The idea for Year Zero came to Reznor in a daydream about the end of the world. "It takes place about 15 years in the future," he said. "Things are not good. If you imagine a world where greed and power continue to run their likely course, you'll have an idea of the backdrop. The world has reached the breaking point — politically, spiritually and ecologically."
It all started with a new NIN tour t-shirt in February. Highlighted letters on the back of the shirt spelled out the phrase, "I am trying to believe." Fans did their homework, discovering iamtryingtobelieve.com, which provided clues to a network of websites that serve as puzzle pieces for the concept of Year Zero. Painting a fragmented picture of a harsh totalitarian future reality, in which freedom is nonexistant and citizens are under constant survelliance, the sites raise many more questions than answers. It sure makes things interesting, though.
Throughout February, fans also reportedly found a total of four USB drives in bathroom stalls throughout Europe, each at separate Nine Inch Nails shows; Portugal, Spain and England. There were high-quality MP3s on the drives of new, unreleased NIN songs "My Violent Heart," "In This Twilight," and "Me, I'm Not." Also on the drives were static MP3 files. The tracks each had different decipherable characteristics such as a phone number (which, when dialed, plays a perplexing wiretapped phone conversation) or imagery such as a demolished Hollywood sign and a hand reaching down from the sky.
42 Entertainment is the company behind the complex underground marketing campaign, working with Reznor to develop the high-concept websites and serving as architect for the encrypted rabbit-hole world that Reznor has created.
The Year Zero campaign is a unique approach to music promotion, a refreshing departure from the record-industry standard of creating a marketing onslaught of billboards, tv spots, magazines and posters. Only time will tell if this new approach will prove effective.
A live video has surfaced of last night's London NIN show, featuring the first-ever live performance of "The Beginning Of The End." More USB sticks are reported to have been found at the show.
The video for "Survivalism" has just been released as well, featuring a wall of monitors presenting images of people being watched in their homes, special-ops soldiers on the hunt and NIN themselves, performing the song.
You can preview four tracks off Year Zero at the band's Myspace page.
Year Zero tracklist:
- Hyperpower!
- The Beginning of the End
- Survivalism
- The Good Soldier
- Vessel
- Me, I'm Not
- Capital G
- My Violent Heart
- The Warning
- God Given
- Meet Your Master
- The Greater Good
- The Great Destroyer
- Another Version of the Truth
- In This Twilight
- Zero-Sum
Tagged:
