I’ve been listening to Nine Inch Nails for a good chunk of my life. Punctuated by industrial rock rhythms embodying an aggressive and heavy edge, Trent Reznor’s productions speak to the middle ground between my lighter and darker selves. His lyrics are fraught with brooding introspection that I describe as galvanizing. Petty Hate Machine and Downward Spiral, upon my discovery as a teenager, became two of my favorite albums. Even today they continue to stand the test of time. Truthfully, each and every Nine Inch Nails track that touched my ears felt poignant and insightful. Almost as if Trent Reznor sharing his personal exhortations on topics like lust, greed, addiction, self-deception, and nihilism granted me greater enlightenment. Or at the very least, it gave me comfort knowing that someone could capably articulate thoughts and feelings that many of us share.
In 1988, Nine Inch Nails formed in Cleveland, OH and released fourteen albums between 1989 and 2020. The only official member of the band was Trent Reznor until his frequent collaborator, Atticus Ross, officially joined the fold in 2016. You see, at the beginning, TR encountered difficulty finding a group capable of receiving and reciprocating the style of material he desired to produce. Taking inspiration from Prince, Reznor elected to sing and play all instruments himself. Except for drums which he recorded electronically. Truly, he’s a one-man band thanks to his drive, determination, and skill in the studio.
Boys Noize, aka Alex Ridha, is an electronic music producer, songwriter, and DJ hailing from West Germany. He’s an expert purveyor of techno, house, and electro amalgamations through rigorous and matchless composition. His musical productions began in 2004 with the release of “The Bomb! / Boy Neu”. He’s founder and head honcho of Boys Noize Records as well a longtime collaborator of Skrillex. Alex has been tapped by the likes of A$AP Rocky, Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga, and Chilly Gonzales along with remixing Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, A.G. Cook, and Solomun among others.
Alex is also no stranger to movies as he formerly composed the theme music for the 2014 German movie, Who Am I-No System is Safe. He’d go on to work with Nine Inch Nails starting in 2024 with a remix of the Challengers soundtrack followed by co-producing the Tron:Ares soundtrack in 2025. Nine Inch Nails enlisted Boys Noize for their 2025 Peel It Back tour as the opening act, and he also joined them on stage each night for EDM-inspired renditions of some of their set list. Here’s what Reznor had to say about working with Boys Noize.
“The creative fulfillment of working on the Challengers and TRON scores with Boys Noize led me to think that including him in the Peel It Back tour could be an interesting way to express NIN in more purely electronic terms live – a concept I’ve wanted to explore for some time. The result was so much fun for us we felt it was worth expanding and formalizing in some way.
“On a whim I mentioned it would be cool to play a whole set as Nine Inch Noize in the Sahara tent at Coachella. Careful what you wish for…the next thing I knew we were designing a whole new show to present in the way it deserved.“
In between weekend performances at Coachella on April 11 and 18, Nine Inch Nails released an album that certainly feels like a new zenith for the band and Boys Noize. Nine Inch Noize. Featuring twelve tracks in total, nine reimagined from NIN’s catalogue of works including “She’s Gone Away“, “Closer”, and “Came Back Haunted” as well as the Grammy-award winning hit from the Tron:Ares soundtrack, “As Alive As You Need Me To Be.” Plus a reworking of “Parasite” by How To Destroy Angels. Here’s the album’s full track listing:
01. Intro (Nine Inch Noize Version)
02. Vessel (Nine Inch Noize Version)
03. She’s Gone Away (Nine Inch Noize Version)
04. Heresy (Nine Inch Noize Version)
05. Parasite (Nine Inch Noize Version)
06. Copy Of A (Nine Inch Noize Version)
07. Me I’m Not (Nine Inch Noize Version)
08. Closer (Nine Inch Noize Version)
09. The Warning (Nine Inch Noize Version)
10. Memorabilia (Nine Inch Noize Version)
11. Came Back Haunted (Nine Inch Noize Version)
12. As Alive As You Need Me To Be (Nine Inch Noize Version)
What’s significant about this record, at least for me, is that many of these songs feel as relevant today as they did when they were originally released. These newer versions retain the signature sound and style that makes NIN remarkable and one-of-a-kind. Boys Noize deftly infused his own unique elements that will absolutely entice a whole new generation of listeners to explore Nine Inch Nails provocative, portentous, and prophetic discography.
Especially after Nine Inch Noize’s enthralling Coachella performances, which were nothing short of extraordinary. Mind-altering sequences combined with reality-bending production. The showmanship was elite and featured a troupe of hoofers that demonstrated choreography atypical for Nine Inch Nails perpetrations. The way the dancers moved in coordination with each other, and Reznor, gave the appeal that they were a hive-minded organism. Dare I say it injected an unsettling aesthetic that made the performance feel a bit nightmarish and spine-chilling. And Trent Reznor’s voice continues to dazzle and delight in ways that seem to defy logic. He’s sixty-one? Share with me your secrets, oh great one, for I am listening. He, Atticus, and Alex presented the entirety of their arsenal of work in just over forty-five minutes. Remarkable!
What comes next for Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize? They’ll go their own separate ways. For now. No bolt from the blue tour announcement, but the album will live on in perpetuity in our hearts, minds, and playlists. For those blessed to witness this collaboration in the flesh, and even those like myself continuing to drench ourselves in Nine Inch Noize’s sound, I’m sure we all want more. Who knows what the future ultimately holds for these electric powerhouses. Even so, we’re grateful for the gifts we’ve been given. Two legendary performances and one spectacular album within the span of a week. Thank you, Mr. Reznor, Mr. Ross, and Mr. Radhi.
You can listen to Nine Inch Noize on all major music platforms. If you’d like to discover more about these stellar performers, check out the Boys Noize and Nine Inch Nails websites.
Be well, be successful. Bear Swiftly.
–Electro Scribe–
