Rapid Fax
Originally published in Much Music on October 1, 1995
Trent Reznor and company are currently touring with The Downward Spiral, which turned out to be one of the big hits, surprise hits of 1994. Recently the band played in Montreal, where our friends at Musique Plus (Much Music's sister station) caught up with Trent Reznor and company.
[plays snippet from "Closer" where Trent is swinging in the air, to child sitting in the chair]
Interviewer: You chose a difficult path with when you were making TDS, it was very demanding technically and emotionally. Do you think you will be going in the same direction for the next album?
Trent: It'll depend when I start to do it. But I'd like right now to make a record that's going to be the opposite of that [TDS]. That's more quick, and approach it from a different perspective. When I did The Downward Spiral, I knew it would take a long time. It was a massive project. It might be fun to try something that a bit more spontaneous, and see what happens.
[plays snippet of "Happiness In Slavery"]
Trent still: The band I've assembled here I think is good and I am looking forward to working in that capacity with them. Which is new for me too.
Interviewer: You would like to involve them...
Trent: Yeah...
Interviewer: ...in the creative process.
[shot widens to show rest of band]*
Trent: Yeah, Chris can get coffee, Danny can wash my car, nahh, I'm just kidding. Nahh, I respect these guys and this is a new band from the last time we went out, and I got guys...I really respect, and so I'm looking forward to it.
[ snippet of reptile from montreal show i assume, then woodstock footage of band (well Trent) destroying keyboards ]
Interviewer: When you destroy your equipment on stage, what frame of mind are you in?
Trent: I'm usually mad. If you seen our last show it's a genuine frustration manifesting itself as anger. Things go wrong, stuff pays for it. I ultimately pay for it. Equipment gets put out of commission.
Interviewer: And how can you still have that much anger inside of you?
Trent: It's my coffee!
Interviewer: [laughing] But in your songs you express a lot of anger. Doesn't it make you feel better?
Trent: To get it out? Yah... [whole band laughs] I say that don't I?
[laughs again, even though it's a stupid joke]
[snippet of MotP, Trent singing "Doesn't it make you feel better, slams down mic]
*Notes from me...
[plays snippet from "Closer" where Trent is swinging in the air, to child sitting in the chair]
Interviewer: You chose a difficult path with when you were making TDS, it was very demanding technically and emotionally. Do you think you will be going in the same direction for the next album?
Trent: It'll depend when I start to do it. But I'd like right now to make a record that's going to be the opposite of that [TDS]. That's more quick, and approach it from a different perspective. When I did The Downward Spiral, I knew it would take a long time. It was a massive project. It might be fun to try something that a bit more spontaneous, and see what happens.
[plays snippet of "Happiness In Slavery"]
Trent still: The band I've assembled here I think is good and I am looking forward to working in that capacity with them. Which is new for me too.
Interviewer: You would like to involve them...
Trent: Yeah...
Interviewer: ...in the creative process.
[shot widens to show rest of band]*
Trent: Yeah, Chris can get coffee, Danny can wash my car, nahh, I'm just kidding. Nahh, I respect these guys and this is a new band from the last time we went out, and I got guys...I really respect, and so I'm looking forward to it.
[ snippet of reptile from montreal show i assume, then woodstock footage of band (well Trent) destroying keyboards ]
Interviewer: When you destroy your equipment on stage, what frame of mind are you in?
Trent: I'm usually mad. If you seen our last show it's a genuine frustration manifesting itself as anger. Things go wrong, stuff pays for it. I ultimately pay for it. Equipment gets put out of commission.
Interviewer: And how can you still have that much anger inside of you?
Trent: It's my coffee!
Interviewer: [laughing] But in your songs you express a lot of anger. Doesn't it make you feel better?
Trent: To get it out? Yah... [whole band laughs] I say that don't I?
[laughs again, even though it's a stupid joke]
[snippet of MotP, Trent singing "Doesn't it make you feel better, slams down mic]
*Notes from me...
Transcribed by Keith Duemling