Did You Rike It?

5.25.10

4:37 pm

At 12 o'clock this morning, the soundtrack to 'Tetsuo The Bullet Man' (third in the 'Tetsuo' series by Japanese director, Shinya Tsukamoto) was released in Japan.

At about 5:50 this morning, someone had ripped "Theme for Tetsuo The Bullet Man" by Nine Inch Nails and put a link to the mp3 in a message board.

At about noon, I downloaded that track.

This...is its story.

A few people had heard the track when it showed up over the credits of the film at the Tribecca Film Festival a couple of weeks ago and they had described it as a combination of two earlier works by Nine Inch Nails; the first was 'Fixed', an almost unlistenable remix album released in tandem with their super-aggro EP, 'Broken', and, what might be the best track off the massive instrumental album, 'Ghosts I-IV', 'IV Ghosts 34'.

After taking the whole thing in a few times (it's only five and a half minutes long), I can say it is MUCH more the former than the latter.

This track is very Nine Inch Nails.

It starts with what sounds like a fatal error message from a computer the size of a planet; just a ton of fucking huge, loud electronic death set to a rudimentary drum machine beat, then, suddenly, a ghostly, ethereal piano, which is shattered almost immediately by even more aggressive electronic screaming and some industrial (like industrial factory equipment) banging that somehow fits into the chaos.

Around then is when the actual theme begins.

A clear melody swallows the grinding, unpleasant noise like a tidal wave, being played on what sounds like an organ made of an ancient city.

The melody itself is epic and invocative; timeless, triumphant and sad.

And then it's gone and we're ejaculated back into the factory.

Then the cacophony disappears, replaced by an almost inaudible ambient whisper in the distance which is soon joined by the piano from before, but clear, rich and immediate this time.

The piano melody plays through once, twice and then the city-organ exhales the theme again, then silence.

It's over.

All in all, this is not for everyone.

In fact, I'd say the majority of it is so violent and abrasive it isn't for anyone.

But there's going to be a handful of people who will get and, going a step or two further, enjoy it.

And you will not be one of them.

Also, in slightly less unlistenable NIN related news, the release date for the How To Destroy Angels self-titled EP has been set.

Tuesday, July 6th.

I'll see you there*.

Not sure if I shared, but it turns out that HTDA isn't just a quick, one off hobby for Reznor before he jumps back into Nine Inch Nails, but something he's actually putting some effort into.

The EP is just a precursor to a full length album coming out in early 2011.

He said the first track released ('A Drowning') sounded more NIN-ish than he would have liked and that the rest doesn't sound as much like "his other band", but, after hearing the second release from the EP ('The Space In Between'), I've come to decide that it does, indeed, sound like NIN.

Then again, how could it not?

If "Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails", then how is anything he does not going to sound NIN, at least when he's in charge of writing/arranging/playing etc. the music?

He's talked about some upcoming NIN music he's working on that "doesn't sound like NIN".

I'll have to rack my brain as to what he's released that sounds nothing like anything he's released.

At the moment, the song 'All The Love In The World' is the only thing leaping to my mind.

Everything he does has the same...feel to it, the feel to the arrangement of instruments or chords or what have you.

Then again, so does everything Cake does.

Or eels or Beck.

Even Beck, who is stupidly multi-faceted, more so than Nine Inch Nails ever could be, he just makes whatever his does sound like Beck.

From 'One Foot In The Grave' to 'Midnite Vultures' to 'Sea Change'.

It isn't real folk, it's Beck doing real folk.

And so on.

Prove me wrong, Trent.

Prove me wrong.

And, quickly speaking of eels, turns out that little curmudgeony rabbit E has written a third album, completing what he started with 'Hombre Lobo' and 'End Times'.

I've learned my lesson with those first two and expect the new one to be:

•  14 -16 tracks
•  Between 45 to 50 minutes
• Very light on production, instrumentation and lyrics (in general and those that rhyme)
• Not great

Sorry, but all three albums are part of the same emotional period for E and, based on the sound and content of the first two, this is what I'm gearing up for.

Prove me wrong, E.

Prove me wrong.

The album is titled 'Tomorrow Morning' (hopeful, innit?) and is coming out August 24th.

Eels are also embarking on a world tour, the first since releasing these three albums, and eels is playing at Terminal 5 on Saturday, September 25th.

Hopefully with a fuller band than just him and the Chet, not that the show at Highline wasn't amazing, but a lot of eels music needs more than two guys, no matter how talented.

Tickets go on sale June 11th...anyone interested?

The fact that Cake and eels are playing a little more than a week apart is...mmm...good.

The kind of good that is better than that time Nine Inch Nails played a week before They Might Be Giants.

September is going to be good.

YOU HEAR ME YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES?!

SEPTEMBER IS GOING TO BE FUCKING GOOD!!!!

*"There" being whichever digital distribution house I purchase this non-physical release from.**

**Although it is coming out on CD.