Nine Inch Nails – Another Version of the Truth

Trent announced that 2009 will be the end for Nine Inch Nails. For a while at least. And by knowing when to withdraw, I think that he has proved to be a true artist and the man in black for more than a generation. His sounds have resonated in my head so many times. I take a deep breath.

This is an official release of two concerts from the previous tour, and in the true progressive spirit of all things NIN there’s an ongoing community effort of composing a DVD for it. Last one for the machine.

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this one is on us / trailer video / band site

Portishead – Third

Portishead’s third, their first in ten years. I think that this is a remarkable album which I would recommend to anyone with any significant interest in music. Its’ gloomy atmosphere might not suit you at every occasion, but it is the depth and variety of delicate ideas in each song, ranging in style from vintage electronica and folk to prog-rock and jazz, that make it outstanding. Its subtle sounds get me into a feeling that reality can easily be paused for us to ponder on our thoughts and actions…

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official website

Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I

What a beautiful surprise this new album from Nine Inch Nails is to me. It is first of all great to see Trent Reznor sticking to the plan of releasing albums by himself, without the constraints of record industry. And then the music. It is what I have always wished that Trent would do, go completely instrumental. Except for track eight, you won’t find the aggressive noise as on apocalyptic Year Zero, or similar loud NIN work. Instead, comparing to the previous albums, it is close to the instrumentals on my still-favourite The Fragile. As he says, it’s “a soundtrack for daydreams”. I think that it makes most sense while you are walking, thinking, exploring, in peace with yourself. I’ve been playing it on repeat – it is very captivating, simple yet feels so rich because it does not overwhelm you, but rather allows (or better yet – inspires) your thoughts and feelings to freely pulsate above the sound texture.

Btw a nice detail is that all songs have a custom photograph embedded in the file (except for the first one, illustrated with the album cover), which looks very nice on players and adds a bit more of NIN to the visual experience.

Please make sure that you visit the official website, and when you download, read the README!

Thanks Trent.

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