Trent Reznor: A selfless act?!

[alikat]

I was sure this latest email from NIN was going be another option to pay a like 80 dollars for repackaged music I've had since the 8th grade, but no!

He's (a) promoting another artist he's worked with outside the NIN brand and (b) getting on board with the Radiohead approach. Still, he gets the dig in about how their way's just a tad better that RH's. (I checked: they offer just 2 options - $5 or free, with a snarky note next to "free." plus they offer 2 higher-quality format options, you don't get the download until nov 1st and they take paypal). Ah, Trent. You're trying to do something nice. Bless your heart.

Here's the news:

NiggyTardust!

As many of you know, I've been working closely with Saul Williams on his new record. We've spent many hours together in hotel rooms, busses, backstages and studios around the world working on something we knew was great. This is the most involved I've been with any project outside NIN since Antichrist Superstar, and I've been impatiently waiting for the chance for you to hear it. Well... guess what?

The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! has arrived! After my own recent dealings with record labels we decided to release it directly to you. Head over to http://www.niggytardust.com for all the details. Register now and you can download the record November 1st. Working on this project was a real pleasure. Saul was interested in breaking boundaries / crossing genres / defying expectations and we learned a great deal from one another in the process. When asked about the sound of the record, I've had to resort to "... I really don't know HOW to describe it." That's a good thing more than ever these days.

A word on the way we've chosen to release this. There are obvious similarities in how Radiohead just released their new record and the way we've chosen to. After thinking about this way too much, I feel we've improved upon their idea in a few profound ways that benefit you, the consumer.* You obviously will be the judge of this in the end. One thing that IS very different in our situation is that Saul's not the household name (yet!) that Radiohead is, and that means we need your support on this more than ever. If you like what you hear, spread the word.

I hope you enjoy the music,

TR[/SIZE]

http://niggytardust.com/saulwilliams/spreadtheword

[hitmonlee]

well at least he is offering higher quality mp3s but i'd still be cautious.
"After basking in adulation from music lovers and RIAA haters for being enlightened poster children of the new way of doing business in the music industry, Radiohead has pulled an about-face that feels like a betrayal and a dirty cop-out: They're releasing In Rainbows on CD in January through one of the Big Four (all of whom they're in negotiations with right now), and it might contain extra material not found in the digital version. Yeah, it was a cheap marketing ploy, according to their management: "If we didn't believe that when people hear the music they will want to buy the CD, then we wouldn't do what we are doing."

As Idolator's editor had guessed (http://idolator.com/tunes/t-minus-12-or-so-hours/in-rainbows-mp3s-will-be-encoded-at-160kbps-308710.php), the shitty 160kbps files should've been a tipoff something else was in the works besides the $80 feel-good bonus-laden package. Which, had fans known a regular CD release is coming out, would they have dropped that much coin? Some, sure, but all? And what about the poor bastards that paid full price (or more (http://idolator.com/tunes/price-ceilings/-306333.php)) for the middling quality MP3s?

What makes the move so goddamn dirty is that it was complete subterfuge—had they said they were planning a CD release in the first place it wouldn't be so bad. Instead, they cheated fans and rode a sky-high wave of good press while planning to do the same old, same old the entire time. There's no way I'm buying their album now, in any form."

[SobaViolence]

wow.
people are pretty pissed about the 160 mp3 files....

i don't get it.
and it was up to the buyer to decide the price.
fuck off a little.

[The Notorious LOL]

I just got the album off a torrent site for free. Radiohead doesnt need my money.

[Baseline]

Trent re-bought In Rainbows for 5,ooo $ :eek:
interesting interview (http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/10/trent_reznor_and_saul_williams.html)

[ET]

Fuck In Rainbows. Niggy Tardust is pretty good considering I've had a pretty ho-hum opinion on Saul Williams for the past few years. I'm going to end up paying $5 for FLAC files after getting the free version. (y)