Rolling Stone Millennium Issue Featuring Trent Reznor
Rolling Stone, in its December 30th/Jan 6th issue, celebrates the end of the century by holding a "Party 2000." There, it asks
150 "thinkers, rockers, movers and shakers" to comment on advice, resoulutions, predictions, influences, whatever. Trent is among
the interviewees, and his comments are about Littleton, responsibility for people who
are affected by his lyrics, etc.
Here's the transcript:
Sometimes I get asked, "Do you feel responsible abot what you put out lyrically?" or "What are your thoughts on censorship?" I've
always said, based on my own head, "Give people the benefit of the doubt. Give them credit to think for themselves." Nobody has the
right to say, "Hey, I'm telling you what you can and cannotsee, because I know better than you." That's ridiculous. I feel, "Yeah,
empower the individual." And then you turn on the news and you see some new idiot who kills kids in a church, and my argument goes
out the window. It's troubling.
CULTURAL EVENT:
There's something about the way the media descend on a place like
Littleton, the way the reporters look, the way people are so aware of
the cameras, the whole relationship between violence and celebrity,
the really captures something about where we are right now.
BIGGEST INFLUENCES
I remember listening to David Bowie when I was a kid, and it seemed
like you never knew what he was going to do next. There's a
restlessness in him, a willingness to try new things. That's what it
always seemed to me that artists should be like. He's still that way,
and he continues to be an inspriration.
Trent Reznor Graces The Cover of Kerrang! Magazine
The latest issue of Kerrang! magazine now on stands in the UK, featuring new photos and and large interview with questions
about the tour, friendship, music biz and more... Below are the scanned photos and and an excerpt from the interview:
Kerrang!: You have to surrender total control of NIN on tour. Is that difficult? Reznor: "No. Because when we started off NIN
in 1990, it was an experiment in taking music that was done on a computer in the studio and seeing how you could present it live.
It didn't need to sound the same. And when we got done with 'Pretty Hate Machine' it was way better live than on record. The instrumentation
a guitarist, drummer, keyboard player and myself was meant to add aggression and make a show that people could see and go, 'Fuck!
I didn't expect that!'. The last thing I wanted to do was to have two guys with a drum pad and a tape.
"The musicianship of the band now is such that I don't have to ride people as I did way back. The drummer's excellent, Charlie's
being utilised a lot more than he ever has it makes for a lot less work for me. There's respect there both ways, I think. Some
things sound like the records, some don't. What I'm looking forward to on the next phase of this tour is getting deeper into the
new record. A number of the tracks had a lot of arms to them and paths that we turned down to make them sit on the record right.
That really could open itself up to being interpreted live. And we're a good enough band to do it."
Kim Prevost, Back Up NIN Singer, Performs Friday
For those who are interested, and might be in the New Orleans area on a really board Friday, December 10th night,
Kim Prevost will be singing at the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square at 8pm central time. This is in The French Quarter in New Orleans.
She was the backup vocals on "Into The Void." In case anyone reading might have wondered what she actually sounded
like, here's your chance to find out!
Walter Stern Directs "Into The Void" Video
"After wrapping up a string of European dates, Nine Inch Nails hooked up with director Walter Stern in London
to shoot a new video last week," writes MTV News Online.
Trent Reznor and company lensed a clip for "Into The Void," the second single from the band's critically acclaimed
album, "The Fragile." The video is expected to make its debut on MTV before the end of the year.
Stern is perhaps best known as the man behind The Prodigy's "Firestarter" and "Breathe" videos. He has also directed
videos for Massive Attack, Moby, and INXS.
For NIN, the video shoot was the last matter of business on a European trip that saw the band play to sold-out houses for two weeks.
Here's a quick bio on the new NIN video director:
Born in 1965 in England to an American mother and a British father of German origin. Between 1985 and 1988, he was educated at Bournemouth
Film School, a most prestigious college for the development of visual skills and techniques. Stern began directing commercials, then moved
on to music videos in 1990. His imaginative and highly unusual promos exhibit a sense of drama, and claustrophobia. MTV refused to play
Pleasant Smell (12 Rounds), a Bad Boy Bubby lookalike short film, complete with rotten fruit and vegetables, but weeks later made Firestarter
one of the most played videos, same thing next year with Bitter Sweet Symphony. Breathe won two MTV Awards in 1997 (Viewers Choice Best Video
in both Europe and USA).
Here is a list of artists Stern has directed:
Manic Street Preachers: Stay Beautiful (1991), Moby: Hymn (1994), Prodigy: No Good (1994)
Prodigy: Voodoo People (1994), Marusha: Raveland (1994), Prodigy: Poison (1995), Faith No More: Evidence (1995),
Menswear: Daydreamer (1995), The Chemical Brothers: Life Is Sweet (1995)12 Rounds: Pleasant Smell (1996), Prodigy:
Firestarter (1996), Mansun: Take It Easy Chicken (1996), Prodigy: Breathe (1996), INXS: Elegantly Wasted (1997), The
Verve: Bitter Sweet Symphony (1997), Massive Attack: Risingson (1997), Massive Attack: Tear Drop (1998), Massive Attack:
Angel (1998), Madonna: Drowned World/Substitute For Love (1998)
Manson To Reveal New Album LIVE From Inside Their Studios
Marilyn Manson fans, make sure your schedule is free on December 15th, because Marilyn Manson will reveal the title and
details of his forthcoming album at the official Marilyn Manson website in an exclusive live broadcast with a preview of the revamped official website.
"This message will be transmitted from within the studio," says the
official Manson News website, "where a glimpse of the
recording process will be seen and heard."
Regarding the project and the website Manson stated, "Mishandled fear bred pop consumerism, a fear to fit in. Diabolical fear
bred religion and all those that cower before it and die in its guilt-inspired name. Together, we hold their greatest fear of all
knowledge. That is, knowing it is us that will destroy the world, not them."
Marilyn Manson told Alternative Press in their January '00 issue that this new record will also set the stage for Manson's feature
film, "Holy Wood," slated for release sometime next year. Read our December 4th headline "'It's Probably The Darkest And Most Violent Music
We've Ever Done' Marilyn Manson" for more information.
Mark Romanek Music Video Stills Book Now For Sale
Murdock, the SLS viewer who has been keeping us informed about the highly anticipated Mark Romanek
book, wrote us just now to announce that it's out!!
He writes, "It's awesome, by the way. I got my copy at our store (Barnes and Noble) and I saw it available at Tower Records (Boston)."
I hope to own a copy soon with some scans to add later this week. NIN is said to be in this book since Romanek directed the award winning
and break through video "Closer" as well as the awesome "The Perfect Drug" video.
The 200 page hard cover book is called "Mark Romanek: Music Video Stills."
WITT Singles Arrives To Weathermen Records This Friday
It's been rough the past few weeks concerning the "We're In This Togehter" single... Fortunately, The Weathermen
sent us an update yesterday on the status of the long awaited "We're In This Together" three CD set that everyone has been waiting patiently on...
"The CD's are now in route to our packing facility" says the Weathermen, "and will arrive
to us this Friday (Dec 10th) and we will be shipping them out the same day (Friday Dec 10th) as well." Weathermen Records further
explained that, "most of you should expect them on Monday in the United States, Tuesday at the latest." "Foreign orders do take
longer based on your country of origin," explained Weathermen Records. "All original orders will be honored." As you can see from
our earlier articles, the delay was not due to Weathermen Music. The Weathermen then added, "We will take every step to ship the fastest we possibly can."
New NIN Interview On VIVA II
"There was a so-called piece about Nine Inch Nails during the show "2ROCK" on the German music
channel VIVA II on the 6th of December," explained Jakob Straub, who was watching.
We were informed that Trent made a few remarks about the Fragile, how it's attention demanding music and modern art is like "feeding
the cattle". He also said that since Pretty Hate Machine, songwriting meant for him to turn his inside feelings out, and that sometimes
he was giving away too much of himself for the sake of art, but in general, it has helped him to get on better terms with himself. The
final comment was about how the band evolved into "something... I dunno, maybe more healthier", and how Trent likes to receive feedback on his work.
"The interesting part," explained Straub, "were the song & video excerpts: Closer & March of the Pigs featured bits from the video clips,
and during Pilgrimage, you could see images of burnt or wounded soldiers. La Mer showed a great ocean wave, and the StarfuckersInc."
The program even showed magazine photographs and covers of Trent Reznor.
Trent Reznor Interview In German WOM Magazine
Sabrina, an SLS viewer, wrote in yesterday to explain that a German
music chain WOM publishes a free monthly magazine similar to the Tower Records issue of "Pulse!" magazine. The December issue
of WOM magazine features a rock special on none other than Nine Inch Nails.
"There's a one page article on NIN (with a picture)," explained Sabrina, "as well as [a] one-page article on couple of
others (including David Bowie)." Although the article repeats it self from past interviews, "Trent talks about having
his programmers sample killer bees," added Sabrina "and how he lives in a dream world."
Trent Graces The Cover Of New Zealand Magazine Called "Rip It Up"
Michael James, another SLS viewer, wrote us this morning to explain that while he was
looking at some magazines today, "I noticed that Trent Reznor has graced the cover of the most popular music magazine in New Zealand
called 'Rip It Up'."
"The cover showed the pic of Trent with his face dripping wet over a basin," added Michael, "and the journalist
claims to have the only exclusive New Zealand Nine Inch Nails interview with Trent." The issue covers two pages, "which
Trent was interviewed the morning after his Munich show over the telephone," explained Michael.
We're told there are a couple of new photos, and not much new to say except that Trent was glad now he had the financial backing
to be able to market the album outside America.
"The journalist also asked him if he missed his two dogs to which Trent replied, "Yes very much I had only been thinking about them earlier."
Michael then adds, "The magazine also came with a bonus CD with around 10 tracks (Not containing music from NIN), but it is bound
to be a very popular issue for only NZ$3 (approx. US$1.50).
We will have the transcript online soon.
Possibly A Twilight Zone NIN Reference
Affluenza, an SLS viewer, wrote us an interesting
observation recently. Although his thoughts were a mere comment, maybe NIN fans who also read the
same short story might have thought that there could be a NIN reference to a particular track off The Fragile...?
"I own a twilight zone book that has some old scripts and short stories," explained Affluenza,
"and one of them is called 'Where Is Everybody?'" "I remember hearing that Trent owns a collection
of TZ movies, so maybe there's a connection," continued Affluenza.
The The Article In The Boston Globe
The The is mentioned in the December 6th issue of the Boston Globe.
The article can be found in the Living/Arts section. Below is the article:
The Genuine Article
We've long been fans of The The, but in the very rational, somewhat
aloof way best reserved for temperamental geniuses who tend to blow off
their CD release dates and turn out a mind-bending album a couple of times
each decade. The The, brainchild of the occasionally dissolute, usually
tortured, and nearly always brilliant Matt Johnson, has had a host of
incarnations in the almost 20 years since its birth. It teamed up for a
while in the early 1990s with former Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr and now
counts former Iggy Pop bandmate Eric Schermerhorn and MC 900 Fr. Jesus
drummer Earl Harvin among its members. As part of a warm-up tour for its
soon-to-be-released "NakedSelf," The The plays a much-anticipated show
tonight at the Middle East downstairs. Reflecting Skin opens. Doors open
at 8. Tickets, if you can find them, are $15.
As you should already know, The The is the latest band to be signed by Nothing Records.
The Fragile Reaches No. 1 For The Canadian Alternative Retail Sales
The fragile is #1 for Canadian Alternative retail sales and #20 in the Canadian campus radio charts
for Canada for the months of Dec99/Jan00
Amazon.com Picks List; Fragile Score Pretty High
The Fragile is listed on the Amazon.com favorites lists. For customer's
picks here,
it's at #65. Editor's picks at #35
here.
We don't know how seriously to take this, however, as it's behind Fiona Apple, as well as some other great individuals/bands, on both lists.
We mentioned on December 11th, read our "Trent Reznor Graces The Cover of Visions Magazine + New Manson & Twiggy Interviews"
headline for more info, that there was a new Trent Reznor interview in the German music magazine "Visions." As you can see on
the right, Reznor is the featured December cover story of Visions magazine, now on stands, answers many related questions about
The Fragile, the tour, The Downward Spiral, media and many, many other attributes.
According to Maarten Kwant, an SLS viewer who spoke with Trent Reznor following the Tilburg, Holland performance on
November 28th, asked if he was gonna work with David Bowie again. Trent explained to Maarten that Bowie asked him to
remix a couple of songs from "Hours," which Trent agreed to do so following his tour. Maarten then adds that he is "going
to choose a couple of songs, but not 'The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell', which is the hardest track off the album."
