Post-Hesitation-Marks Nine Inch Nails Music Speculation

[genloovers]

With Trent announcing via Billboard that he's working on new Nine Inch Nails material, it's safe to start speculating as to what potential new music in the wake of Hesitation Marks might sound like. I for one am truly excited to see what new NIN music might sound like: will it continue on from the minimalist style of HM, or will it be something else entirely? Would love to hear your thoughts!

[EndlessLoveless]

I keep reading that HM's style is 'minimalistic' and couldnt disagree more. I hear layers upon layers of sound, even on the quiet songs (find my way, while im still here). If anythings even remotely minimalistic, its the drum machines and beats, but i still think minimalistic is the wrong word for that. My guess would be more of the same sound. We are done getting loud, heavy aggressive songs. I am totally fine with that by the way. I get my heavy music elsewhere at this point. NIN is something else entirely now. I still think we will hear 'aggressive' songs but dont think we are getting another 'you know what you are' anytime soon. But maybe i am totally wrong, in which case is fucking awesome. I want to be suprised.

[r_z]

Also, can we get a source for said Billboard interview? I was under the impression it was an older one with Trent talking about working on HM..

[Sarah K]

This guy again?

[WorzelG]

Also, can we get a source for said Billboard interview? I was under the impression it was an older one with Trent talking about working on HM..
The video in this Billboard interview

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6304122/trent-reznor-talks-nine-inch-nails-scoring-gone-girl-apple-project

[SarahConnor]

The video in this Billboard interview

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6304122/trent-reznor-talks-nine-inch-nails-scoring-gone-girl-apple-project

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&list=PLL93phyiaMfnTXjI-VRP8xqyrLpLc3o8X&v=xcB6W_PDy0U

[m15a]

I keep reading that HM's style is 'minimalistic' and couldnt disagree more. I hear layers upon layers of sound, even on the quiet songs (find my way, while im still here). If anythings even remotely minimalistic, its the drum machines and beats, but i still think minimalistic is the wrong word for that.

The definitions of "minimalist" regarding music composition are pretty broad and varied (and often debated). There are some aspects of HM that resemble some music that is called minimalistic music, for example, the repetitive five-note synth part in Copy of A, which I remember Trent specifically pointed out in some interview. Also, music is often referred to as minimalistic if one major aspect of the work is particularly repetitive or static (not changing), although there might be some other elements that are changing.

Of course, I don't know if people that are calling HM minimalistic or minimal are referring to those definitions, but they might be.

[telee.kom]

Minimalistic or not, I'd like if Trent wouldn't pursue the Hesitation Marks sound on the next album (which isn't very likely anyway, since every NIN album sounds different). Bit of a ramble here, but last two albums honestly didn't do it for me. I haven't listen to HM for maybe a year and I don't miss it, apart from Copy Of A there isn't any song that would stood out for me. The Slip is the same in this regard, Lights In The Sky is the only song I'm coming back to. So I don't care what path will he take soundwise, but I would definitely like to see some strong songwriting from Trent. Songs that will be memorable and songs that I could listen hundred times and don't get bored of them.

[thevoid99]

I hope it's Ghosts V-VIII.

[sheepdean]

I hope it's Ghosts V-VIII.
Ghosts V-∞, a new Ghosts iteration released every month until the end of time

[screwdriver]

I keep reading that HM's style is 'minimalistic' and couldnt disagree more. I hear layers upon layers of sound, even on the quiet songs (find my way, while im still here). If anythings even remotely minimalistic, its the drum machines and beats, but i still think minimalistic is the wrong word for that. My guess would be more of the same sound. We are done getting loud, heavy aggressive songs. I am totally fine with that by the way. I get my heavy music elsewhere at this point. NIN is something else entirely now. I still think we will hear 'aggressive' songs but dont think we are getting another 'you know what you are' anytime soon. But maybe i am totally wrong, in which case is fucking awesome. I want to be suprised.

trent has described the MAKING of pretty much every nin album since (and including) TDS as minimalist when making it. after the fact it turns out different

[sheepdean]

trent has described the MAKING of pretty much every nin album since (and including TDS) as minimalist when making it. after the fact it turns out different
He says minimalist, the media says industrial, they're both wrong.

[Wretchedest]

Ketchup, catsup

Looking forward to it!

[genloovers]

Trent expands on the 'minimalist' approach for HM in this video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdKCVSBrV1I

[WorzelG]

Although I don't want an instrumental album (the soundtracks are that role to me), I can't really fathom where he'll go lyrically from here. HM seemed like a summation of everything, a kind of look-back how have things changed ending. I can't see him including anything about family on the album because of the privacy aspect (I'm NOT one of those people who think 'kids - married - everything in life is hunky dory' because it isn't fucking true either, there are lots of new worries to do with having kids)

[Substance242]

That's true, Hesitation Marks actually end with the death, what better ending can you imagine...

So, maybe next time Trent will create some new personality, like Bowie did more than once you know.

Or, why only one personality, what about new Universe where rules we are used to don't work. :-)

[sheepdean]

Although I don't want an instrumental album (the soundtracks are that role to me), I can't really fathom where he'll go lyrically from here. HM seemed like a summation of everything, a kind of look-back how have things changed ending. I can't see him including anything about family on the album because of the privacy aspect (I'm NOT one of those people who think 'kids - married - everything in life is hunky dory' because it isn't fucking true either, there are lots of new worries to do with having kids)
Politics, retrospective on survival, the prospect of age and change - there's always something to write about

[Ryan]

Politics, retrospective on survival, the prospect of age and change - there's always something to write about

Yes sirree bob.

[eversonpoe]

Although I don't want an instrumental album (the soundtracks are that role to me), I can't really fathom where he'll go lyrically from here. HM seemed like a summation of everything, a kind of look-back how have things changed ending. I can't see him including anything about family on the album because of the privacy aspect (I'm NOT one of those people who think 'kids - married - everything in life is hunky dory' because it isn't fucking true either, there are lots of new worries to do with having kids)

i'd much rather have him focus on HTDA with mariqueen, atticus, and rob, and that way mariqueen can be the main lyricist. problem solved.

[sheepdean]

i'd much rather have him focus on HTDA with mariqueen, atticus, and rob, and that way mariqueen can be the main lyricist. problem solved.
I like you.

[WorzelG]

i'd much rather have him focus on HTDA with mariqueen, atticus, and rob, and that way mariqueen can be the main lyricist. problem solved.
I'd love that too, but I love Trent's voice, so I don't want him never to sing on anything again

[eversonpoe]

I'd love that too, but I love Trent's voice, so I don't want him never to sing on anything again

i wholeheartedly agree, but i don't think that's an issue since he sings on plenty of HTDA stuff! i love when he an Q harmonize/trade off.
sheepdean i like you, too <3

[WorzelG]

i wholeheartedly agree, but i don't think that's an issue since he sings on plenty of HTDA stuff! i love when he an Q harmonize/trade off.
@sheepdean (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=350) i like you, too <3
Yeah me too - although at least with NIN you're guaranteed some uk live performance, if they do htda and don't come over for a few shows to London at least I'll be plenty hacked off (although there were so few us shows it's probably the same for you)

[EndlessLoveless]

i wholeheartedly agree, but i don't think that's an issue since he sings on plenty of HTDA stuff! i love when he an Q harmonize/trade off.
@sheepdean (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=350) i like you, too <3

Agreed. Too late, all gone might be the best song theyve ever made. It sounds very nin to me though, unlike alot of thier stuff.

[WorzelG]

Agreed. Too late, all gone might be the best song theyve ever made. yes, LOVE this song. All of Welcome Oblivion is like a love letter to 80s synth pop. I went to see Human League last weekend so it's just up my alley

[r_k_f]

Agreed. Too late, all gone might be the best song theyve ever made. It sounds very nin to me though, unlike alot of thier stuff.
that and Strings And Attractors are tied in my book...

[billpulsipher]

as long as its not another album of him mumbling on every song over minimalist beats..............

[BRoswell]

as long as its not another album of him mumbling on every song over minimalist beats..............

Okay, I'm going to need some examples of this, because what you're describing sounds absolutely nothing like the album I've been listening to for the past year.

[Krazy]

Okay, I'm going to need some examples of this, because what you're describing sounds absolutely nothing like the album I've been listening to for the past year.

Dissapointed, Sattelite, and Running are pretty damn repetitive in the beats aspect. Songs are too long also IMO, and could've used help with actual drums.

Might as well merge this thread into the controversial opinions one.

[BRoswell]

Dissapointed, Sattelite, and Running are pretty damn repetitive in the beats aspect. Songs are too long also IMO, and could've used help with actual drums.

Might as well merge this thread into the controversial opinions one.

I'm not saying the album is devoid of songs with repetition, but it's definitely not an entire album of repetitive beats with Trent mumbling over them as Billy Boy described it.

[genloovers]

Dissapointed, Sattelite, and Running are pretty damn repetitive in the beats aspect. Songs are too long also IMO, and could've used help with actual drums.

Might as well merge this thread into the controversial opinions one.

I get that some of the songs seem repetitive. I kind of noticed that as I listened to it more. There's always a section in most of the songs where the music just stops and it's a just a quiet beat going, then fires back up again. I found that was done the same way on a lot of tracks. But honestly I don't care. The album as a whole is pretty great.

Regarding the new music, I did hear Reznor say he would save some of the HM demos to use on another album in that 'in conversation' recording. Also, in the soundtoys interview he says that he enjoyed working the way he did on HM and hopes to continue working that way in the future. Not sure if that means we'll get a similar sounding album, but interesting to note nonetheless.

[Krazy]

I'm not saying the album is devoid of songs with repetition, but it's definitely not an entire album of repetitive beats with Trent mumbling over them as Billy Boy described it.

Agreed. But with the lack of almost no drums on HM and some of the repetitive digital beats that sound like "claps" I understand why people get turned off by it. Too much of HM seemed tofollowed that pattern. Great production/layering is nice and all, but when it comes down to it seems to come up short musically and lyrically (how many times does TR say running in the song, sheesh!) for a lot of people.

[perceptionnexus]

Something I've wanted from NIN for a long time is to hear an album that is really "song" oriented and aggressive in mood but really gets away from the usual distorted electric guitars, drum and synth loops and goes far more in the direction of being raw and organic. Basically if you kept the kind of standard song-structures and replaced the instrumentation with the kinds of sounds found on Ghosts and Still is what I think I'm trying to describe. All the garbage can and water jug drums, stand-up basses, xylophones, acoustic guitars, etc., but the songs themselves aren't ambient or movie score-ish.

[Dryalex12]

im still waiting for this

http://www.ninwiki.com/images/0/0d/Strobelight-cover-art.jpg

[screwdriver]

Something I've wanted from NIN for a long time is to hear an album that is really "song" oriented and aggressive in mood but really gets away from the usual distorted electric guitars, drum and synth loops and goes far more in the direction of being raw and organic. Basically if you kept the kind of standard song-structures and replaced the instrumentation with the kinds of sounds found on Ghosts and Still is what I think I'm trying to describe. All the garbage can and water jug drums, stand-up basses, xylophones, acoustic guitars, etc., but the songs themselves aren't ambient or movie score-ish.

you should check out Tom Waits

[perceptionnexus]

you should check out Tom Waits

Yeah! Bone Machine style

[icecream]

A Nine Inch Nails and friends Christmas album!

[cashpiles (closed)]

What I want is what he will never do... Just go into a barn with new people.. no Atticus Ross.. just some random musicians.. and ask them what to do. and you do it. then you put your shit over what is recorded. or you follow them and you just say fuck you and you start layering 1000 tracks and make some 6 song opus.

[sheepdean]

What I want is what he will never do... Just go into a barn with new people.. no Atticus Ross.. just some random musicians.. and ask them what to do. and you do it. then you put your shit over what is recorded. or you follow them and you just say fuck you and you start layering 1000 tracks and make some 6 song opus.
Wasn't that the idea with HM, then he realised he hated everyone else and went back to normal

[m15a]

What I want is what he will never do... Just go into a barn with new people.. no Atticus Ross.. just some random musicians.. and ask them what to do. and you do it. then you put your shit over what is recorded. or you follow them and you just say fuck you and you start layering 1000 tracks and make some 6 song opus.

Sounds like you want Trent to go back to producing other artists, no?

[cashpiles (closed)]

Sounds like you want Trent to go back to producing other artists, no?

what I really want to say is "stop fucking around on your laptop making 'laptop beats'." Big idea here. every track on the song must be played all the way through live. He can still build up loops.... but the loops won't be exact copies because they will be played through the song. for example he wants one riff to loop 10 times before the chorus.. he needs to actually play it 10 times.. no stopping. I think he was doing something like this with the slip..but this is even more traditional.

OR he can mix half tracks live with traditional instruments and synthesizers and half tracks looped/programmed/electronic. that would be cool.

[Substance242]

Interesting, one of the many things I love about NIN is that I usually do not feel loops repeated (only on purpose), everything seems kinda organic and evolving to me. (But to actually play every track live is the plan for my secret album which will be out, judging by my speed, around year 2592.)

Btw, one of my dreams is two music/sound artists which I admire the most try to collaborate a bit, that is Trent Reznor somehow bringing Alan Wilder (Recoil) back to life, Alan seems to be quite silent these days... :-/

[m15a]

what I really want to say is "stop fucking around on your laptop making 'laptop beats'." Big idea here. every track on the song must be played all the way through live. He can still build up loops.... but the loops won't be exact copies because they will be played through the song. for example he wants one riff to loop 10 times before the chorus.. he needs to actually play it 10 times.. no stopping. I think he was doing something like this with the slip..but this is even more traditional.

OR he can mix half tracks live with traditional instruments and synthesizers and half tracks looped/programmed/electronic. that would be cool.

Oh, okay. By "ask them what to do", I thought you meant that the random people would be the songwriters, but what you really want is something more like a standard/traditional rock band with Trent being the lead.

I think what you are suggesting would probably end up being something like a song-oriented version of Ghosts, which is fine with me - and it doesn't sound like something that'll definitely never happen.

[BrokenSpiral]

I hope he gets back to using more live instruments.

[sheepdean]

I hope he gets back to using more live instruments.
Goes back? Every album has been done using a shitton of computers with a few instruments thrown in - probably only The Slip is the exception

[WorzelG]

I'd like to hear more piano.

After reading all the complaints about repetitive beats, I'm going to have to listen again with that in mind as its never stood out to me, take Copy of A, the percussion is constantly evolving all through the track in an almost organic manner.

Ok just skimmed the album with beats in mind, the beats being referred to are all in my favourite songs, disappointed, all time low, various methods, satellite so I guess either I love repetitive beats, or there's more going on in the tracks to negate it, like all time low I'm listening to the bass of Pino, guitar of Belew and vocals mainly. I LOVE the beats in I would for you, while I'm still here, in two and find my way. I'm generally not that keen on everything and running anyway so tend to skip them but they're the only ones I skip.

[howdidislipinto]

I feel like HM still has a few tracks that fall under the "traditional NIN" category -- VMOE, CBH, Satellite, etc. (Those three all sound very different, I know, but they each fit into a format Trent knows well.) I hope whatever comes next, Trent continues to keep exploring what interests him without falling back on those old traditions, because those new ideas were the best part of HM. I think the "traditional NIN" sound popping up every few tracks actually holds him and the work back, and allows people to ignore the really cool new things he's doing on other tracks just because they can say it's the same old NIN.

I Would For You probably falls under this category too, but I love it too much to ever say he should have let that one go.

[WorzelG]

^^eh? The only song up there that I would say is 'traditional nin' is CBH. Find my Way I would also say is traditional ballady NIN, but various methods and satellite have that funky element that has been used in the past, but I wouldn't call traditional NIN

[Khrz]

As the discography expands, I think it gets harder to differentiate between "traditional NIN" and "familiar NIN", the former being paths that Reznor has always tread since the band's inception, while the latter is just sounds and methods used before. The more albums get released the harder it gets to avoid familiarity. Not to mention the fact that he seldom goes out of his comfort zone, I find each album to be less a reinvention than an iteration on well-known structures (obviously there are exceptions, YZ and Ghosts were awesome on that regard)...
The sound evolves, but slowly and kinda superficially, with the odd album here and there... I guess traditional NIN would be PHM, WT and HM, since it seems to be the cruise speed to which he regularly falls back ? TDS, TF and YZ are great not only as albums, but also because they stand out, in my opinion.

[WorzelG]

As the discography expands, I think it gets harder to differentiate between "traditional NIN" and "familiar NIN", the former being paths that Reznor has always tread since the band's inception, while the latter is just sounds and methods used before. The more albums get released the harder it gets to avoid familiarity. Not to mention the fact that he seldom goes out of his comfort zone, I find each album to be less a reinvention than an iteration on well-known structures (obviously there are exceptions, YZ and Ghosts were awesome on that regard)...
The sound evolves, but slowly and kinda superficially, with the odd album here and there... I guess traditional NIN would be PHM, WT and HM, since it seems to be the cruise speed to which he regularly falls back ? TDS, TF and YZ are great not only as albums, but also because they stand out, in my opinion.
But I wouldn't listen to PHM, WT and HM back to back and think they were at all the same, WT is a very rock album, phm and HM are very synths I suppose. Anyway there are a lot of call backs on HM, I noticed recently that the main melody line behind the verse for I would for you, is the guitar line in The Warning.

[Khrz]

I really wonder how much is proper, intentional call back, and how much is simply Reznor retreading familiar grounds though ? The thread dedicated to the alleged HM easter eggs was almost embarrassingly huge...
I guess WT is closer to The Slip than it is to HM. To me those albums still are the "fairly straightforward pop/rock" NIN albums, while the other records feel more experimental, as far as NIN goes anyway.

[WorzelG]

I really wonder how much is proper, intentional call back, and how much is simply Reznor retreading familiar grounds though ? The thread dedicated to the alleged HM easter eggs was almost embarrassingly huge...
I guess WT is closer to The Slip than it is to HM. To me those albums still are the "fairly straightforward pop/rock" NIN albums, while the other records feel more experimental, as far as NIN goes anyway.
Since Atticus and Alan Moulder are in the studio with him, if it was unintentional, you'd hope they'd point it out. Anyway I hope there's a more experimental vibe on whatever he does next too

[witte]

This afternoon I thought I heard a HM track on the radio in my car. The volume was low. It turned to be the new Coldplay single. - lol -
Yeah, that's where NIN stands with this album, a couple of airplay transparant radio songs...
I'm still hoping....

[Khrz]

I understand the sentiment but honestly, if you blur it enough the Mona Lisa will look like Kim Kardashian's butt, that doesn't mean one is like the other... :p

[screwdriver]

I understand the sentiment but honestly, if you blur it enough the Mona Lisa will look like Kim Kardashian's butt, that doesn't mean one is like the other... :p

dude, thank you for articulating really well what I could not figure out how to say :-)

I feel pretty good with HM being the concluding statement from NIN for some time. I'd like more HTDA though...

[WorzelG]

This afternoon I thought I heard a HM track on the radio in my car. The volume was low. It turned to be the new Coldplay single. - lol -
Yeah, that's where NIN stands with this album, a couple of airplay transparant radio songs...
I'm still hoping....
If a certain person still posted here, he might tell you to clean out your ears with vagisil! ;)

[howdidislipinto]

^^eh? The only song up there that I would say is 'traditional nin' is CBH. Find my Way I would also say is traditional ballady NIN, but various methods and satellite have that funky element that has been used in the past, but I wouldn't call traditional NIN

To my ears -- and obviously, that's just opinion -- VMOE sounds very much like a "let's write a Fragile song," or perhaps at the very least, similar to the later WT songs that are sorta callbacks to The Fragile anyway. And Satellite is pretty much a Year Zero song, though slightly cleaner. Satellite is definitely the sorta song Trent can do in his sleep (which isn't a bad thing, it's a fun track).

[screwdriver]

To my ears -- and obviously, that's just opinion -- VMOE sounds very much like a "let's write a Fragile song," or perhaps at the very least, similar to the later WT songs that are sorta callbacks to The Fragile anyway. And Satellite is pretty much a Year Zero song, though slightly cleaner. Satellite is definitely the sorta song Trent can do in his sleep (which isn't a bad thing, it's a fun track).

I think I would agree with this... those tracks (and others) are very much a refinement of his style rather than a big step in a new direction. However, "Copy of A" was a pretty big and awesome leap, as was "Disappointed" to a lesser degree

[Airbornefeline]

I wish Trent would do an album in the style of the Tetsuo theme song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu9bm-RJMWM It's so great. I wish he had gone in this direction instead boring repetitive beats in Hesitation Marks. I highly doubt he'll do something like this anytime soon though. Judging off of the Gone Girl soundtrack and Hesitation marks, Trent has been in a boring ambient music mood for the past few years.

[somethingelse]

Why did I enter a thread (en)titled 'speculation'? Silly, silly me.

No speculation from I. Whatever comes out from the lab I'm sure I will enjoy it.

[Dr Channard]

Now that the speculation has been over for a few months, Hesitation Marks had much to adore on it, but it’s a great thing that NTAE didn’t turn out to be HM volume II. NTAE is a damn near perfect way for nin to return.

[HWB]

It is funny to see what people thought only for Trent to surprise us all, NTAE is becoming my favorite thing slowly