Trent Reznor has been focusing on creating film scores in recent years because “the music world sucks”.
The Nine Inch Nails star hasn’t released a new album with the band since ‘Ghosts V: Together’ and ‘Ghosts VI: Locusts’ which were offered up as free downloads during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – and he’s admitted he’s been working on music for films instead because he’s become “disillusioned” with the industry.
He told IndieWire: “What we’re looking for [from film] is the collaborative experience with interesting people. We haven’t gotten that from the music world necessarily, for our own choice.
“You mentioned disillusionment with the music world? Yes. The culture of the music world sucks. That’s another conversation, but what technology has done to disrupt the music business in terms of not only how people listen to music but the value they place on it is defeating.”
He added: “I’m not saying that as an old man yelling at clouds, but as a music lover who grew up where music was the main thing.
“Music [now] feels largely relegated to something that happens in the background or while you’re doing something else. That’s a long, bitter story.”
Trent has been working on film scores since the 1990s when he produced the soundtrack for Oliver Stone’s 1994 movie ‘Natural Born Killers’.
He’s also worked on ‘The Social Network’, the US version of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, ‘Gone Girl’, ‘Patriots Day’ and most recently ‘Challengers’ and ‘Queer’.
Trent and his longtime music partner Atticus Ross won an Oscar for their work on ‘The Social Network’ as well as 2020 animated movie ‘Soul’.
In a previous interview with GQ, the pair admitted working on so many film scores has allowed them to feel excited about going back to making Nine Inch Nails records.
Trent said: “[Soundtrack work has] managed to make Nine Inch Nails feel way more exciting than it had been in the past few years.
“I’d kind of let it atrophy a bit in my mind for a variety of reasons.”
Atticus added he feels “excited about starting on the next record … I think we’re in a place now where we kind of have an idea.”