Trent Reznor Before Nine Inch Nails

[@acb9896]

Remember , kids... Every one of your favorites were dorks trying to sound like their favorites... Just like you.

[@joshviggiani9844]

:)

[@fafa1648]

Every now-and-then KZbin actually recommends something good.

[@-.MICHAEL.-]

Trent then looked like that quiet guy who used to sit at the back of the classroom, who only looked serious, but was in fact a very kind person.

[@riftwytch]

Before Trent was famous, he worked at a music store near Cleveland, Ohio where I used to shop. He demoed some equipment for me.

[@alexsadler4278]

Sweet man I'm the biggest nine inch nails fan

[@geet77777]

Any more details? did he just seem like a normal dude?

[@e.h.buchmann23]

Ahh, Down In It, one of the all time Christmas classics 😄Great video!

[@TAPE-HISS]

I bet Santa bumps it in the sleigh every year

[@e.h.buchmann23]

@@TAPE-HISS His relationship with Mrs Clause is, like, really complex

[@iximusic]

Dude this video is perfection!

[@synthoelectro]

He was honing his sound, with the influences of the Police, new wave, post-punk and other pop music, he formed his Industrial sound, Broken pretty much broke him free from it all to his own persona we all came to love.

[@emptysoul8462]

I love this video, I’ve not seen this side of Trent before. Since he’s one of my biggest inspirations in making music I appreciate this greatly.

[@TAPE-HISS]

I'm really glad you liked it. I wasn't a fan of his until I did the research for this video, but now I can proudly say he is an inspiration for me as well.

[@better.better]

yeah I didn't realize that his experience went so far back into New Wave. none of his own music seems to hold onto those roots. I guess that's true for other notables at the time as well, for example cEvin Key of skinny puppy was drummer for a New Wave band and that's where he got his experience with synth, learning how to trigger sequences with his kit. I think it's kind of strange the direction they went when they went on their own when you consider that the starting point was New Wave. I also think it's funny that he just rolls with the idea that Nine Inch Nails is a band, using the word "we" a lot when it's only him. The only time that it was anything but a solo act was on tour and then it was always different musicians to fill the roles until after Woodstock '94. I'd honestly like to see a graph of the record sales of Pretty Hate Machine pre and post Woodstock 94, to see how much of a difference that exposure contributed to his big break, as well as how much bleed over of non-industrial music fans that caused the other bands such as Skinny Puppy and My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult. one thing you don't really talk about here is where the singles Happiness In Slavery & Get Down Make Love fits in. they're included with singles from other songs that eventually went on pretty hate machine, however happiness in slavery and get down make love are the only NIN singles that I heard on the radio prior to The Downward Spiral, and they were the only ones that were in rotation, I never heard anything from the Pretty Hate Machine until Woodstock 94, and neither of those songs are included on it, I think it's so weird that they were so popular but they didn't make it on the album.

[@TifCip_Chungking2399]

@@better.better his roots are the fact that his music had melodies not just speeding thru, like other industrial music at the time.

[@216Numbskull]

You want a little more Trent inspiration? Here's one of many stories I personally had with Trent back in the day I'll share with you if you've got a minute my friends. As a young punk kid wannabe rocker & budding musician growing up in Cleveland wanting to rock. Music was a calling & in my blood at an early age from the jump, no doubt. At the top of my street there was a music store called "Pi Keyboard & Audio." It wasn't your average music store, it was completely cutting edge that dealt exclusively in top of the line pro gear that we had back then. So, my daily routine walking home from school was dropping by the store to chop it up with the dude's who worked there. Seeing I had to pass by the store everyday it was an easy choice to make obviously, right? 😂😜 The thing about it is being the curious George I was intrigued to soak up as much knowledge as I could from those dudes. They were all cool AF to me even though I constantly bugged them all the time. Which I'm still very grateful for them being so cool to me instead of being a bunch of dlckheads they could of easily been for me being a pain in the azz all the time. Back then those dudes were my cat's & all that & as cool as they come who taught me a lot of knowledge in music & what the new digital age in music worked & had to offer. Yet one guy who worked there never had a problem to help me out whenever I had a question knowing he was once me not to long ago. His name was "Trent Reznor" but AKA "T" to me. I was 12 going on 13 & T was already a rockstar to me. Not to mention "T" is also one of the coolest MFer's I've ever met & the pleasure to break bread with still to this day for sure. Shout out to all of them though they taught this young punk a lot in music. However I think most of the time me & "T" spent fiddling around on different equipment back then was also a way for him to learn something new himself trying to maximize everything the gear had to offer. Either way that's my story & I'm sticking to it on why I know Rez is an awesome dude who didn't really have to give me the time of day but knew I was serious & wasn't playing around. (pun intended) 😜 Mic drop, I'm outta here! +Peace & Rock n' Roll 4 Your Souls My Friends+ 🤘😉🤘

[@eboethrasher]

@@better.better do you mean Sin? Happiness in Slavery was not released as a non-album track.

[@harveyradius]

I'm a huge fan of Slam Bamboo's album so I had to check this out. Shocked you don't have more subscribers, super funny editing and really informative. Great content!

[@TAPE-HISS]

Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I gotta pick up that album someday.

[@bferrerpr]

I love all the archive videos you managed to get for this video. The bands mentioned before NIN, I had never seen them beyond photos. It's interesting to see a young Trent before forming NIN in the late '80s.

[@wade2922]

Trent should reunite with Slam Bamboo

[@agnosticbeliever138]

"As someone who is high right now and doesn't really want to be".. I feel you bro. Having to wake up after 2 hours because it's time for the next one really sucks. Much strength to you

[@michaelk.3715]

I recently got into the self-titled Prick album while exploring some more obscure 90s industrial rock - like three of those songs originated with the Lucky Pierre album that has Trent on it, and it makes sense because there's this quirky, self aware new wave feel to the whole album underneath the noisy industrial metal aesthetic.

[@morgueasylum]

i appreciate the amount of effort you’ve put into this. i’ve been a fan of trent for years, ever since i was a kid. trent’s become an inspiration and a role model of sorts for me.

[@flowthrake]

Man, hearing the original version of Prick's "Other People" made me appreciate the Nothing Records version a bit more. It needed that extra touch of aggro that Trent gave it.

[@mikeybuchanan8696]

Severely impressed by this deep dive and research. Especially from someone who admits to not even being that big if a NIN fan. WELL DONE!

[@erics9511]

This is so well done...it opened my eyes to so much I never knew about Trent's musical evolution. Thanks for such an informative video!

[@williamhelms9942]

I met Trent's mom & dad at Sears where I used to work, I loaded a water heater in his truck for them.

[@ArianMolaei]

how they looked like? were they kind?

[@55melmel]

Haha! Thank you, this was funny and fun, fun! Saw NIN twice in Hollywood. I was underage and went to a liquor store on the way and had to let a bum kiss me to get some bart-ells n’ James so we didn’t have to go to the concert sober. Duh. It was the 90’s. It didn’t suck like… now brahhhh! 😅

[@MrTarquinEx]

As much as I kind of enjoy their cover of "Der Kommissar" (at 3:50), it's kind of sad that they dedicated (what sounds like) studio time to it. Or maybe that's a live version. I found their EP on Discogs. And now that I've found a version to listen to on KZbin, I hope to do a deeper dive into it. Thanks for making this!

[@questtheinfinite1984]

Trent Reznor covering Billy Idol's " Eyes Without A Face"???

[@TAPE-HISS]

It's my favorite cover of any song ever.

[@pacificoslim]

Thanks to your video I've had that song "top secret information" stuck in my friggin head.

[@TAPE-HISS]

You're welcome:)

[@pacificoslim]

​@@TAPE-HISS lol. It's actually really catchy.

[@jasonbeukema4949]

Nice work. Super rarities within.

[@NME10E]

Nice vid, thank you! I hope you overcome your personal obstacles and keep creating.

[@bradjordan2280]

This was so neat to see...thanks for making this, it was great to see the culmination of trent become what he is today.!❤❤❤

[@meesalikeu]

i saw him in the exotic birds a few times in the 80s

[@thelookerful]

Great video! thanks for going down this rabbit hole.

[@LividImp]

NIN was the Nirvana of industrial rock. Merging industrial rock with just enough pop sensibility to make it accessible, but not poppy. Pretty Hate Machine is a masterpiece and is highly underrated.

[@americanpatriots4868]

Great band, but I wouldn't call them rock. More like synth-pop or techno to be fair. I get the industrial part, but in a commercial kind of way. I love them!

[@anthonyharmon9265]

NIN isnt nor ever was industrial. Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly are industrial.

[@americanpatriots4868]

@@anthonyharmon9265 Yes agreed. They are an electronic synthpop/synthrock band.

[@LividImp]

@@anthonyharmon9265 Sigh.... you people can't read. I specifically wrote "industrial rock". I know who Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly are, I've had them on my public synth playlist for years, go look. Now that I think about it, I have "Cleanse Fold and Manipulate" in my car CD player _right now._ If you "no true Scotsmen" snobs had your way, it would only be your favorite six bands in any one genre and everything else would be "pop" music to be sneered down on. Well, tough shit. NIN is _well established_ as industrial rock by virtually any source you check. If you want to keep NIN out of the cool kids club, you're at least 30 years too late to make that stand. Is the typical NIN fan going to enjoy Throbbing Gristle? LOL, no, fucking of course not. But that doesn't mean they don't share a common stylistic thread, whether you want to accept it or not.

[@JeremyPatton]

That’s a cover, Joe Jackson’s Look Sharp!

[@Fl4ppers]

Man this is such a good video! As a NIN fan I'm impressed!

[@traitortotheliving]

This was a great watch

[@elzueiromemes]

This takes me back to 2016 when I successfully managed to gather all the work that Trent Rezor was involved in somehow and convert it to MP3... this took me a few weeks, maybe one day I'll save it somewhere for other people who are interested

[@nat_nin]

this video is so well made, one of my favourite vids on nin, thank you : )

[@TAPE-HISS]

Thank you so much, this was my first video of many hopefully, so I'm glad you liked it.

[@jumapfeifer6984]

Great job! Love the 80‘s sounds. I am a fan since the 90‘s of NIN, but this video blows my mind. I never expected Trend switched that much… he became awesome after that! You may give also Gunship a Chance if you like the 80‘s sound. Just added the Exotic Birds to my playlist. Thanks, we need more guys Like you. Appretiated!! MP

[@edwardduarte7393]

I remember when he was on 120 minutes they loved him saw him open up for jamc at universal amphitheater

[@praetentious2925]

Thanks for the top secret information about Trent

[@austindurham5736]

That top secret information song kicks ass dude lol for real

[@curtthechameleon]

This is good stuff man. I didn't know alot of this. Trent was a man after my own heart with the 80s bands.

[@DanielMartinez-bn6bl]

Love Trent. I also stated out using an akai xr20 with a Roland jdxi

[@Jacksmusicshack]

Wow holy crap hes been around 😂 great guy. Wish i could meet trent

[@moliver_xxii]

great video essay, exhaustive and to the point, and i like the historical context added by the memes. ;-)

[@TAPE-HISS]

Thank you, memes are vital for teaching history.

[@ancrm1147]

This was like the Early Life/Projects of this Wikipedia article come to life with some added bonus information even a long time fan had not known. Thanks!

[@moneyallspent7117]

I ❤ mentions Book Of Love! He sounded like he likes them.

[@teresathomley3703]

I don't remember Trent Reznor talking about any of this in Spin or Rolling Stone. I wonder why.

[@mikez1701e]

Thx for this

[@TAPE-HISS]

Thank you for watching, dawg

[@DefaultUsername156]

"Hi im turnt Reznor of nineninch nails" 😂😂😂

[@cmath8577]

Very well done and thoughtful.

[@ProfaneEgyptology]

This was a really great video, with info I'd never seen before and so much 80s gold! I hope you beat the monkey on your back - you clearly have talent. Rooting for you

[@laurenletsche1134]

he sings better than he can talk

[@vt100music]

Who

[@ABCRE2]

That ain't saying much😂

[@kingsportcal]

Tape-hiss you will neva kno' the impact dat NIN had and continues to have in my life. Good video.

[@TAPE-HISS]

I probably will never appreciate NIN like a real fan does, but I know music in general gives my life color, energy, and a sense that existence is more than just a cycle of pain and then numbness. Music is magic to me, and I think Trent is a wizard regardless of whether I understand his music or not. He saves lives, I'm sure of that.

[@alexisc1970]

I had no idea he had any sense of humor!

[@sonicepiphany]

Oh God yes. He was actually pretty hilarious. I've seen and read tons of interviews, internet forum threads, and video snippets of him goofing off and many of them have moments of his humor. He's still funny but he was something else in his younger years.

[@bradschumacher419]

Really cool video. Thank you.

[@jreal54]

This was dope. Great work, mate! New sub.

[@wendygreene]

This is great!

[@buukaczi]

Trent in 90s was peak

[@skabcat242]

This is blowing my mind. I had no idea Trent was in so many bands before NIN.

[@lynnpehrson8826]

That innocent synth part was so NIN

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

What the f***** f*** man? Your research skills are lacking is an understatement. The first time I saw Trent was with PIGFACE in CHICAGO doing his PIGFACE song SUCK. It was in Pigface that he developed his industrial style that he would take to form Nine Inch Nails, working at Waxtrax (now Invisible Records). I'm trying to remember who else was in Pigface for that tour. Martin Atkins, of course. Most of Killing Joke including Geordie and Big Paul. I remember Raven coming out with a teddy bear with a pig mask and setting it on one of the amps. Ogre from Skinny Puppy had a song. The rest is kind of a blur. There were at least a dozen people on stage at the end. It was probably at Cabaret Metro, but don't quote me on that. Anyone remember this?

[@CHIRONandADAM]

Awesome job!

[@doberchic]

Rabbit holes brought me here. Some beers and a vodka had me mistake my future late husband for Trent Reznor 821ish weeks ago one night in a well known industrial club. He could have been his stunt double. Anyway, Trent's stunt double was a golden boy who could show up anywhere and climb. He made it well into the petroleum industry. Then the fumes got to him. While he was really smart, funny and beautiful he was hard a f to live with and turns out was really bad at math. People, math is really important. IYKYK

[@TheGrowlerCatB2BGame]

Good luck with your demons. I got mine as well. We all do. Thank you for the video.

[@saintjabroni]

🤣🤣🤣 this narration 😂😂😂

[@tylerreis6790]

Why does this give me How To With John Wilson vibes 😂😂

[@TAPE-HISS]

Idk, but I'll take it as a compliment

[@lashtal]

that TOP SECRET information song is A HIT!

[@lashtal]

shiiiit. Just realized something. That TOP SECRET main vocal line sounds A LOT like "Don't Stand So Close To Me" kzbin.info/www/bejne/gX-si6KchadrkK8 Which appears to go hand in hand with THE POLICE influence. One can't help but remember Trent's reimagining of Bowie's song "Crystal Japan", which he called "A Warm Place". Trent thought the tune was familiar in the back of his head as he was writing it out on piano, but couldn't figure out why. Turns out he heard it before from his idol Bowie, just couldn't place where he heard it at time of release (otherwise he probably wouldn't have released it at all, which'd be a shame because "A Warm Place" is really good, it's own song in a sense, in it's own right at least as a re-adaptation)

[@craigsmith6045]

Dude this is great

[@JohahnDiechter]

I am with you. I hate the Eagles, man

[@SamChaneyProductions]

"This is Nine Inch Nails with 'down innit?' "

[@DevilMetal23]

The birth of a GENIUS. Cool video.

[@birchwwolf]

If you're more interested in this side of Trent, check out his NIN demo Purest Feeling. it made TVT Records see Depeche Mode-shaped dollar signs before Reznor darkened the tunes into what became Pretty Hate Machine. arguably the closest one will get to this more exuberant fun after that is probably the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem soundtrack in 2023 (in which one can clearly hear how so many action films over the last 20 years aped Trent's sound only for him to best them all himself, for a ~Ninja Turtles movie~.)

[@TAPE-HISS]

Thanks, I'll have to check those out! And now I want him to make a soundtrack and score for a Transformers movie

[@sonicepiphany]

​@@TAPE-HISS You haven't heard Purest Feeling yet?! Aw man you gotta get on that. I am obsessed with that thing 😂

[@geet77777]

The option 30 song you played is a Falco song cover called der kommissar. either that or they just riped it off, i didnt listen long enough to know.

[@newwavepop]

"Temptations Deep Blue Eyes" was giving me serious "Bizarre Love Triangle" vibes, not helped by Temptation in the title and that next song "Heartbeat Like A Drum" also sounding quite New Order inspired. i loved Pretty Hate Machine when it came out, but never much cared for anything afterwards. have never been into the heavy industrial thing.

[@Andyanddiana467]

He was a good cover band singer!

[@TAPE-HISS]

He really was, he had mojo

[@TAPE-HISS]

I want to see him do some covers like this today

[@TrippedGian1]

Solid Billy Idol impression, defo

[@lashtal]

great documentary bro, but please show the funny memes for longer on the screen, had to pause and rewind the vid several times to read them.

[@spence086]

Nice vid!

[@themadmattster9647]

That unreleased Exotic Birds song sounds like Bizarre Love Triangle

[@davidevans8691]

Costello's good years.

[@liamhansell]

What’s the Option 30 tune at 3:40!? It’s a banger

[@TAPE-HISS]

It's a cover of "Der Kommissar" by Falco (1981): kzbin.info/www/bejne/bl7FmJyfid2bsK8 Full Trent Version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJawkJ2cjd2koKM

[@themadmattster9647]

this is like Pantera's "Glam Period" but for Trent Reznor.

[@fallenangelcrimson]

this was kool!!!!!

[@lxpnlxpn]

why is nin music so perfectly descriptive of the world rn , its not even teenage angsty shit he was like late 20s when he started nin so the lyrics and context really gets to you knowing that this is from a dude who really gave up, idk lol

[@sonicepiphany]

He was only 24 when PHM was released. So he was 22-23 when he was writing and creating the album.

[@richardgrobertson5293]

I thought that Trent was part of Ministry when they were a synth pop band in 1983 I Wanted to Tell Her/ Work for Love? Am I wrong?

[@sonicepiphany]

Nope but he did do Supernaut with the Ministry side project group 1000 Homo DJs in 1990. He also toured with RevCo that same year in August. Some people seem to think he was just a roadie but he was performing some with them too.

[@haimas3d823]

What's the song at 0:41

[@TAPE-HISS]

It's an early instrumental of my song "-HEARTBEAT-". kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5fOeXtroK91rsU

[@deejay4am]

This was an awesome video, I love this kind of little-known history stuff. And hey, if you like that XOT track, I've got something to show you: v=4IPYTCH1ZWQ

[@raideroutlaw2489]

Yo intro song name?

[@TAPE-HISS]

It's an early instrumental of my song "-HEARTBEAT-" kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5fOeXtroK91rsU

[@jovanreid6782]

Nah it was just the blow.

[@randyping6036]

The sax was better in the 80's.

[@seanabel5979]

Slam bamboo kinda reminds me of Duran Duran

[@markkevorkian]

So i learned that every band he has ever been in has the worst name.

[@TAPE-HISS]

Pretty much, but Slam Bamboo has a good ring to it at least

[@sonicepiphany]

The Innocent was known as Hot Rodney when Trent first joined so add another weird ass band name to the pile 😂

[@kennethobrien6537]

You didn't mention that he rented and lived in the Mason house for over a year to record an album

[@alexisc1970]

Manson not Mason

[@sonicepiphany]

Um probably because this is about Trent BEFORE Nine Inch Nails

[@kennethobrien6537]

@@alexisc1970 auto correct. My bad.

[@BigD69100]

WHats the song at 0:41?

[@TAPE-HISS]

It's just one of my little songs kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5fOeXtroK91rsU

[@DystOpian6996]

Pain = Will Smith ??? You lost me there sorry.

[@TAPE-HISS]

All I know is that I wouldn't be happy married to Jada

[@valley_robot]

Wow he's been in some terrible bands, I've been in loads of bands and none of them were this shit, was in a band with a guy who couldn't really sing but we carried him and he looked cool, the band wasn't shit though, these were all commercial shite

[@LicoriceLain]

Luckily, his band got it right.

[@trippshow3541]

08:01 Human League

[@atheistleopard618]

dude, how many hundreds of memes are you using in this video to try to be cool ffs? lol

[@buukaczi]

Yes

[@MichaBiskupski-dh5cr]

80's was so Gay and Cold decade.

[@TAPE-HISS]

Just like my soul