel kind of bad about yoinking it like that. Intentional or not. I'll buy the single first thing tomorrow I promise

[marodi]

I wonder what gives with the download being still up on Soundcloud... They must know that 538 people have downloaded the track for free.

What Leviathant said and also, I've been thinking: TR & Co know that their fanbase is full of nerds who would have rip the song anyway after it had aired. Maybe they just want to people to listen to good quality version of the song instead of cheap quality?

Just a thought...

About the song itself: like others have said it's very Year Zero-ish and I like that. I dig the calmness of it.

[slave2thewage]

Eh, I'm buying the EP anyway so I might just download this.

[marodi]

^^

Same here.

[The Reason Being]

It's super unusual for a free download to be left up by a band that also has that same song coming out the next day as a paid... download.

But who needs logic anyways. Free tunes! And i'm pretty sure no one's complaining. I'm definitely not :)

[thelastdisciple]

I don't get any Year Zero feels from this :[

[PhoenixML]

That's it? A boring Even Deeper/Me I'm Not/Great Good/anything boring from Ghosts or soundtrack/anything boring from the first EP-esque song?

That was worth waiting two years!

[/joking-ish / overeacting a little bit / have a sense of humour / simply not my cup of tea in the end]

[Shnoorum]

I don't get any Year Zero feels from this :[

I'm not getting much of a feel of anything NIN from this. As I said earlier, it reminds me a lot of "Drops of Shame" from the Silent Hill 4 OST. The drummy things (Marvel at the extent of my musicy knowlegde!) have a huge similarity in my opinion

[jrdsctt]

So the track I downloaded off of their soundcloud has the artist name tagged as "How to destroy angels_". Is that how they are labeling it now?

[arsenic]

So the track I downloaded off of their soundcloud has the artist name tagged as "How to destroy angels_". Is that how they are labeling it now?

apparently, yes. Read the note below
http://pitchfork.com/news/48122-listen-new-track-from-trent-reznors-how-to-destroy-angels-keep-it-together/

[The Reason Being]

The beginning reminds me of one of the Closer remixes, forgot which one. But still, i'm feeling this track a lot

[Shnoorum]

Also, I'd also like to point out that this is in no way dance music

[jrdsctt]

apparently, yes. Read the note below
http://pitchfork.com/news/48122-listen-new-track-from-trent-reznors-how-to-destroy-angels-keep-it-together/

Ugh, I dislike when bands change stuff like that. The purest in me likes to keep everything properly tagged in my music library so then everything isn't all grouped together.

[Leviathant]

It's super unusual for a free download to be left up by a band that also has that same song coming out the next day as a paid... download.

But who needs logic anyways. Free tunes! And i'm pretty sure no one's complaining. I'm definitely not :)

Just putting it out there - I haven't had to pay for a Nine Inch Nails release since With Teeth, but that's never stopped me. I think he knows that even once it's available for download, it will be copied by those who will copy. And NIN fans are certainly savvy enough that bypassing Soundcloud would only stall a dedicated downloader by about 90 seconds, and then it's on filesharing networks where downloads can't be tracked. With that in mind, I think it makes sense to post it on Soundcloud with a download option.

[sheepdean]

apparently, yes. Read the note below
http://pitchfork.com/news/48122-listen-new-track-from-trent-reznors-how-to-destroy-angels-keep-it-together/
That ... is kinda pretentious.

Probably the first negative thing I've said about the band/collective

[jessamineny]

Actually, I think it is interesting that it's a free download on SoundCloud a day before the paid download is available, since the band is on a label now. They must have negotiated a pretty kick-ass contract.

[Maul]

Oh men,both voices complement each other so good.I dig the vocals a lot more than the ones from the first EP.

[richardp]

Really reminds me of Massive Attack. I like it.

[Virtua Afro DJ]

I'm surprised more people haven't seen music videos like that. Either debut stuff or people filming a vinyl playing.

Example:
https://vimeo.com/35405480
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW4outnu6os

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbW3JaLwsQ4

[jhulud]

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff36/jhulud/Random/ILikeIt.jpg

[butter_hole]

for people putting this on their iPod, you can keep the tags as How to destroy angels_ but if you make the album artist in the tags as How To Destroy Angels - it should stay together as the same artist. i think.

[thelastdisciple]

for people putting this on their iPod, you can keep the tags as How to destroy angels_ but if you make the album artist in the tags as How To Destroy Angels - it should stay together as the same artist. i think.
I just went and updated their first EP to the lowercase and _ style that's all.

[BRoswell]

Oh no! The names have underscores in them! What ever will I do? :p I wasn't that bothered by it, but I DID change it in iTunes just for the sake of organization.

Okay, first off: I don't feel bad about downloading it from Soundcloud. They obviously want people to download it or else they wouldn't have made the download an option. Whose to say it won't be taken off there tomorrow when it gets officially released? Second, I love this track, and based on it, I WILL be buying the EP when it comes out next month.

[DigitalChaos]

For iTunes and any connected players... yea it shows as a different artist. It took all of 5 seconds to batch change all the ID3 tags.

[carpenoctem]

I dig the downtempo grooviness of this. I hate to keep comparing it to NIN, but my first impression was of a slower, mellow, sexier Even Deeper. And I love that his vocals are more prominent. I think he and Mariqueen sharing vocal duty is the most interesting part of this project. Anyway, this is not a paradigm shift for Trent, but maybe it's time to stop expecting one from him. How many artists have a sound as clearly defined and recognizable as him? If it ain't broke...

[BRoswell]

Anyway, this is not a paradigm shift for Trent, but maybe it's time to stop expecting one from him. How many artists have a sound as clearly defined and recognizable as him? If it ain't broke...

That's exactly how I feel.

[wizfan]

I have it on repeat. It slowly grows on me. I, too, like many others, was disappointed at first. I expected some kind of climax or shift in dynamics, something like BAM! But I believe not adding one is kind of the point of the song; evolution on static things or something like that. Trent's loop-based music had started to annoy me a little bit after Dragon Tattoo (the CFITT loops certainly spoiled a lot of the fun), but playing KIT on repeat feels like one big loop. It feels so relaxing. And that's a plus, considering how unsettling the Dragon Tattoo OST was. It certainly isn't one of the most memorable tracks Trent and co. have put out, but doesn't feel as forgettable as the HTDA EP. There is a certain kind of depth to it. I'd like to hear a lossless version.

I totally agree that the added underscores are pretentious, though. Will the EP have brackets as well?

[dominik]

I don't really understand how people hear a similarity to Massive Attack, but whatever.

I like the track, especially the guitars. Unsure about the vocals though.

[wizfan]

I don't really understand how people hear a similarity to Massive Attack, but whatever.

I don't even understand how people compare this with Even Deeper and The Greater Good. What, because it's slow-paced and down-tempo and ambient-y? It's kind of a stretch.

[talkingnothing]

very happy to hear new stuff from htda. I'm quite enjoying the track, it mingles well with a lot of things i've been listening to lately like 70s eno and some dark ambient electronic stuff. as far as the soundcloud download I'm very pleased about that too. I was beginning to worry if somehow i would have to buy this track 3 times which may have bothered me. I honestly thought it strange that it was going to come out as a paid single just a few weeks before the ep that i'll be paying for.

[Magtig]

I think I understand where people are drawing most of their comparisons. The "zap" snare sound is very reminiscent of some of the sounds used on Year Zero, the dark basslines and female vocals are very reminiscent of classic Massive Attack (some of the material of Mezzanine anyway), etc.

That said, after listening to this five or six times I'm really starting to think it's got some of the best of all those things. It's another puzzling choice for a first single, and it's extremely unlikely to get HTDA new fans, but that's not going to stop me from enjoying it. I like that it's so abstract; it's all tension and no release, as others have mentioned, but I think that's a strength in this case.

[jrdsctt]

I don't even understand how people compare this with Even Deeper and The Greater Good. What, because it's slow-paced and down-tempo and ambient-y? It's kind of a stretch.

The beat to the song is what reminded me of The Greater good, and I though the song kinda feels like the end of Even Deeper. I'm don't think it's a bad thing and I am not getting all pissed that it sounds too much like NIN. I'll admit that when I listen to music I know Trent has worked on I can't help but compare it to his other work. Perhaps I should try to refrain from doing this in the future.

[The Reason Being]

I don't understand comparisons to Even Deeper / Greater Good, but I can definitely understand why some people would be reminded of Massive Attack, myself included.

If someone had played this song to me in between a couple of tracks from Heligoland, i'd have been fooled. That said, i'd rather not try to compare this to other stuff, i'm digging it a lot after some good headphone listens.

[hobochic]

Straight from the cookie cutter that brought you hits about fading, seeing right through yourself and disappearing! comes a brand new track containing those same lyrics and concepts! It's new, it's fresh, it's generic cookie cutter music volume 5.

"fade"
"see right through myself"
"disappear"

Seriously?

[dominik]

I don't understand comparisons to Even Deeper / Greater Good, but I can definitely understand why some people would be reminded of Massive Attack, myself included.

If someone had played this song to me in between a couple of tracks from Heligoland, i'd have been fooled. That said, i'd rather not try to compare this to other stuff, i'm digging it a lot after some good headphone listens.

I understand why someone would compare this to Portishead's Third, but Heligoland is just absurd.

[The Reason Being]

I understand why someone would compare this to Portishead's Third, but Heligoland is just absurd.

Really? Fair enough. In my head I was placing it somewhere between Paradise Circus (Vocally) & Flat of The Blade (Musically). Doesn't seem like much of a stretch to me. Anyway sorry this is off topic-ish

[Conrad Lienert]

I absolutely love it!!!

It sounds menacing and calming at the same time. Great song!

[jrdsctt]

The more and more I am listening to it the more I am falling in love with the quiet and subtleness of Mariqueen's vocals. It very soothing blanketed in the dark electronic noises.

[thevoid99]

I like it. It has a bit of NIN in it but with this groove that is just intoxicating and Mariqueen's voice definitely fits in with that sound.

[GoodSoldier333]

I hate singles/singe-song releases/listen-tos because so much is expected and weighed on one song. That said, i expected a bit more than this. And better.

[Highly Psychological]

Im liking it now, very calming, melancholic , hearing the shoegaze band's Seefeel or Slowdive's album Pygmalion big time in this.
Im now thinking its going to be a experimental record. SPACE music.
The soft vocals, the sparseness of it all with electronic fuzzing glitching and the droning's in the background.
Its got the same production sound as Year Zero or NINs later work but i think the track itself sounds very different.

Again a very Bizarre way to promote the band choosing this track. But then again The Day the Whole World went away with that slow video was an odd choice for the first single off the Fragile.
Maybe this is the band saying 'we are not what you expect'?

Zane Lowe i just cannot fucking stand. King Asslicker, Why Trent likes him again perplexes me.

[The Reason Being]

I'm pretty sure Trent just puts up with Zane because he's (probably) the most surefire way to get his projects noticed by most casual british music listeners.

[butter_hole]

King Asslicker, Why Trent likes him again perplexes me.
you answered your own question

[r_z]

I like the song. Not Loving it. Yet.

Let's see, how the Ep/Lp will sound. I'm hoping for more surprises... and dare I say: Better lyrics.


Also:


CFITT


KIT

I hate it, when people do that. Costs me years figuring out which songs were meant.

WHICH SONGS WERE MEANT?

[the duder]

Hilarious to read the reactions to this. "It's TOO much like NIN!" followed by "It's too anti-climatic; where's the climax?" etc. NIN was/is known for their pop sensibilities; why not paint outside of the lines and explore around a bit? Also, WTF - this band consists of not one, but two Reznors. I'm willing to guess that they have similar enough tastes in artistic expression that it would be hard pressed for this to not pang of NIN.

Anyway, glad to have heard this track; look forward to more listens and more material to see how this fits "in context".

[jrdsctt]

I like the song. Not Loving it. Yet.

Let's see, how the Ep/Lp will sound. I'm hoping for more surprises... and dare I say: Better lyrics.


Also:





I hate it, when people do that. Costs me years figuring out which songs were meant.

WHICH SONGS WERE MEANT?

CFITT = Comes Forth In The Thaw
KIT = Keep It Together

[Collin]

What can I say? I am entirely disappointed by "Keep It Together." I like the drum and bass sections at the start, also the eerie piano parts in the first half are great. But, Trent has made better versions of this type of the song in the past (Greater Good, Me Im Not) and the repetitive second half of the song just didn't do much for me. I guess HTDA is becoming an extension of those type of songs, which is fine. I think TSIP, Parasite, ISYLSE? and A Drowning are all solid songs. That said, this certainly isn't worst song he's done, and I'm still plenty excited for the EP and LP. Just hope the other songs are better...

[jessamineny]

Again a very Bizarre way to promote the band choosing this track. But then again The Day the Whole World went away with that slow video was an odd choice for the first single off the Fragile.
Maybe this is the band saying 'we are not what you expect'?


Interesting thought. I bet you're onto something there.

[cashpiles (closed)]

Don't like it. It's a grey blob of boring and Mariqueen's vocals are terrible IMO. (Destroyer remix is pretty cool though)

[sheepdean]

Let's see how many of you are honest: UK download is live (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009MGWAGU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B009MGWAGU&linkCode=as2&tag=sheepdeantumb-21)

[jessamineny]

Let's see how many of you are honest: UK download is live (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009MGWAGU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B009MGWAGU&linkCode=as2&tag=sheepdeantumb-21)

What do you mean by honest?

[sheepdean]

I mean paying for the single :P

[jessamineny]

I mean paying for the single :P

What's dishonest about not buying it? The band put it up for free on SoundCloud.

[richardp]

I don't really understand how people hear a similarity to Massive Attack, but whatever.

Because it sounds like it could easily fit on Mezzanine to me?

[witte]

Let's see how many of you are honest: UK download is live (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009MGWAGU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B009MGWAGU&linkCode=as2&tag=sheepdeantumb-21)

I'm honest: I don't buy it! :)

[zoomoon]

Really growing on me. Definitely a trip-hop element in there, perhaps even a bleak, Joy Division type feel to it.

[botley]

Loving it. Very brooding in a sinister way. Haters suck

[Shnoorum]

I adore it so much that I think listening to it full blast with headphones just gave me the final push into the world of tinnitus. Get a real weird buzzing noise in my left ear once I take the headphones out that lasts about 3 - 5 minutes every time I listen to it full blast. Ah well, it was inevitable really. Totally worth it!

[jrdsctt]

I am not good with instruments, but the bassish sounding riff in this track sounds a lot like the guitar (I think?) riff from Head Down.

[Reaps]

Really enjoying the vibe to this. Some elements of it do remind me a lot of The Fragile, regardless.. It's a nice slice of something new.

[shagg_187]

Surprised that hotline is not updated... :P

[Leviathant]

Surprised that hotline is not updated... :P

There are only so many hours in the day, and only so many people who log in and update :b Soon!

[shagg_187]

There are only so many hours in the day, and only so many people who log in and update :b Soon!

Aww! <3 :o

[DigitalChaos]

Surprised that hotline is not updated... :P
What is this, the HTDAHotline?!

[shagg_187]

What is this, the HTDAHotline?!

Yes... Yes, it is!

[danebraddy]

...no real melody just out of sync and messy sounding.....

Some of Q's vocals even sound out of place in spots over this beat, it doesn't flow well...


Almost like they can't... keep it together...

athankyou

[peanoot3]

I had to give it a few listens before commenting. At first I was very skeptical about the new sound, but it has really grown on me. It is not a straightforward song, but it is very mysterious, dark, and eerie in a way that is not pretentious. I love the downtempo approach to it, and a put a good pair of headphones on my head and heard the microbeats, subtleties, and oddly placed textures in the music. It is not accessible by any means, which is something I thought we would get. I really admire the new approach and can't wait to see what they have planned, in terms of aesthetics for the music.

[Harry Seaward]

I bought the song on Amazon, but I still downloaded the Soundcloud file because it's better quality. Win-win.

[gorast]

I bought the song on Amazon, but I still downloaded the Soundcloud file because it's better quality. Win-win.
Same here. We're obviously the cool kids on this forum.

[Harry Seaward]

Is there a definitive stylization of the track? The YouTube video lists it is Keep it together_ which fits in line with the new band name and EP, but the Soundcloud/Amazon links don't include the underscore. I really hate things like this. Just give me something consistent.

[fillow]

not listening till the full EP is out

[icklekitty]

I like listening to the composite parts/instruments, but it just doesn't stick together for me.

[somethingelse]

Nice track, looking forward to hearing it in context with the EP.

[Ash512]

If that's the single, not sure what to expect from the deep cuts...

[Presideo]

I like listening to the composite parts/instruments, but it just doesn't stick together for me.
So you're trying to say that they couldn't keep it together?


Is there a definitive stylization of the track? The YouTube video lists it is Keep it together_ which fits in line with the new band name and EP, but the Soundcloud/Amazon links don't include the underscore. I really hate things like this. Just give me something consistent.
The ID3 tags of both the Soundcloud version and the iTunes version don't use the underscore for the track. However, the iTunes version has the song as "Keep It Together", while everybody else uses "Keep it together" so it doesn't seem like there's consistently to anything. Also, the iTunes version doesn't have the underscore after the band name. Blame Columbia Records.

[Leman Russ]

I love the music of the song, but not the vocals. Also, it just kinda feels like the song goes nowhere.

[jrdsctt]

not listening till the full EP is out

What a champ. You possess the self restraint that most Trent fans severally lack.

[Iran_Ed]

I wish every release Trent and company released came with a instrumental disc also. I just can't take the lyrics. " I feel the skin that seperates us start to fade and when I lie on top of you I'm afraid."

[BenAkenobi]

Regarding _ symbol:
sometimes it replaces "forbidden" symbols in filenames (such as ? / \ : < > etc.)
So if somebody wrote How to destroy angels? then the question mark could've turned into _

[snaapz]

"the skin that separates us"

Does this have to do with skin colour & race?

Or

Does this have to do with being released from from your body; becoming concious & even physical on a different level or in some other plane?


"There is a voice inside of me"

Is this mediumship? There is a track called "Speaking in tounges"... related?



Why doesn't the person telling the story want to hear the message? Well she does I'm guessing, but she doesn't want to hear what it has to say... Danger? Too difficult to handle the message?


Does this video have more going on than simply showing off a reel to reel?

[DVYDRNS]

It's just not that good...

[Canuckle]

I'm enjoying the track. Nothing groundbreaking, but I expect it to fit in better when surrounded by the EP and LP. Nice to have to new music either way.

Also, I feel the reason the download link is available is because A) HTDA can control the quality of the 'release' and foreboding file sharing ; B) they are smart enough (and hopefully kind enough) to know that it's inappropriate to ask for their listeners to shell out three times for the same song (single, EP, LP); and C) Trent's projects have a tendency to surface this way, so it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

Lastly, I'm having fun with the criticism because it sounds like the same critique we have heard of Trent for the past 10 years. E.g., "This track doesn't climax", "The lyrics are horrid", "Not what I expected, therefore, it's trbl". To each their own and if you don't dig it, that's cool; but it's still funny to hear the same critique of every Trent release in the past decade (not to mention people forming concrete opinions within 24 hours of a release).

[fillow]

What a champ. You possess the self restraint that most Trent fans severally lack.
I just didn't like HTDA EP as much as recent NIN works and even TR/AR soundtracks, hence no urge to listen to the song immediately. This wouldn't be the case if it was new NIN song.

[jmtd]

I'm surprised more people haven't seen music videos like that. Either debut stuff or people filming a vinyl playing.


One of my favourite examples: HD, so the audio is good, with the music video in a PIP, probably at around the resolution it was broadcast in anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dihomoWYKwI

Also, this is the first HTDA track with forefront vocals from Trent, isn't it? Sign of the future?

[theimage13]

Song is growing on me. Certainly not my favorite track from them, but I like it.

Video was watched once, and will remain that way. Not complaining - just nothing I have any desire to revisit.

[konstantin]

KIT_ = old Telefon Tel Aviv - (melody + distinctive sexy vocals)

which i guess amounts to a sinister Telefon Tel Aviv. definitely intrigued about the EP and the LP, but not really getting into KIT_, even after more than 50 listens

[Maul]

I don't know the place this song is gonna hold on the album,but it really sounds like a transition to me.

[Shnoorum]

Let's see how many of you are honest: UK download is live (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009MGWAGU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B009MGWAGU&linkCode=as2&tag=sheepdeantumb-21)

Done and done. Normally I wouldnt care but I like these guys and they deserve my money

[witte]

You mean, the guys on Columbia. You're thoughtful. Pff

[gorast]

One of my favourite examples: HD, so the audio is good, with the music video in a PIP, probably at around the resolution it was broadcast in anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dihomoWYKwI

Also, this is the first HTDA track with forefront vocals from Trent, isn't it? Sign of the future?

I wouldn't call it forefront vocals, necessarily - Mariqueen handled the heavy lifting with the vocals. Trent sung three words over and over. His vocals were fairly prevalent in IYLSE? too, to a lesser extent.

Though, I was pretty surprised by how up-front his vocals were. I didn't really think that was the focus of HTDA. Oh well. Maybe he just got tired of not singing on anything he released.

[R37R0]

I like it.

Tempted to buy the vinyl of the new EP when it comes out but dont enjoy the postage costs to the UK when buying from the NIN sites (CDs etc). Hopefully it will be available on amazon or something.

[seasonsinthesky]

i like that they're continuing the supercreepy, downtempo direction. i'll admit this song in particular doesn't instantly resonate with me, though, and that its placement on the EP will probably make more sense of it. kinda hoping the arrangements are different this time — if they sat on this for the past year and were still okay with most/every song opening with the beat repeating four times, i may have to cry and whine on the internet about it!

[jessamineny]

It's the opening song

[konstantin]

according to Rob KIT's "a preview of the full album":

https://twitter.com/rob_sheridan/status/255716292311523328

EDIT: well i took that as a good representation of what to expect. so here we go: looped beats, textures, weird sounds, more experimental/less poppy, SINISTER(!!!) but who knows, maybe HDTA will end up on the Beatport dance hits chart! ;-)

[adrenalinejunkie]

I quite dig this track. The subtle instrumental texture is somewhat reminiscent of the Fragile. Groundbreaking? nah. But it is has me very excited for the EP and the forthcoming album.

[somewhat_]

according to Rob KIT's "a preview of the full album":

https://twitter.com/rob_sheridan/status/255716292311523328



The way I read it was that the EP (not KIT) is a preview for the LP. Maybe I'm wrong? I sure as hell hope I'm not wrong.

[blassster]

The way I read it was that the EP (not KIT) is a preview for the LP. Maybe I'm wrong? I sure as hell hope I'm not wrong.

That's what I took from it.

[nimbus]

ahead of his time again, awesome track

[BrokenSpiral]

The song has grown on me. I'm still kinda bored with her voice. She has a nice voice but she always sounds bored and there's no.. Energy to it.

But I like the song. Hopefully the album gets a few more upbeat songs.

[DigitalChaos]

so uh... The tags on the iTunes purchase are "How to Destroy Angels" "Keep It Together - Single"
was pitchfork's comment about the capitalization and underscore changes just sarcasm?

[jessamineny]

so uh... The tags on the iTunes purchase are "How to Destroy Angels" "Keep It Together - Single"
was pitchfork's comment about the capitalization and underscore changes just sarcasm?

It's probably how the intern at the record label submitted it.

[sheepdean]

Amazon's has all the underscores and lowercase bullshit, I think it's just iTunes being iTunes tbh

[gorast]

iTunes does that with literally everything. I'd go with what HTDA uses, such as in the Soundcloud source.

[carpenoctem]

Listening to this at work today made me like it a lot more. It's a grower, friends. Just like A Drowning, I'm sure it will also sound way better in context.

[Shnoorum]

You mean, the guys on Columbia. You're thoughtful. Pff

Hey now, be nice. That was 89 frickin' p. Thats almost an entire pound of my money on this single. Damn right I'm thoughtful

But seriously I'm gonna pay for everything that comes from these guys. I'd prefer it if they got my money directly but either way stealing or being given music this good for free doesn't feel right

[Harry Seaward]

iTunes does that with literally everything. I'd go with what HTDA uses, such as in the Soundcloud source.

But the Soundcloud and Youtube both have different stylizations and they're both straight from the horse's Macbook. Can someone ask Rob about this?

[Deadpool]

But the Soundcloud and Youtube both have different stylizations and they're both straight from the horse's Macbook. Can someone ask Rob about this?

I was very pleasantly surprised by the free d/l on SoundCloud (and I continue to be grateful for it), but the inconsistent tagging was frustrating. If you're gonna have stylized text, that's fine (nearLY and aSHES dIVIDE never bothered me), but keep it consistent. As small a thing as it is, the title of the song (Keep it together) vs. the title of the album (Keep it Together) makes me a little crazy, just because I want the most "official" labels of everything in my music library.

I've only listened to the new single 3 times so far, but it's cool. Not mindblowing, but cool, and it's growing on me. I'm looking forward to listening to it on some good headphones. The idea of the band exploring tension is interesting: my favorite part of the song is easily the guitar strum followed by that high-pitched keyboard(?) at 1:09 - super creepy and awesome. I do hope we get some more dance-oriented, Fur Lined-esque stuff on the LP to break up the dread. I think that's still my favorite HTDA song if I had to choose.

[spahn]

If some of you haven't purchased the single yet, here is a way to get a $2 Amazon MP3 credit: http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/81154/amazon.com-free-amazon-2-mp3-credit

Go buy the single or if you haven't purchased the TR/AC/AR Telepathe Destroyer's Single (http://www.amazon.com/Destroyer/dp/B009KU9DZE/ref=sr_shvl_album_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349877538&sr=301-2), this would be a good use of the $2 credit.

[bgalbraith]

But the Soundcloud and Youtube both have different stylizations and they're both straight from the horse's Macbook. Can someone ask Rob about this?

Maybe each distribution channel will have its own stylization, just to drive us crazy. Or maybe it was a recent change and not everything got properly updated.

[snaapz]

I love that A# to C bass line. I enjoy this as an opening scene, dare I say it is a good theme setter... like how Mr. Self Destruct set the theme for TDS. (Falling apart/self destruct/cant keep it together).

I think I have an idea on what the singer is telling us... I didn't get any hits from my previous post about the lyrics.

"the skin that separates us" - Skin colour/race or the way physical form prevents us from ..?
"there is a voice inside of me" Is this mediumship? There is a track called "Speaking in tounges"... related? Is TR simply back up vox or is he portraying the voice?

I've listened to the track a few times now. Well done, very moody.

[DigitalChaos]

Maybe each distribution channel will have its own stylization, just to drive us crazy. Or maybe it was a recent change and not everything got properly updated.
Drive all the collectors nuts. Not only will you need every single release, but a copy of each spelling!

or... its a hidden code. OH SHIT
A: How to destroy angels_ , Keep it together
I: How to Destroy Angels, Keep It Together - Single
S: How to destroy angels_ , Keep it together
Y: How to destroy angels_ , Keep it together_

[hobochic]

"As_the_spirit_ wanes_the_form_appears_" – Charles Bukowski

[neorev]

love the music... the beat kinda has an Autechre-ish stutteryness to it
but i have to say that i do not like her vocals... they are a bit underwhelming
give me an instrumental and i'll be happy

[Miss.Selfdestruct]

i dig it, but it's such a YZ b-side with MQ's vocals...

[Shnoorum]

I'm hearing alot of complaints about the new single. If you dont like it you dont like it, I just dont get all this hate on it because it sounds to samey. I personally dont hear all that much of a resemblance to NIN at all. Of course you can hear Trents trademark style but he is in the band. Why anyone on a NIN forum would complain that it sounds too samey to NIN on a NIN forum is beyond me to begin with. I really dont know what people were expecting but in my eyes this exceeds all my expectations tenfold and I really cannot wait to hear more.

Anyway, thats me done with defending my beloved music. On another note, my god KIT really does have an amazing feel when combined with the artwork. Rob has reeeeeelly outdone himself this time round

[hobochic]

Why anyone on a NIN forum would complain that it sounds too samey to NIN on a NIN forum is beyond me to begin with.

Do you strictly hang out with friends who agree with everything you say and do? Being a fan of someone's back catalogue doesn't mean you can't develop and express opinions that might critique new work; make fun of it or expect something diffrent. Some of my favorite writers and filmmakers usually release work that I start to feel as recycled or less interesting compared to previous work. It doesn't mean I don't like the artist, it means I'm not feeling that particular piece. In this case: It's not NIN, it's HTDA and it feels like the lyrics were grabbed from 5 other NIN songs. It feels recycled and predictable = something I'm not used to when it comes to Trent's work (well, I'm starting to get used to it, to be honest).

"It's free music, shut the F up" - when people bring in money to the discussion (I know you didn't) you know you're discussing two entirely different things.

We're all talking about Trent Reznor, probably one of the first people to throw other musicians under the bus in social media (Chris Cornell?).

Who knows, maybe this new EP is amazing, disappointing first single though.

[Shnoorum]

Do you strictly hang out with friends who agree with everything you say and do? Being a fan of someone's back catalogue doesn't mean you can't develop and express opinions that might critique new work; make fun of it or question it. Some of my favorite writers and filmmakers usually release work that I start to feel as recycled or less interesting compared to previous work. It doesn't mean I don't like the artist, it means I'm not feeling that particular piece. In this case: It's not NIN, it's HTDA and it feels like the lyrics were grabbed from 5 other NIN songs. It feels recycled and predictable = something I'm not used to when it comes to Trent's work (well, I'm starting to get used to it, to be honest).

"It's free music, shut the F up" - when people bring in money to the discussion (I know you didn't) you know the conversation is over.

We're all talking about Trent Reznor, probably one of the first people to throw other musicians under the bus in social media (Chris Cornell?).

Who knows, maybe this new EP is amazing, shitty first single though.

I'm unsure how this comes into the equation but when it comes to people I know I share complete opposites when it comes to taste. Trent has used those themes in pretty much all his albums from the very beginning. It would be very difficult to be a fan of Trents work if this puts you off. I understand that people were expecting this band to be different and in my eyes they very much are but this is still Trent Reznor and music from him will carry his style no matter how different you expect it to be.

I don't know why I care if people like it or not. I guess It's just frustrating that now the musics out it hasn't been received well when I really cant understand what the problem is. Mariqueen is fantastic, it contains Robs finest work, and Atticus and Trent are showing how far the soundtracks have gotten them when it comes to dark tones and ambience.

[hobochic]

I guess It's just frustrating that now the musics out it hasn't been received well when I really cant understand what the problem is.

I don't know, but from the little I've seen on this forum the new music seems to be liked by most fans. I'm surprised by how well it's being received actually. It gives me hope and I would love to be wrong about this project ;)

[witte]

what's the problem if it's not received well? who the fuck cares. music is emotion like art.
you like it or you like it not.
i like it, and that's the most important thing for me.

[hobochic]

who the fuck cares. music is emotion like art.
you like it or you like it not.
i like it, and that's the most important thing for me.

I wanna like it too dammit.

But I HATE it. THAT's my problem.

[r_z]

To be fair: Lyrics never been NIN's strong point (with the exception of TDS, The Slip and maybe Year Zero). For me it's always been the production that kept me hooked on Trents music...

[k258]

I've been stewing over this, and find the posts in this thread interesting. The phrase I notice over and over is "growing on me." It looks like the NIN fan base is trying very hard to like this, even after having a less than positive initial reaction to it. A loyal bunch. From a marketing perspective, I don't think a song that has to grow on you is going to get very far, and as some have said, isn't going to bring in new fans.

Many of the original NIN fans from the Broken/TDS era already jumped ship when WT came out. But THTF brought in legions of new fans. Recent tours saw audiences filled with fresh, young, college-aged faces. How many of them will weather this shift? They came to rock out. Will they stay to hear Q drone? Trent's "space in the music" might translate into space in the concert venue. Signing with a major label doesn't look like a bad idea. They can use the marketing clout.

Personally, I hoped it would grow on me, too. But after several listenings, I had to face facts. When the track starts, I am attracted to the feel of it. But then Q starts singing about skin and I cringe. It's all about the lyrics after that. And the overlapping vocals seems gimmicky to me. What to do? I've had such a good time loving NIN, I don't want to let go. I guess I'll have to step aside and watch from the wings in case things heat up again.

[BenAkenobi]

Maybe this is Reznor's take on “industrial” genre after all? (instead of his usual stadium rock he made with nin)

[screwdriver]

To be fair: Lyrics never been NIN's strong point (with the exception of TDS, The Slip and maybe Year Zero). For me it's always been the production that kept me hooked on Trents music...

hahahaha ... year zero and the slip? ich....
still, TR's lyrics I've always thought got a bum rap. he's got some clunkers but he's got some real gems in there. sometimes he hits the spot exactly, and frankly, that's much better than most people can do, myself included.

[screwdriver]

I've been stewing over this, and find the posts in this thread interesting. The phrase I notice over and over is "growing on me." It looks like the NIN fan base is trying very hard to like this, even after having a less than positive initial reaction to it. A loyal bunch. From a marketing perspective, I don't think a song that has to grow on you is going to get very far, and as some have said, isn't going to bring in new fans.

Many of the original NIN fans from the Broken/TDS era already jumped ship when WT came out. But THTF brought in legions of new fans. Recent tours saw audiences filled with fresh, young, college-aged faces. How many of them will weather this shift? They came to rock out. Will they stay to hear Q drone? Trent's "space in the music" might translate into space in the concert venue. Signing with a major label doesn't look like a bad idea. They can use the marketing clout.

Personally, I hoped it would grow on me, too. But after several listenings, I had to face facts. When the track starts, I am attracted to the feel of it. But then Q starts singing about skin and I cringe. It's all about the lyrics after that. And the overlapping vocals seems gimmicky to me. What to do? I've had such a good time loving NIN, I don't want to let go. I guess I'll have to step aside and watch from the wings in case things heat up again.

I applaud your honesty, but I take issue with this:


From a marketing perspective, I don't think a song that has to grow on you is going to get very far, and as some have said, isn't going to bring in new fans.

From a pop perspective, you're totally right. But there's a lot of markets out there. TR's always been good with headphone-candy and there's a lot in here to like that really only comes out on repeat listens. That sort of stuff is what has given NIN staying power, for me. I'm interested to see him experiment with more dubstep (burial, not skrillex) influences of space and subsonics, which this song has all over it.

[PhoenixML]

I wanna like it too dammit.

But I HATE it. THAT's my problem.

Me too. I really really really wish I would love this single. But I can't. The more I listen to it, the more I can't take it. I do like the first EP.

[DigitalChaos]

Why is everyone talking about the enjoyment of HTDA_-=+)[| as some binary topic?
I, like the rest of this forum, like NIN a LOT. I also like Reznor, as an artist, a lot. I like Rob, as an artist, a lot. I am going to be interested in any of their future works. Do I like HTDA as much as I like NIN? not even close! That's because I am a gigantic NIN fag. I still enjoy a lot of Reznor's works outside of NIN.
I feel like most of us are rating the music based on replayability (i know this isn't a "real" word, fuck you). His soundtrack work probably has the least amount of replayability for me. HTDA has much better replayability. I consider his work with Saul and El-P to have even better replayability.

[Leviathant]

LOVE or HATE man, LOVE or HATE. PICK ONE AND STICK WITH IT

[Amaro]

I for one like her singing, it really fits...everything about it...vocal quality, delivery... Good melodies. Trent's vocal presence, though, actually throws things up in the air for me, AND it sounds too messy.

The lyrics, while I don't give shits about them, really poke out as all-too-familiar overall. Fuck, man.

The music's not bad...though expected... Thankfully not too glitchy in the beat (could've definitely been worse in that department).

I like the snare that sorta tweaks in pitch after it strikes.

I like the "ahhh"s in the second half.

I don't like the song.

[somethingelse]

I find any good soundtrack work to be highly repeatable for listening.

I've found with music that if the singer/songwriter is quite passionate and can carry a song with minimal instruments, then I am hooked.
I think hTDa is a different beast altogether.

[snaapz]

Thoughts on what we are hearing? I bet the notorious swarmatron is in there,,,

• Battery
• Bass Synth (A# down to C)
• VOX
• Something hitting C (Fade in Fade out 8 hits) Plucked string or..?
• Guitar Drone (A# up to C)
• (Without TR)- Distant Echo Piano (A# up to G)
• (With TR)- Distant Echo Piano (A# up to C back to A#)
• Vocal Synth
• Noise!
• C, D, F, G - At 3:24 in the video. Either Piano or Guitar. I could use help with this one because I'm not sure if D, F is # or not.


8/8?
84 tempo?

[FernandoDante]

I'm still ok with Mariqueen's vocals, but nothing more. They're not bad, they don't amaze me, they're just... there. I have a feeling that this could become tiresome over an hour of music.

[REPLICA]

Well.... I might get some hate for this comment but here goes.

When I heard that the tags for this were Dance & DJ, I thought I would hear something that would be in a Dance & DJ atmosphere. I was hoping that Trent would finally give us that club dance album we have been waiting for. When I heard this track, I thought it was good but after a few listens, I don't really like it. It's not the sort of track I would listen to during the day whilst walking around or hanging out with friends - Unless it was cold, dark and someone had their heart broken. I do of course understand that Trent and co. have the way of writing sad, depressing things but still; I can listen to a few of the tracks from the first EP anytime of day.

I really want the LP to be great. I'm not trying to bash HTDA or anything - I just found that this track doesn't sit well with me. So hopefully when the LP arrives, we'll all be happy. Or we could just get a boat (or two), row into the middle of Boston harbor and throw a bunch of copies of the LP into the water.

[carpenoctem]

I wouldn't call the track sad or depressing at all, I get dark and sexy and slightly creepy vibes. Not a heartbreak song.

[BRoswell]

When I heard that the tags for this were Dance & DJ, I thought I would hear something that would be in a Dance & DJ atmosphere. I was hoping that Trent would finally give us that club dance album we have been waiting for.

You set yourself up for disappointment there. Do you know how much stuff I have on iTunes that's labeled "Blues" just because somebody didn't bother to check to see if it was tagged properly? The tags mean nothing, just like the name of the band with or without an underscore means nothing. It's minutiae. If you just plain didn't care for the track that's fine, but I think getting your hopes up for something based on what some airhead on a website put for the tags was a mistake on your part, not the band's.

And the vibe I got from the song was sort of the vibe I got from Fur Lined. It's this idea of not being able to keep up appearances. Of becoming something else, and that something else may or may not be for the better. The subject is afraid of what might happen if they choose to embrace this.

[theperfectdruga]

Disclaimer: For those who can't handle bitching, please look away now.

The song sucks. Period. It was a terrible choice for a single. And somehow, they wasted even more time making the completely useless video. When did lazy become creative? I feel foolish for anticipating an album for 12 months, to get a repeated 3 second loop, with terrible lyrics, and messy harmonies on top of it. What in the hell is going on here? Is this really the best you have to offer for an eager audience? Most of the droning/atmosphere music on TGWTDT soundtrack is better. [/bitching]

So where do I buy the EP?

[GoodSoldier333]

Haha! Well, somebody had to say it.

[Leviathant]

Has anyone compared the audio of the video to the audio of the download? I'm kind of curious whether or not they actually used the tape machine's audio. Not that it really would make a noticeable difference to human ears, but it seems like the kind of thing they might do. Or they just dubbed on the digital version. *shrug*

[theperfectdruga]

Has anyone compared the audio of the video to the audio of the download? I'm kind of curious whether or not they actually used the tape machine's audio. Not that it really would make a noticeable difference to human ears, but it seems like the kind of thing they might do. Or they just dubbed on the digital version. *shrug*

If you spend more than 5 minutes trying to figure that out, then you would have spent more time they they did making the piece of garbage.

[witte]

Hey man, you made your point.
By the way: well seen by a few of you that the singing of Trent isn't synchrome. People with a lot of musical knowledge. Respect!

[BRoswell]

If you spend more than 5 minutes trying to figure that out, then you would have spent more time they they did making the piece of garbage.

You know, I can understand the complaints that it sounds too much like Nine Inch Nails, or that it's not THE most impressive thing they've put out, but to call it garbage? :rolleyes:


Hey man, you made your point.
By the way: well seen by a few of you that the singing of Trent isn't synchrome. People with a lot of musical knowledge. Respect!

Yeah, how DARE they make Trent's vocals out of sync with Mariqueen's! Don't they know anything about music?

[jessamineny]

You know, I can understand the complaints that it sounds too much like Nine Inch Nails, or that it's not THE most impressive thing they've put out, but to call it garbage? :rolleyes:


I think he means the video. (But he also seems to be looking at it literally as a music video.)

[somethingelse]

Hey man, you made your point. By the way: well seen by a few of you that the singing of Trent isn't synchrome. People with a lot of musical knowledge. Respect! Yeah, how DARE they make Trent's vocals out of sync with Mariqueen's! Don't they know anything about music?
I think nine_inch_nerd is pointing out the keen musical ear of the fans listening.

Did TR say somewhere that he may lose a lot of fans with the next project and have to win them back?

[GoodSoldier333]

You guys need to Keep it Together.

[neorev]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwxM482QJ0k

[snaapz]

Has anyone compared the audio of the video to the audio of the download? I'm kind of curious whether or not they actually used the tape machine's audio. Not that it really would make a noticeable difference to human ears, but it seems like the kind of thing they might do. Or they just dubbed on the digital version. *shrug*

That's a good question, I thought that too.

You can hear the tape brush against the empty reel when they hit play. Once the music starts I don't know, I think that sound disappears. I doubt we would get this quality from the mic being used, but maybe the mic may stay on and channel 2 has input from the R2R? Or they edited in the audio track after...

[snaapz]

If anything I say this track raises a lot of questions. It's a bit of a bombshell seeing so many negative comments for this track. I think I've left enough comments about the track already. With any luck HTDA will hit us up with another release prior to the EP release, but at this rate I don't blame them for holding off. Not exactly an encore feeling in here.
I'm interested to see if track 2 from Oblivion is a follow up to KIT or lead into TLAG... or both. With the soft/warm lead out I'm guessing TWU is not connected. I think we have a concept album. That is if this leak is accurate.

This track gives me the impression of someone who is close to enlightenment or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of something, maybe even a fundamentally changed consciousness. Their writing techniques sure don't make it $##$#ing easy to come to a conclusion.

Is "I Can't keep it together" the message or is it what the person telling the story is telling the voice inside her head? :confused:

[seasonsinthesky]

That's a good question, I thought that too.

You can hear the tape brush against the empty reel when they hit play. Once the music starts I don't know, I think that sound disappears. I doubt we would get this quality from the mic being used, but maybe the mic may stay on and channel 2 has input from the R2R? Or they edited in the audio track after...

once we get a lossless file/release for "KIT," one could encode it to the same audio encoding used by YouTube, line it up with the music video audio, and invert it. if they cancel, they're the same track. and if not... ! (wouldn't work with the MP3 download, though - has to be bit-for-bit the same.)

[k258]

I applaud your honesty, but I take issue with this:


From a pop perspective, you're totally right. But there's a lot of markets out there. TR's always been good with headphone-candy and there's a lot in here to like that really only comes out on repeat listens. That sort of stuff is what has given NIN staying power, for me. I'm interested to see him experiment with more dubstep (burial, not skrillex) influences of space and subsonics, which this song has all over it.
I agree with you. But the lyrics and the vocals in this song fuck it up.

[k258]

I have a pet peeve about comparisons. I don't think it's fair to judge the validity of an artist's work based on whether or not it reminds you of something else. Even comparing an artist's work to their prior work is dicey. People change. You change. I think you either like something or you don't. And if you don't like it, it doesn't make it inherently bad.

[19ninetynine]

I love the track, I can't wait for the EP and the album to come next year

[seasonsinthesky]

i wonder how many people first heard this song with earbuds or cheap speakers, so they only really heard the beat, the guitar, and vocals.

(i doubt it's a significant source of all the whining, though.)

[dominik]

i wonder how many people first heard this song with earbuds or cheap speakers, so they only really heard the beat, the guitar, and vocals.

(i doubt it's a significant source of all the whining, though.)

What else is there to hear?

[screwdriver]

I have a pet peeve about comparisons. I don't think it's fair to judge the validity of an artist's work based on whether or not it reminds you of something else. Even comparing an artist's work to their prior work is dicey. People change. You change. I think you either like something or you don't. And if you don't like it, it doesn't make it inherently bad.

if we don't compare things to other things, critical discussion is reduced to "this gives me pleasure right now" or "this does not give me pleasure right now." the interesting part isn't the A vs. B, but why A works for you but B does not.

[screwdriver]

What else is there to hear?

the bass is deep as hell, for one. there's a lot of playing with reverberating noise and ambience going on that I only really notice with headphones. its wankery, but some of us enjoy that.

[neorev]

when i first listened to it, it was on my studio monitors to gain a true impression. i enjoy the subtle atmospheric elements of the track and all its details... i love the instrumental... but that's it. people say she has range, but i don't hear that. the vocals feel very one dimensional to me. the only track that i have enjoyed with the vocals was The Space In Between where I felt she actually pushed herself from just singing quiet and sexy all the time.

[dominik]

Yeah it's nice that the song has something that you can only hear with headphones, but I don't think that makes it better. I mean, I like the song but remember how the non-plus-ultra with NIN songs is how the melody evolves and the transition from Verse to Chorus. And you simply can't end a NIN song before the end because you never know what is going to happen (be it either the ending of The Becoming or Me, I'm Nothing for example). That is not the case with this song. I don't even know if it has a chorus because her singing always sounds the same..

[screwdriver]

Yeah it's nice that the song has something that you can only hear with headphones, but I don't think that makes it better. I mean, I like the song but remember how the non-plus-ultra with NIN songs is how the melody evolves and the transition from Verse to Chorus. And you simply can't end a NIN song before the end because you never know what is going to happen (be it either the ending of The Becoming or Me, I'm Nothing for example). That is not the case with this song. I don't even know if it has a chorus because her singing always sounds the same..

good observations about the difference in style - TR's post-With Teeth era hasn't been the strongest on having distinct sections of songs, and this is definitely of the same trend.

I didn't say it was "better" (than what?). personally, I don't think it holds a candle to even my least favorite track from pre-Year Zero era NIN. But you asked what else there was to hear. I enjoy clever uses of sound in my music, just as much as -- and sometimes more than -- a defined pop melody.

[FernandoDante]

when i first listened to it, it was on my studio monitors to gain a true impression. i enjoy the subtle atmospheric elements of the track and all its details... i love the instrumental... but that's it. people say she has range, but i don't hear that. the vocals feel very one dimensional to me. the only track that i have enjoyed with the vocals was The Space In Between where I felt she actually pushed herself from just singing quiet and sexy all the time.
They used some sort of effect on her voice for The Spaces In Between. Someone accused her of autotune, and she said it was something else.

But yeah, no range so far.

[seasonsinthesky]

HTDA haven't really been writing music that requires much different from her. it might make sense to criticize her perceived vocal range if the songs were exploding everywhere and she wasn't backing that with emotion, but that isn't the case. the music is dark and sensual, and Q's voice matches very well (and when it gets upbeat, she matches that well too - see "Fur Lined"). TR hasn't exactly been singing with any "range" on his participatory tracks either. it's a pretty non-sensical over-criticism to say the vocals are flat or whatever — it isn't just the vocals giving whatever impression you have, it's the totality, because the approach is uniform on every HTDA song so far (i.e. slow, dark song = slow, nearly whispered vocals).

[eversonpoe]

They used some sort of effect on her voice for The Spaces In Between. Someone accused her of autotune, and she said it was something else.

But yeah, no range so far.

they used a very specific type of reverb with an extended decay time on very small sections of her vocals, which makes it sound as if certain notes are being artificially held (auto-tune achieves a similar goal through different means). i've experimented with it in my own music and it's interesting, but it's really not that groundbreaking. i can understand why people mistake it for auto-tune (i did, at first), but upon comparison and understanding, you can tell the difference.

[Deepvoid]

Putting aside the NIN fanboy in me. This song is good but it's nothing spectacular. By now, I have lowered my expectations for both the EP and album. I think it will be decent but will not produce gems like .. let's say Massive Attack, Portishead have produced in the past.

I think by now, we all figured out that Mariqueen's vocals are limited. That doesn't help.
Just my 2 cents ..

[gorast]

I think by now, we all figured out that Mariqueen's vocals are limited. That doesn't help.

No, I don't think we have. At all.

Out of the eight songs HTDA has released so far, Fur Lined is the only one that deviates from the norm in a noticeable way, and her voice changed to accomodate that. I haven't listened to her other work, but if we're judging solely on HTDA's output, then it's pretty damn hard to say Mariqueen's vocals are limited when all the songs fucking sound the same.

[spahn]

seems like i'm one of the few that actually enjoys Q's voice. she definitely doesn't have the vocal range of a young mariah carey, but this music doesnt really call for that either.

*did i just make a mariah carey reference!?! :|

[R-Dot-Yung]

Who is Mariqueen climbing on top off that she's afraid of?

[Deepvoid]

No, I don't think we have. At all.

Out of the eight songs HTDA has released so far, Fur Lined is the only one that deviates from the norm in a noticeable way, and her voice changed to accomodate that. I haven't listened to her other work, but if we're judging solely on HTDA's output, then it's pretty damn hard to say Mariqueen's vocals are limited when all the songs fucking sound the same.

Have you asked yourself why does she always sound the same?

Look maybe I'm harsh here but she hasn't proved me wrong. If she comes out with a song that demonstrates otherwise, I'll gladly retract myself.

[seasonsinthesky]

Have you asked yourself why does she always sound the same?

have you asked yourself why you are expecting to hear Q sing differently when most of the songs musically have the exact same approach?

they say the mark of insanity is expecting different results from the same actions, y'know.

[fillow]

I don't get all the spoiler tags in HTDA threads. Are we now hiding fucking song titles? Fo realz?

[FernandoDante]

I don't get all the spoiler tags in HTDA threads. Are we now hiding fucking song titles? Fo realz?
I think it's pretty overzealous too.

[screwdriver]

I think it's pretty overzealous too.

I'm looking forward to the antiquiet editorial about it. and yes, its pretty silly, but its simple enough to get around and helps preserve the experience for some people, if thats a thing. no harm there.

just listened to the track again for the first time in a few days. I quite dig it. wish it was a bit more structurally interesting, but that's just not really TR's bag anymore. sonically, it really hits Fragile-esque zones, which I obviously dig.

[Deepvoid]

have you asked yourself why you are expecting to hear Q sing differently when most of the songs musically have the exact same approach?



I'm not expecting her to sing differently because I don't think she can.

Anyways, vocals aside, track is still not the greatest thing.

[seasonsinthesky]

wish it was a bit more structurally interesting, but that's just not really TR's bag anymore.

this was my first thought as well. on first listen, hearing it open with the drum loop repeating four times before other stuff comes in was a bit disappointing — a strong part of the reason why i think the older NIN albums were so captivating was the creative use of arranging. a song like "Eraser" or even "We're in This Together" wouldn't be those songs without their specific, less-(or non-)linear arrangements. in fact, as TDS goes on, the arrangements become more and more fucked up, something that contributes to its listenability and lessens the fatigue of an hour of music.

evidently, though, if it's a been a year they've sat on this material and it still opens with four drum loop cycles, this is something they aren't much concerned with anymore. the focus now is on textures, new, more analog-synth-ish ways of making sound, and making things that evolve over time rather than creating bombastic and circuitous maps.

[gorast]

Have you asked yourself why does she always sound the same?

Look maybe I'm harsh here but she hasn't proved me wrong. If she comes out with a song that demonstrates otherwise, I'll gladly retract myself.
You're going around in circles. 7 of HTDA's 8 tracks sound exactly the same. They're good songs, but they're the same songs with different instruments at different tempos. And one's a cover.

She sings more expressively on Fur Lined because the song is different from the rest. What about my statement aren't you getting, bro?

[bobbie solo]

oh shit you got just bro'd. now what son?

[somethingelse]

..........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwxM482QJ0k

[thelastdisciple]

this was my first thought as well. on first listen, hearing it open with the drum loop repeating four times before other stuff comes in was a bit disappointing — a strong part of the reason why i think the older NIN albums were so captivating was the creative use of arranging. a song like "Eraser" or even "We're in This Together" wouldn't be those songs without their specific, less-(or non-)linear arrangements. in fact, as TDS goes on, the arrangements become more and more fucked up, something that contributes to its listenability and lessens the fatigue of an hour of music.

evidently, though, if it's a been a year they've sat on this material and it still opens with four drum loop cycles, this is something they aren't much concerned with anymore. the focus now is on textures, new, more analog-synth-ish ways of making sound, and making things that evolve over time rather than creating bombastic and circuitous maps.
So basically the music version of this...

http://cdn.overclock.net/5/5f/5fa3ea23_fps-map-design-then-and-now-10705-1289245688-26.jpeg

[sheepdean]

So basically the music version of this...

http://cdn.overclock.net/5/5f/5fa3ea23_fps-map-design-then-and-now-10705-1289245688-26.jpeg
Trent did music for Quake and for COD, so this is worryingly apt

[Deepvoid]

You're going around in circles. 7 of HTDA's 8 tracks sound exactly the same. They're good songs, but they're the same songs with different instruments at different tempos. And one's a cover.

She sings more expressively on Fur Lined because the song is different from the rest. What about my statement aren't you getting, bro?

They're the same songs with different instruments and different tempos? I couldn't help but laugh at this! Oh wait, it gets worst.

She sings "differently" on Fur Lined because the song is different? Oh boy ...

[sheepdean]

I love her vocals on Ming and Ping's Chinatown, different from the HTDA_ drone style #MyTwoPenneth

[howdidislipinto]

The Dave Sitek remix!!!

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/10/dave-sitek-remix-how-to-destroy-angels/

http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/10/new-music-how-to-destroy-angels_-keep-it-together-dave-sitek-remix/

[sheepdean]

Hmm, not bad. But it's from that same school of remixing that a lot of YZR was, where there's nothing really new been added, it's just ... there.

Original is far better, but I'll still download this - HTDA's first official remix after all!


The file name is B1 ... that's what a vinyl would be called....

[simonn]

Like it, but much prefer the bassiness (?) of the original. Thought it was all gonna kick off towards the end when the guitar came to the fore. Sadly not.

[DigitalChaos]

Thought it was all gonna kick off towards the end when the guitar came to the fore. Sadly not.
this
wtf was the point of the 3:00-3:30 part? it was ramping up nicely and then just... fell over and died at 3:30. This thing sounds like someone hit the randomize button on a song composition tool.

[spahn]

i enjoyed the remix quite a bit. totally different from the original, which is what i expect sometimes from a remix. although i do agree that the build up around the 3 minute mark was a bit of a let down.
i wanted the song to really explode at that moment.

[snaapz]

Ahhh very nice. So... the multitracks are where? :o