In an unprecedented move, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame has teamed up with his record label for the most immoral sales promotion since the Paris Hilton Hardee’s commercial.
This promotion strikes with two hot prongs, much like the DP in a Penthouse magazine. The first bit comes in when Reznor’s label, Universal Music Group, tries to sell Year Zero, the latest release from NIN (deemed “not the most original dystopian yarn,” by P4K. Sick brah, right?!) for an exorbitant amount. To be precise, the Aussies have to pay more than $34, and we stateside kids are going to have to pay more than $29. There’s the first penetration. It’s rough, but you know you can handle it if worse comes to worse.
Then, Reznor drops trough and bends his cult-like fans over and readies them for the big DP. How on earth could we, the fans, get even more screwed over after paying a bijillion dollars for a CD that only registered a 6.7 on P4K’s scale?? Reznor writes on his band’s website about the absurdity of the price for his CD. In fact, we have a quote straight from Reznor: “As the climate grows more and more desperate for record labels, their answer to their mostly self-inflicted wounds seems to be to screw the consumer over even more." And he continues, "Shame on you, UMG. 'Year Zero' is selling for $34.99 Australian dollars ($29.10 US). No wonder people steal music. Avril Lavigne's record in the same store was $21.99 ($18.21 US)."
The scorcher here, the burn the morning after, is that this bitter squabble may be quite orchestrated. For if UMG tries selling NIN’s CD for stupid-expensive and Reznor tries to tell his fans he’s not behind the pricing and in fact he’s outraged, then fans may very well be all “Fuck you UMG. I’ll buy the CD anyway.” Then, both Reznor and UMG win, and you are left with your sea parted way too far to ever feel anything remotely pleasurable again.
Whatever. At least Reznor concluded his complaints by saying they are going to release a full-length remix collection.
