MY G0D, C4N W3 G3T 4NYM0R3 R3M1X3S? 0H MY G0D, 1T'S W31RD!
Written: Nov 18 '07 (Updated May 03 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Production of Various Remixes, Diversity, Eclectic Styles, Reinterpretations & Performances.
Cons: 2 of the Capital G Remixes Lack Some Imagination.
The Bottom Line: Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D is a Fascinating, Eclectic Remix Album from NIN featuring Great Remixes from Kronos Quartet, the Faint, Bill Laswell, & Many More. (4.5 out of 5)
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| thevoid99's Full Review: Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D (Year Zero Remixed) - Nine Inch Na... |
Since being signed to Interscope Records back in 1992, Nine Inch Nails were an act that took the label from a record company that was selling one-hit wonder acts to selling controversy with help from Dr. Dre. In that year, NIN and its leader Trent Reznor released the EP Broken to much fan fare and praise from critics. That would be followed by another EP called Fixed which was a six-track collection of remixes from the album. In 1995 following The Downward Spiral, Reznor released Further Down the Spiral that was another collection of remixes that made the record gone gold. Despite the success NIN had in the early and mid-90s, changing trends were to come as did the attitude of Interscope Records following its move from Time-Warner to becoming the chief label for the Universal Music Group.
1999's double-album The Fragile marked that change when the record was labeled as a commercial disappointment in the wake of teen-pop and rap-metal. A year later, Reznor released Things Falling Apart which was another collection of remixes from The Fragile. The record received mixed reviews from fans as Reznor found lack of support from Interscope and Universal. In the years since then, Reznor was dealing with his addiction to alcohol, a failed side-project with Tool's Maynard James Keenan called Tapeworm, and the dissolution of his relationship with manager John Malm Jr. that was followed by the end of Nothing Records. 2005's With Teeth brought Reznor's commercial fortunes back while releasing an EP of sorts for the single Every Day Is Exactly The Same that featured remixes by DFA, EL-P, Photek, Richard X, and Interpol.
While Reznor has admitted to putting out remix records as what he refers to as "disposable garbage" to sell more records. His attitude has changed over the years with 2007's release Year Zero that drew praise from fans and critics. Around that time, Reznor released multi-track files for fans to remix as a fan-remix album was released on the Internet called The Limitless Potential. It was also at the time Reznor's relationship with Interscope Records soured following a dispute over album prices, label interference, and such. In October 2007, Reznor announced his departure from the label after 15 years of service as he was ready to unleash his final product for the label in another remix album entitled Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D.
Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D is a collection of remixes from the Year Zero era which marks the first time ever, the collection doesn't feature any remixes from many associates of NIN (with the exception of now-former live keyboardist Alessandro Cortini in his modwheelmod project). It's also the first remix collection to feature a fan remix which spawned the accompanying record of remixes by fans known as The Limitless Potential. Released in three different formats with two of them carry the same tracklisting. The third format in high-quality vinyl contains three extra tracks plus two alternate versions of a remix from the CD/DVD & digital version. Featuring remixes from Stephen Morris & Gillian Gilbert of New Order, Ladytron, Saul Williams, Bill Laswell, modwheelmod, the Faint, Switch, Epworth Phones, Stefan Goodchild with Doudou N'Diaye Rose, Fennesz, Olof Dreijer of the Knife, Kronos Quartet with Enrique Gonzalez Muller, and Sam Fogarino of Interpol. Y34RZ340R3M1X3D is a superb, versatile record that will satisfy die-hard NIN fans as well as club-goers.
The first track is simply a re-creation of Hyperpower! called Guns By Computer. Essentially, it's just the entire track of Hyperpower!, an instrumental track, being rapped over and recited into a poem by Saul Williams. The cadence-like instrumental starts off with a frentic rap by Williams that is followed by a poem that speaks of the album's themes of dystopia and military control. Williams' vocals adds more intensity to the song as it's a great opener for the record. The Great Destroyer is remixed by modwheelmod that featured now-former NIN live keyboardist Alessandro Cortini and former Abandoned Pools guitarist Pelle Hillstrom. Taking the original vocals of the song, Cortini and Hillstrom reinvent the song into a slower, less-electronic driven track as it opens with an acoustic guitar track for the song's opening lyrics. It is then followed by soft, drum machine rhythms as it leans towards something more arty. Followed by distorted vocals, soft synthesizers, and siren-like guitars, it's a song that takes the song's electronic tone and reinvent to something more art-rock.
The next remix is a fan remix by Pirate Robot Midget for My Violent Heart. The mix opens with distorted buzz and fuzz noise of electronic synthesizers and sequencer. The track sticks to the song's intense tone as it's layers of noise and electronic blurts plays well as it's an amazing track, particularly from a fan who chooses to be straightforward rather than do something radical. The Beginning Of The End is mixed by the group Ladytron, who opened for NIN in their recent European tour. The synthesizer-driven mix sticks to the song's upbeat rhythm by making it more electronic with blurts of synthesizer hooks and melodies that included additional backing vocals from Helen Marnie. The layers of synthesizers and electronics work to add a bit of new wave to the mix while also delving into NIN's earlier work from The Downward Spiral by playing the melody from its title cut.
Next is Saul William's mix of Survivalism which is actually Survivalism_Tardusted from the single for Survivalism. Mixed by Saul Williams and Thavius Beck, the track strips down its pulsating vibe for a slower, distorted tone with blurts of synthesizer noises and clap-like beats for the bridge. While it's a great mix though another version of that mix by Williams with vocals that appears in Survivalism is more superior. It's a fine track to hear though a bit baffling into why it's in this album. The first of three remixes of Capital G comes from Epworth Phones that also appeared in the promo single for Capital G known as the Phones 666 RPM Mix. Created by Paul Epworth, the track sticks to the song's rhythmic vibe to make it more danceable with clap-like beats and scratchy textures to make Reznor's vocals repeat itself a bit. While it's not a bad mix, it lacks a bit of imagination by trying to make it sound more club-like with its emphasis to make rhythmic while maintaining its distorted vibe. For a track that's seven-and-a-half minutes, it tends to be a bit boring.
Bill Laswell appears with a remix of Vessel that is intense while maintaining its eerie rhythm. Laswell adds a metal-guitar accompaniment to the track for the instrumental parts of the song while the vocals mix are a bit stripped down as the song's chorus is followed by a break-beat of rhythms while playing with the song's slow yet layered electronic presentation. Laswell's mix is clearly one of the album’s standout for its creative reinterpretation of the song. The Warning is mixed by Stefan Goodchild featuring Senegalese percussionist Doudou N'Diaye Rose that features a sinister, piano opening with smooth, vibrant beats that plays to the song's ominous tone. The track accompanies Reznor's vocals with its mix of chugging rhythms and waves of electronic blurts that is followed by eerie beats from N'Diaye Rose. The Faint's remix of Meet Your Master plays to the song's harrowing, industrial presentation into an old-school electronic, new wave mix. With blurts of rhythmic electronic beats and scratchy vocals while the chorus is more melodic with its accompanying synthesizer melodies and squeals.
The first of two remixes by New Order's Stephen Morris & Gillian Gilbert comes in the form of God Given starts off with a pulsating synthesizer track followed by a bass-droning synthesizer track that plays to the song's dark tone. The rhythmic bass and distorted blurts followed by Stephen Morris' live drums accompaniment comes in the chorus as the song is a mix of New Order's early, electronic-driven material as well a bit of the dark sound of Joy Division. The next track is a remix of Me, I'm Not by Olof Dreijer of the Swedish electronic duo the Knife. The fourteen-minute track is the longest remix of any NIN mix that opens with a soft, thumping beat and a siren-like keyboard track that is followed by a wailing sound that sounds like a whale. While this track will no doubt divide NIN fans, particularly for the fact that it's fourteen minutes long. It's really one of the most eerie cuts on the record with Reznor's vocals are barely heard in the mix as its blurts of synthesizers and wails really capture the song's dark, paranoia tone while leaning the line between pretentiousness and insanity.
The instrumental track of Another Version Of The Truth is reinterpreted and performed by the Kronos Quartet with Enrique Gonzalez Muller will definitely remind fans of Benelli's performance of The Frail back in 2000's Things Falling Apart. The Kronos Quartet's performance of Another Version Of The Truth easily tops it with its screeching cellos, violas, and violins with plucks and droning riffs. Along with screams, the performance is very eerie as it is truly another standout track from this album. Even from its shift from something chaotic to something soothing yet haunting as is followed by a bass track and piano to accompany the performance.
Next is In This Twilight by Christian Fennesz, in his Fennesz moniker, who takes one of Year Zero's beloved cuts and adds a serene, eerie electronic accompaniment to the song's verse for a dream-like tone. Then when the chorus hits, the song's original bass track with distorted beats and soft, wailing electronic accompaniment. The song is then followed by a serene guitar track with distortions of Reznor's vocals as it maintains its haunting, emotional vibe. The final album track comes from Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert for their mix of Zero-Sum features a droning synthesizer track and a clap-like beat with waves of eerie noises. For the chorus, a pulsating synthesizer track follows as it accompanies Reznor's vocals as it is a fitting closer to the entire album.
Note: The following four paragraphs were written on 11/22/07 to complement the additional content in the vinyl version of Y34RZ3R0R3MIX3D.
Appearing in the 3-LP vinyl version of Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D are five extra tracks that do not appear in the CD/DVD-rom & digital version. The first track is the first of two remixes of Vessel by Bill Laswell. The first mix is a nine-and-a-half minute version that takes Laswell's original mix from the CD/DVD-rom & digital version opens with layers of distorted noises as it leads to the song's original track of chiming, electronic noises and such that is followed by a powerful bass-beat track and then, scratchy noises followed by hammering, electronic beats. After two minutes, the track is the accompanied by bass track by Laswell to give the song a dub-like feel with vocal distortions to follow the layers of scratchy, electronic tracks.
The second remix of Capital G and the first of two to appear in the vinyl version comes from Dave Taylor under his Switch alias that appeared in the promo single version of Capital G like its previous remix in the CD/DVD-rom & digital version. The remix is essentially another dance version of the song with rhythmic beats to accompany Reznor's scratchy vocals that tends to be repetitive. During the instrumental bridge, squealing synthesizers and scratchy grunts from Reznor's vocals as it's another remix that lacks imagination by often repeating lines from the song. The third track in the vinyl version is a remix of The Good Soldier by Sam Fogarino from Interpol. The eight-minute mix starts off with a dream-like mix of the song's guitar solo that later becomes a full-fledged mix with sputtering beat and droning guitar track as it is a fascinating remix that is followed by some loop-like synthesizer bubbles. With more beats to follow for the song's mix of ambient and industrial, Fogarino does a splendid job with the mix.
The second remix of Vessel in the vinyl version is actually an extended version of the original Vessel mix from the CD/DVD-rom & digital version with seven additional minutes for a thirteen-minute epic track. The seven additional minutes called by fans as "appendage" features a jazz-like bass track to complement the song’s slow, industrial groove presentation that is followed by its beats and by the near-ten minute mark, Reznor's mixed vocals accompany the track. Even as the song's original guitar tracks and added bass tracks return. The final track from the vinyl version and last remix of Capital G comes from Ladytron known as Finite Climax Mix. The mix is essentially an old-school, synthesizer-driven remix that is reminiscent of early 80s synth-pop filled with layers of droning, chiming, and angelic accompaniments of synthesizers. Unlike the previous remixes of Capital G, Ladytron doesn't go into dance but rather pay homage to 80s synth-pop while adding a new dimension to the song with soft, scratchy beats in the background.
The vinyl version is a 17-track version that removes the original remix of Vessel as well as Saul Williams' remix of Survivalism to add the five additional tracks. Yet, with all 19 tracks in all of their versions for a complete version (and in the right track sequencing), the resulting record is a near two-hour experience that is vastly superior to all the original, released formats both online and through regular distribution.
While it's not a perfect record and definitely nowhere near the brilliance of Fixed or Further Down the Spiral, Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D is still a fascinating, diverse, and eclectic collection of remix and interpretations of Year Zero. With great cuts by Saul Wiliams, Kronos Quartet, Sam Fogarino, Stephen Morris & Gillian Gilbert, Bill Laswell, modwheelmod, Ladytron, Fennesz, and the Faint. Fans of NIN remix albums will no doubt enjoy the record for its variety and creative remixes while also having a great accompanying remix album with The Limitless Potential. Fans who receive the CD/DVD-rom version will also get the chance to remix their NIN songs through multi-track files and other software for more NIN remixes. With this record marking the end of NIN's association with Interscope and the Universal Group, it's clear that Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D is a transition of what's to come as fans will await what is next from Trent Reznor and NIN for 2008.
NIN Reviews:
Pretty Hate Machine/Broken Era (1989-1992): halo 1 - halo 2 - halo 3 - halo 4 - halo 5 - halo 6
The Downward Spiral Era (1994-1997): halo 7 - halo 8 - halo 8 DE - halo 9 - halo 10 - halo 11 - halo 12
The Fragile Era (1999-2002): halo 13 - halo 14 - halo 15.1 - halo 15.2 - halo 15.3 - halo 16 - halo 17 DE - halo 17 DVD
With Teeth/Year Zero Era (2005-2007): halo 18 - halo 19 - halo 20 - halo 21 - halo 22 - halo 23 - halo 24
Ghosts I-IV/The Slip Era (2008): halo 26 - halo 27
Soundtracks/Miscellaneous: (The Crow) - (Natural Born Killers) - (Lost Highway) - (Tomb Raider) - The Limitless Potential - (Strobe Light)
Promos: (seed 1) - (seed 2) - (seed 3) - (seed 4) - (seed 5) - (seed 6)
Live Shows: (NIN/Bauhaus/TV on the Radio-6/7/06 Atlanta, GA Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater) - (NIN/Deerhunter-8/13/08 Duluth, GA Gwinnett Arena) - (NIN/Jane's Addiction/Street Sweeper Social Club-5/10/09 Atlanta, GA Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater)
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: At Work
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thevoid99
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