NIN’S TRENT REZNOR SLAMS RECORD LABEL, PROVES INTELLIGENCE AGAIN

Trent Reznor has posted the following message on NIN’s official website message board, again displaying his acceptance and embracement of the changes currently taking place in the music industry:

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. A couple of examples that quickly come to mind:

* The ABSURD retail pricing of ‘Year Zero’ in Australia. 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).

“By the way, when I asked a label rep about this his response was: ‘It’s because we know you have a real core audience that will pay whatever it costs when you put something out — you know, true fans. It’s the pop stuff we have to discount to get people to buy.’ So… I guess as a reward for being a ‘true fan’ you get ripped off.

* The dreaded EURO maxi-single. Nothing but a consumer rip-off that I’ve been talked into my whole career. No more.

The point is, I am trying my best to make sure the music and items NIN puts in the marketplace have value, substance and are worth you considering purchasing. I am not allowing Capital G to be repackaged into several configurations that result in you getting ripped off.

We are planning a full-length remix collection of substance that will be announced soon.

Hey record labels, are you paying attention?? The old paradigm is over. You cannot and will not continue to rip consumers off by over-charging for full albums when there is an alternative available. Please, no more repackaged greatest hits collections or other bullshit money-making ploys. Axl Rose, this means you too.

-VN