A Short Note On Reznor And Ross (With Reverb)
Mid-pandemic Reznor & Ross released a second set of instrumental pieces called Ghosts V-VI- a companion to an earlier Ghosts I-IV release. Unlike their movie scores, this was packaged under the name of Nine Inch Nails, and not Atticus Ross & Trent Reznor.
If I had to pick two tracks from the whole collection. I’d go with Track 12 from Ghosts II, which is too short for its own good (a proper end-of-movie hero piece), and Hope We Can Again from Ghost (to me one of the nicest instrumental pieces to come from anywhere over the last ten years).
It's quite a remarkable collection and if you're not familiar with it (or with the guys' soundtrack work) it's worth sitting back and putting on the lot over a week. If it’s the movie stuff you’d like to try first, ease in with one OST a day. Go with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
Apart from the creepily brilliant Hand Covers Bruise, The Social Network OST just isn’t very good. The Oscar was mostly thanks to David Fincher’s politicking. Whatever about acting, Oscars for music are meaningless.
A note on the other guy
Obviously TR is pretty famous, but Atticus R is quite the creative too. If you fish around on YouTube you'll find some very beautiful material - from Panoramic from The Book Of Eli to Dispatches from Elsewhere - Music from the Elsewhere Society, which, frankly, at times is like Reznor & Ross at their best. Quite revealing, I think, as Ross is often seen as more of a producer than a composer. The elsewhere project also features Atticus’ brother Leopold.
A recent GQ article and photos really helped brighten up the last few days, which were pretty intense. I didn't know the guys kept an 8 hr day routine, transposing 9-5 to 11-7. That's interesting. And kind of reassuring too. Best of all is the hint of music festival where the two will perform as a composing duo as opposed to NIN. That's great news for those of us who love the more tranquil moments of NIN shows.
As you get older and wiser, perhaps even a little sadder and jaded, it’s nice to come across something that reminds you of the joy to be found in something as basic as putting on some music. And while we’re on the subject, ask yourself - what is music? One of the amazing things about Reznor and Ross is that at times they really challenge traditional concept of music but at no point do you doubt that what you’re listening to actually fits the definition.
Full GQ article here: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Have a Plan to Soundtrack Everything | GQ
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