Nine Inch Nails Ghosts I-IV More details
In my haste to post before anyone else did, I forgot to mention the ways you can purchase the album and what it includes.
This music arrived unexpectedly as the result of an experiment. The rules were as follows: 10 weeks, no clear agenda, no overthinking, everything driven by impulse. Whatever happens during that time gets released as… something.
The team: Atticus Ross, Alan Moulder and myself with some help from Alessandro Cortini, Adrian Belew and Brian Viglione. Rob Sheridan collaborated with Artist in Residence (A+R) to create the accompanying visual and physical aesthetic.
We began improvising and let the music decide the direction. Eyes were closed, hands played instruments and it began. Within a matter of days it became clear we were on to something, and a lot of material began appearing. What we thought could be a five song EP became much more. I invited some friends over to join in and we all enjoyed the process of collaborating on this.
The end result is a wildly varied body of music that we’re able to present to the world in ways the confines of a major record label would never have allowed – from a 100% DRM-free, high-quality download, to the most luxurious physical package we’ve ever created.
More volumes of Ghosts are likely to appear in the future.
- Trent Reznor, March 2, 2008
It’s 36 tracks, a 40 page pdf, desktop wallpapers in two sizes, and web graphics. Its available for $5 download in 320 Kbps mp3, FLAC, or Apple Lossless. 100% DRM free. It is also available in a 2 cd set, which ships on April 8.
It is also available in two super cool deluxe editions:
- $75 Deluxe edition: Ghosts I-IV in a hardcover fabric slipcase containing: 2 audio CDs, 1 data DVD with all 36 tracks in multi-track format, and a Blu-ray disc with Ghosts I-IV in high-definition 96/24 stereo and accompanying slideshow.
- $300 Ultra Deluxe Edition: Includes everything in the Deluxe Edition Package, along with an exclusive four-LP 180 gram vinyl set in a fabric slipcase, and two exclusive limited edition Giclee prints in a luxurious package. Limited to 2500 pieces, numbered and signed by Trent Reznor.
The server was extremely slow last night so I didn’t get to buy my copy in FLAC until after 1am. I listened to the first 9 songs via official torrent from The Pirate Bay. I must say I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve heard and am excited about the next 3 volumes of Ghosts to come!
Radiohead may have been the first out of the gate with the direct-to-fans distribution scheme, but this is infinitely higher quality and available in so many options. This will likely become the norm for artists distributing new material. How it will work for indie artists is yet to be seen. Exciting times indeed.
