Nine Inch Nails - GHOSTS (36 new instrumental tracks, online NOW)

intersting. so he's doing a Radiohead? The limited ed. deluxe copy could probably be sold on ebay in a few years time for 10 times that price.

He's doing the next step in the Radiohead > Saul Williams > thing, I guess.

woah. this could be great. as much as i loved the last two nin lp's, i really want trent to shut the hell up. i'll probably order the 2cd thing.

that saul williams album was an awful piece of stinky shit.

I quite liked it and I don't usually like stinky shit :-(

The first 9 tracks (the download from ThePirateBay) aren't terribly interesting, but my god, the distribution model for this is <i>perfect</i>.

Now that we're no longer constrained by a record label, we've decided to
personally upload Ghosts I, the first of the four volumes, to various
torrent sites, because we believe BitTorrent is a revolutionary digital
distribution method, and we believe in finding ways to utilize new
technologies instead of fighting them.

We encourage you to share the music of Ghosts I with your friends, post
it on your website, play it on your podcast, use it for video projects,
etc. It's licensed for all non-commercial use under Creative Commons.

i really like the 3 tracks i listened to in the online player thingy. i think i'll order it tomorrow.

(the order site does work, but you just have to refresh a lot at the moment)

Which is what I'm doing right now. Just want to start downloading the Apple Lossless version.

Ah, and it begins. Perfect -- I'll convert and burn to disc tomorrow and listen at work.

So has the full Ghosts I-IV been posted on the Pirate Bay yet?

What I'm hearing of this on the in-site player sounds great.

My Flac download stopped after 80% and refuses to pick up again at the moment :-(

oh okay then, I'll try later on.

Update: The response to this album has been overwhelming, causing our
website to slow to a crawl. We THOUGHT we were ready, but...
We've been adding more servers to accommodate the unexpected demand and we expect to be running smoothly in the next few hours. In the meantime, if you've had any problems with downloads from the Ghosts site, don't worry - you'll be able to use your download link again when the site is more stable. Thanks everyone for making this such an
immediate success.

posted by Trent Reznor at 5:47 PM pst, from hong kong.

posted by Trent Reznor at 5:47 PM pst

haha, i'm in the PST but it's only 2:42 at the moment and i'm late.

Another message from the future - Year Zero part two? :-)

sweet - v0 @ amazon.com

I think they're still having problems - not letting me buy, anyway :-(

My flac download hasn't restarted yet, still sends me to http://store.nin.com/download/error right away. Trying again tomorrow for that, but I downloaded the whole thing in mp3 via torrent in the meantime in 20 minutes.

$300 for a deluxe discbox?

+ $69 international shipping, yeah. Good thing for us the $ isn't what it used to be. (I just went for the $10 one as I have no use for the master tracks that are in the deluxe versions)

The zip downloaded for me in about three minutes, but it won't open.

Zip downloaded immediately for me, but my PC says the file is corrupted and won't open.

I've been listening to a few tracks on the player, and there's been nothing startling so far - in fact it sounds exactly as you'd imagine an instrumental nin album to.

All these download problems wouldn't have happened if he were still with a major label (*hides*) :-)

Zip downloaded immediately for me, but my PC says the file is corrupted and won't open.

snap.
and then advised its a one hit only download link ...

I'll just wait until they reset the download limit, which they are going to do for everyone within the next 24 hours, apparently.

I was able to restart my download before I left for work this morning, so we'll see.

This sounds pretty good so far. The site is running quickly -- I stuck with the $10 2xCD version, which is an excellent deal. I can't remember the last time I paid just $10 for 36 tracks on 2 discs. Go Trent! (Too bad he doesn't mention the $6.99 shipping and handling charge until the final confirmation screen...)

good luck with your download

^@$%^&@%&%$&@$% it, Trent! my free download won't open, either. which ticks me off; i intended to sample the goods before doing the $5 download in a couple days for a publication review i lined up earlier today - but i don't wanna spend $5 for a download that won't work, either, you know?

so far, this is really damn good. their (his) best since the fragile.

Still unable to download it. Anyone else actually got it in full?

i got it off waffles. the order site wouldn't work for me.
i'll give him my money when it comes out in stores.

The nin website is currently suggesting buying from amazon's mp3 store for the whole album, or downloading the first nine tracks from Pirate Bay (where they've put an official upload).

Unfortunately, the Ghosts I-IV site is down for the next few hours for maintenance.

We quietly released this album last night without any warning, and without any press. Because we know how devoted our fans are, we planned for an overwhelming response, and expected heavy traffic. To our surprise, the traffic was more than three times what we anticipated, and has only been getting heavier throughout the day. The response has been absolutely phenomenal, and we couldn't be happier, but our servers have taken a beating, causing numerous problems with the download site. Our developers, who have been working non-stop to combat the surge of traffic, feel that taking the site down for a few hours to fix some crucial issues is the best way to get things running smoothly again. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

While the site is down, you can still purchase the complete Ghosts I-IV here from Amazon's MP3 store for only $5. The MP3s are high quality and DRM-free. You can also order the deluxe and limited edition packages from Artist in Residence.

If you're familiar with BitTorrent, you can download Ghosts I, the first of the four volumes, for free, from our official upload at The Pirate Bay.

If you ordered a download and have not yet been able to retrieve it or have experienced any technical difficulties with the download, your download link will work as soon as the site returns.

Thanks again for the amazing support, and your continuing patience. Watch nin.com for updates during the downtime.

03 March 2008:

The new Nine Inch Nails record is available RIGHT NOW! (kind of)

YES, WE FUCKED UP!
We thought we bought enough beer but too many of you showed up for the party.
We are fixing the Ghosts site right now, I am told it will be back up 100% in a few hours.
In the meantime, you can buy the whole new record at Amazon if you are in the US, or you can get Ghosts I at The Pirate Bay if you know about torrents, or RIGHT HERE directly.

We are sorry for the trouble (but you know it's worth it!)

posted by Trent Reznor at 6:02 PM pst, from hong kong.

what the shit is he doing in hong kong?

Doing whatever the fuck he wants to do. Wouldn't you, if you were him?

yes, i would love to be in hong kong.

They're back and I'm downloading again

alright let's try this again

Got the .flac zip (607 Mb) in about half an hour, no problems unzipping.

Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls drummer) posted this report & pictures (he plays on track 19 and 22)

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=2663038&blogID=363525307

http://www.bunny-comic.com/strips/030308.png

Update: Zip file downloaded and opened without a hitch. The PDF booklet is interesting and really enhances the product. I think I'll order the discs!

This feels like a sampler Trent might send out to Hollywood producers as an attempt to get some scoring work. All very nice and impressive, but doesn't really grip as a pop album.

It isn't being sold as one.

The $300 edition is sold out: http://ghosts.nin.com/main/order_options

Does he even need to put it out in stores? I really doubt it. (Blog burblings as promised, take issue with as much of it as you like.)

Q: Is Ghosts I-IV available elsewhere?

A: You can also purchase the download from Amazon's MP3 store right now. The deluxe version is available for pre-order from Artist in Residence (A+R) as well. Check out their other work.

The same 2xCD you can purchase here and a $39 4x vinyl edition (on 130 gram vinyl in a double gatefold package) will be available at retail in North America (April 8), Australia (April 5), the UK (April 8), Japan (April 5), and most European territories (April 8).

An exciting partnership and experience regarding this release will be announced soon.

Good catch! Some interesting fluffy language there. Starbucks?

No wait, Hot Topic. :-D

wasn't there some kind of hot topic exclusive deluxe edt. of "year zero"?

A shirt. 1/3 off!

http://search.ebay.com/nine-inch-nails-ghosts

I'm not feeling this, except possibly as a merely anodyne soundtrack to a war documentary.

I want a 36-track instrumental NIN album that is two hours of deathcore isolationist ambient music.

The thing that makes Reznor's music remarkable for me is the collision of his great ear for pop melodies and his use of leftfield sonic palettes. This only has the latter (With Teeth went too far the other way, IMHO).

x-post -- Hahah, that was what I'd been idly hoping for as well -- his own Selected Ambient Works Volume II. Another time maybe.

love the artwork/inclusions in the zip.
not overly keen on the freebie music (yet)
its definitely a mood thing, and so my appreciation for the sounds could easily all change when the dark clouds descend.

It's actually 36 variations on Albert Ayler's "Ghosts."

If you get the tracks from Amazon, you'll also want to download the PDF.

Adrian Belew - C/D, S & D?

Belew's been playing on and off with him (in studio at least) since Downward Spiral.

this is pretty good stuff! i haven't listened to NIN since fragile, heard the last 2 but yeah the idea of a more atmospheric NIN w/o Trent's vocals really hits the spot.

My free dl didn't work either.

a $39 4x vinyl edition (on 130 gram vinyl in a double gatefold package) will be available at retail in North America (April 8)

if this is rly good i will probably buy it

Nine Inch Nails' 36-track instrumental opus Ghosts I-IV, released
March 2 via NIN.com, has amassed a first week total of 781,917
transactions (including free and paid downloads as well as orders for physical product), resulting in a take of $1,619,420 USD.

"These figures represent the most relevant and contemporary metric for measuring how Nine Inch Nails' music is reaching its fans," said NIN manager Jim Guerinot.

NIN's label The Null Corporation will not be releasing traditional
sale figures to soundscan.

As previously reported, the $300 Ultra-Deluxe Limited Edition of
Ghosts I-IV immediately sold out its run of 2500. The $5 Download, $10 2XCD set and $75 Limited Edition Deluxe versions are still available at NIN.com.

The $10 2XCD SET will be released to retail April 5 in Australia and Japan, April 8 in North America, and April 7 in the UK and most European territories. A $39 4X vinyl version will be available at retail April 8.

Ghosts I-IV has been released under the Creative Commons license.
http://creativecommons.org/

Jeez Louise.

Just under half that would be the schmantzy box set; even so.

March 2 via NIN.com, has amassed a first week total of 781,917 transactions

Doing the math, at least 600k of the transactions were for the free 1/4th.

I really wanna hear this but haven't been in any rush with all the talk of them being overwhelmed w/ traffic and everything. what's the best/easiest way to get all 36 tracks right now, paying or otherwise?

thepiratebay.org, but the site works fine now too

http://www.nin.com announces the multimedia thing that was promised earlier:

13 March 2008: film festival
Hello-
First of all, a sincere THANK YOU for the response to Ghosts. We are all amazed at the reaction for what we assumed would be a quiet curiosity in the NIN catalog. My faith in all of you has been restored - let's all go have coffee somewhere (my treat)!

Today we announce the expansion of the Ghosts project into the visual world. This record began as an experiment with us using sound as a means to describe visuals. Early in the project we thought it would be interesting to see what the community could create / collaborate on as a reaction to the music we were making. We wanted to keep the canvas as blank as possible for you, hence the lack of descriptive song titles and the primarily textural artwork and packaging.
So here's the plan: we've teamed up with YouTube to host a "film festival" around Ghosts. The concept is for you to take whatever tracks you feel inspired by from Ghosts and create what you feel should accompany them visually. You will be able to see all of the submissions, and a team of us (including me) will be sorting through them and setting aside ones we feel are exceptional. Eventually (within a couple of months?) we will present a virtual "film festival" with me and some special guests presenting selections of your work.
This isn't a contest and you don't win elaborate prizes - it's meant to be an experiment in collaboration and a chance for us to interact beyond the typical one-way artist-to-fan relationship. We've discussed some interesting ways this could go, including multiple installments of the online "film festivals," to broadcast TV specials, to a one-time live performance of the entire Ghosts record with your visuals involved. It really depends on how this progresses and develops.
We are all very much looking forward to what you come up with, and hope you enjoy the experience. Visit our YouTube channel for information on how to participate.
TR

posted by Trent Reznor at 10:42 AM pst, from los angeles.

**UPDATE**
Exciting PERFORMANCE NEWS!

http://www.nin.com/

I hope NIN turns into some Notorische Reflexe shit

so cool how the art is different for each track

I fuck with this album.

Nobody clicked the performance news link at nin.com then?

I did :(

First tour dates up at nin.com , y'all. Further details (who's in the band?) forthcoming.

July 25 Pemberton BC Pemberton Festival
July 26 Seattle WA Key Arena at Seattle Center
July 28 Edmonton ALB Rexall Place
July 29 Calgary ALB Pengrowth Saddledome
July 31 Winnipeg MAN MTS Centre
August 2 Minneapolis MN Target Center
August 5 Toronto ONT Air Canada Centre
August 7 Uncasville CT Mohegan Sun Arena
August 8 Worcester MA DCU Center
August 12 Knoxville TN Knoxville Civic Coliseum
August 13 Duluth GA Gwinnett Arena
August 15 Oklahoma City OK Ford Center
August 16 Houston TX Toyota Center
August 18 Dallas TX American Airlines Center
August 20 Saint Louis MO Scottrade Center
August 22 Cleveland OH Quicken Loans Arena
August 23 Auburn Hills MI Palace of Auburn Hills
August 27 East Rutherford NJ Izod Center
August 29 Philadelphia PA Wachovia Center
August 31 Lexington KY Rupp Arena
September 2 Morrison CO Red Rocks Amphitheater
September 3 Salt Lake City UT The E Center Of West Valley
September 5 Oakland CA Oracle Arena (formerly Oakland Arena)
September 6 Inglewood CA The Forum

http://www.nin.com/

Robin Finck is back: does that mean he left Guns 'n Roses?

Look at all those horrible venue names.

Quicken Loans Arena

http://www.nin.com :

22 April 2008: Get the new track DISCIPLINE here right now.

Lots going on!
Some of you may have heard a new Nine Inch Nails track on your radio today. You can download your own copy of the track RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW for free.

this song > any track on Year Zero

(Note the mp3 comment tag)

Same boring, bland crap he's been peddling these past few years.

I take it it's not a Throbbing Gristle cover with completely different lyrics and music, right?

WAY the hell better than "Survivalism" as a first single.

(xpost to self: since TG's Discipline had different lyrics and music every time they performed it, apparently, it may well be a cover :-) )

Remember the "visit nin.com on May 5" thing? Maybe this is part of the announcement:

"Echoplex"

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

the mp3 for this one also has "Go to www.nin.com May 5" as a comment

I quite like these two tracks. Hope he releases a new album tomorrow.

Is he touring to support his "The Beat Konducta Vol. I-IV: Ghosts" album?

See new thread for The Slip

"ghosts I" holds up pretty well!

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110613.html

So I only gave this a cursory listen when it first came out, what's the consensus five years on?

i like it a lot. feels like sonically it set the stage for the soundtrack work and How To Destroy Angels, if you like those (or would like to hear the latter w/o vocals).

it's good, I play it a lot

listening to this for the first time now, y'all call this ambient? it sounds like NIN having a jam session!