Instrumental
sets by bands are usually just footnotes (see also the Beastie Boys'
The Mix-Up). But this collection of dense headphone music feels like a
creative breakthrough for Trent Reznor. A new-media showpiece like
Radiohead's In Rainbows, Ghosts I-IV is a self-released kiss-off to
Reznor's former label, Universal, which he ditched last year after
months of public feuding. You can download part of it (free) or all 1.8
hours ($5), or order it in various physical configurations (the $300
limited edition has already sold out to fanatics). Musically, Ghosts
rewards close attention. The touchstone is Brian Eno's headier work: the
murky instrumentals on Another Green World, the angular rhythm collages
of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. But Reznor's own hyperdetailed
language defines the set: heaving synthesizers, doleful piano,
alien-insect noises. There are animalistic contributions by King Crimson
guitarist Adrian Belew, so the apocalyptic ambience frequently rocks.
And since it's licensed with Creative Commons (the organization that
redefines copyright to encourage noncommercial artistic sampling),
Ghosts' awesome sound palette may soon enter the digital-music lingua
franca — a gift that should keep on giving.
(Posted: Apr 3, 2008)
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