Random HTDA thoughts

[jessamineny]

The virus, apparently, is spreading

[kenthebear]

The virus, apparently, is spreading

i was going to make a comment about the guy responding being a massive wanker saying 'hipster bs' when he claims to listen to old jewish jazz (??). i had a big post typed up and all.

anyway, looks like he's on a sex offender list, which explains the fact that he's a brony.

e: Looks like he's a nin fan, which means he might be reading this: you're a massive prick, mate

[staleincense]

The virus, apparently, is spreading

Just be thankful that they didn't start using gratuitous underscores.

[wizfan]

So, here's a part-personal, part-HDTA random thought:

I've been working on this weird little instrumental track lately. It's a mix of hip hop and some brass jazzy synths. I let my dad listen to a demo of the song, and he seemed to be uninterested to it. The reason, he said, was that he kept waiting for an "explosion" to happen, something like a crescendo, that my track felt like it was a bunch of intros. Now, here's the thing: I never intended for the song to have any crescendos, I just wanted it to be this smooth, background music, so while I appreciate his feedback, I felt he was criticizing me for not doing what I never wanted to do in the first place.

His response slightly reminded me of the criticism HTDA has been getting: I've been reading comments about how certain HTDA songs are all buildup and have no real payoff. I remember listening to Keep it Together along with my brother for the first time and we were both disappointed at how repetitive it felt. Ice Age can be really tiring if you listen to it this way, too; that is, if you keep waiting for that boom or something. I know I was tired the first time I heard it. However, once I realized its composition remains stagnant for all its seven minutes, I found myself enjoying it more and more. I learned not to just skip the first part as "just the intro to the big moment", but to appreciate the song as a whole.

I think that's what HTDA is trying to do. Not make songs based on the same old "loud-quiet-loud" dynamics of rock'n'roll, but lay somewhere in between them, in that "middle sound" that can be aggressive and haunting without being deafening or too discreet.

I've been used to Trent and Atticus's loop-based composition style since their soundtrack work, but it takes a while to get used to it when it is applied in a standard three-to-four minute pop song format. Enable a loop, disable a loop, replace it with another, disable them all and keep the beat, turn on the vocals, enable all loops again. While I'd like them to become a little bit more adventurous with the songwriting (which, in my opinion, is what made The Fragile such a compelling listen), I think this particular style has evolved well after listening to the recent HTDA tracks.

I'm hoping, though, that Welcome oblivion WILL have a big payoff; not in the form of a crescendo, but in terms of pure, avant-garde, totally fucked up songwriting that will break the mold of the loop-based structure that Trent has employed ever since Year Zero and will make our heads spinning.

[Collin]

I was bored so I ranked all the released HTDA's songs so far from best to worst:

1. How Long?
2. A Drowning
3. Ice Age
4. On The Wing
5. The Space In Between
6. Is Your Love Strong Enough?
7. The Loop Closes
8. Keep It Together
9. Parasite
10. Speaking In Tongues
11. BBB
12. Fur-Lined
13. The Believers
14. The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

[gorast]

I do love iTunes's new album view.

[sheepdean]

I'm liking Spotify's atm

[sheepdean]

I wonder if HTDA are going do a non-Trent album for Sigil 5? Like, have him really hands-off whilst he does his tour or whatever.

[bgalbraith]

I wonder if HTDA are going do a non-Trent album for Sigil 5? Like, have him really hands-off whilst he does his tour or whatever.

It will be very interesting to see what kind of presence HTDA has during the NIN tours. It will solidify their status as a truly independent entity or just "Trent Reznor's other band."

[simonn]

A little saddened that we won't get to see them in the UK now that NIN have announced their intentions to take up all his time for the foreseeable from May! Can't complain though...the return of NIN will help me get over it!

[ImTheWiseJanitor]

A local venue's having a contest to celebrate the snow day - Comment with a name for the snow storm, but it has to be associated with snow in some way, and winner gets two free tickets to a show of their choice.

I immediately nominated "How To Destroy Snow Angels."

[Miss.Selfdestruct]

Has there been any word on how much tickets will be?

[RJK]

Has there been any word on how much tickets will be?

So far shows have been listed from $30 to $50 without fees.

[wizfan]

So, what was Kevin "The Bug" Martin's contribution, anyway?

[Zipfinator]

So, what was Kevin "The Bug" Martin's contribution, anyway?

They didn't use it.

[NotoriousTIMP]

Has anyone else noticed that "A Drowning" is used to promote the new TV show "HANNIBAL" - I just saw the promo on CBS

http://www.slashfilm.com/hannibal-tv...t-the-chianti/

[gorast]

Speaking of A Drowing, a 7'' for Record Store Day with an exclusive track as the b-side would be pretty cool. That way there'd be a vinyl release for all four Sigils (and the vinyl would scale up with each release from 1 to 3 - 7'', then 10'', then 12'').

[theSplinter04]

Who else thinks this is the better album cover?

[gorast]

Who else thinks this is the better album cover?

I noticed in the .zip that that's included with the two "official" album covers. I wonder if this was one that was rejected for one of the physical mediums?

[imail724]

Nah, I like the actual cover better.

[Stereo75]

Speaking of covers:

I'd love to hear Sheryl Crow cover Ice Age. I can't help but hear her.

[sheepdean]

Rob originally said CD/Vinyl/Digital would have a cover each. I wonder if that was digital

[gorast]

miyan9: HTDA: who's idea was it to add the _ at the end of the name and will you ever adopt any other cool symbols for future releases?

Trent: That move was mine. I'd like to work my way up to an umlaut, but I wanted to ease into it.

[spahn]

miyan9: HTDA: who's idea was it to add the _ at the end of the name and will you ever adopt any other cool symbols for future releases?

Trent: That move was mine. I'd like to work my way up to an umlaut, but I wanted to ease into it.

automatically thought of einstürzende neubauten when i read that.

[imail724]

So after putting Welcome Oblivion next to An Omen and s/t on the shelf, I was reminded how annoying it is that A Drowning is Sigil 1...

[sheepdean]

If anyone can't access Reddit because of a work block or because they despise everything about it, I'll be cataloguing this whole thing to ninwiki on the HTDA Q&A page.

[sheepdean]

If anyone can't access Reddit because of a work block or because they despise everything about it, I'll be cataloguing this whole thing to ninwiki on the HTDA Q&A page.

Here you go guys, enjoy http://www.ninwiki.com/Htda_Questions#Reddit

[Shnoorum]

Here you go guys, enjoy http://www.ninwiki.com/Htda_Questions#Reddit

Yay! My super suck up question got answered! Couldn't help letting my "OMFG HTDA" side out there. Also read the possibility of more videos somewhere in there which is just the bees knees if you ask me

[laci]

Here you go guys, enjoy http://www.ninwiki.com/Htda_Questions#Reddit

Would have been easier using your selection, but haven't noticed it before.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/ninhu...51361139838867

[jrdsctt]

That feel you get when you realize there are potentially hundreds of unheard Trent music out there: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comment...c2h1?context=3