NIN download scheme swamped

Wed 5th Mar, 2008 in International News

Buoyed by Radiohead’s trailblazing pay-what-you-want model, Trent Reznor has applied a similar scheme to the new Nine Inch Nails instrumental release Ghosts I-IV. From Monday 3 March on the band’s website, fans can download the first nine MP3s of the collection for free – along with a 40-page PDF booklet. To get the full 36-song collection in a selection of formats, you only have to part with $5. For the true die-hards there’s an “ultra-premium” version for $300, including a four-vinyl, four-disc collection with special prints and – gasp! – a Trent Reznor autograph.

Unsurprisingly, the offer of new NIN material for zilch proved very popular. A flood of takers descended on the website, causing it to go down under the pressure. By yesterday evening, nin.com was under maintenance.

“We thought we bought enough beer but too many of you showed up for the party,” Reznor posted. The Ghosts download option is now back up, with the message, “Somebody kicked the plug out of our internets, but we’re all set now.”

Ghosts I-IV, which was recorded by the band over an intensive ten week period, will be released in physical format as well. It arrives in Australia on 5 April through Shock.

In the album’s press notes, Reznor explains its gestation. “I’ve been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn’t have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective – dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams.”