Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor says most modern pop music is "a desperate plea for commercial airplay".
The 51-year-old rocker hasn’t been impressed by both "boring" rock music and the endless thread of "tweed pop songs" over the last few years, a sentiment he shares with his band mate Atticus Ross.
The ‘Closer’ hitmaker also admits that he hasn’t heard many records that have "blown him away" as they are "tame" and "generic".
Speaking to Zane Lowe on his Apple Beats 1 radio show, he said: "Something that we have always felt strongly about is the role of what we call rock has been one that should feel untethered and filled with expression and uncompromised and at times challenging.
"In general, it seems from my perspective, and I feel Atticus feels the same way, that most entertainment, particularly music is pretty boring. Certainly, rock is boring.
"I can’t think of anything that has happened in the rock spectrum that has felt, and I am sure there are that I am just not thinking of right now, but in general it’s not saying much.
"It’s not including good stuff out there, but in general I am not blown away by five records a month that are speaking to me. Everything feels a bit tame and a lot like something else that has happened. Plight. I think some of the tastemaker elements and hipster arena has leaned towards the praising of gentle familiar R&B, tweed pop stuff. A lot of what is blessed is the cool thing. It feels pretty generic and also feels, a lot of it, like a desperate plea for commercial airplay and success."
The electronic metal band – also comprised of Robin Finck, Alessandro Cortini, and Ilan Rubin – recently released new single ‘Burning Bright (Field on Fire)’, which features on the new EP, ‘Not the Actual Events’.
The mini-album, which is available to stream now, features songs with Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Dave Navarro.
The ‘Not the Actual Events’ EP tracklist is as follows:
01. ‘Branches/Bones
02. ‘Dear World’
03. ‘She’s Gone Away’ (feat. Mariqueen Maandig)
04. ‘The Idea of You’ (feat. Dave Grohl)
05. ‘Burning Bright (Field on Fire)’ (feat. Dave Navarro)