Htda Questions

The following Q&A is from the official How To Destroy Angels Facebook Page and Tumblr

Key

• AR - Atticus Ross
• HTDA - How To Destroy Angels
• TR - Trent Reznor
• MR / MMR - Mariqueen Reznor

---

HTDA: We're experimenting with Facebook's ability to host a Q&A type scenario here. If you have a question, post it here and we will check in from time to time (and MAY even answer some!) May 6 2010

Physical release Luke Norton: are there any plans for a physical release of the single and/ or e.p.? TR: yes for EP, no for single

Touring Joel Sanderson: Are there plans for touring? TR: This EP is the results of early collaboration. We were going to use all of 2010 to experiment and gestate but liked the early results and decided to share them. Next up is a full LP (tent. early 2011) and then MAYBE some degree of touring.

Differences between NIN and HTDA Eliot Jenkins: TR: it's obvious that you've wanted to put nine inch nails on hold for a while and try some other things. so, for you, how is this different from nine inch nails (besides the obvious: a different vocalist, a more collaborative work, etc.)? what do you feel you can do now with this band that you couldn't do with nine inch nails? TR: As stated above, this EP is a very early phase of this project. Yes, it sounds more NIN-ish than I believe it will as we progress. To me, HTDA frees me from some of the constraints I've begun to feel (primarily emotionally) in NIN. NIN is not dead and I am about to work on some material that I believe will be quite different than previous NIN very soon.

UK and international download Joanne Greenwood: Any plans for a uk download of drowning HTDA: A Drowning should be available on Amazon's UK site. The download will also be available on numerous other download sites, including iTunes worldwide, Zune, Napster, etc, in the coming days. It's been submitted, but exactly when it appears in these stores is out of our hands. Amazon US & UK were simply the first ones to add it.

Atticus Ross and Peter Christopherson Alun Phillips: UK Tour?, Is Atticuss a band member or a collaborator? and How deep is the Coil connection ( Read somewhere that Peter Christopherson may be a member), is it just the name? TR: The band at the moment is Mariqueen, Atticus and myself. Peter is an old friend and collaborator. I obviously ran the name choice by him first and we've discussed him contributing to the upcoming material in one form or another. Tour question answered above.

Teaser videos Robert Duff: Are the earlier sample/teaser noises from the website going to be released or preserved in any way? TR: this will become clear soon.

TR: whoa... what? Melissa Salazar: Is the writing just as collaborative as the music? Please, tell us- just how seperate our we to consider NIN from How to Destroy Angels? Are you striving to make HDH have a musical identity of it's own? With it's own fan base? Own agenda? Own vision? Are you expecting (for lack of a better word) NIN fans to recieve HDH well? To appreciate and respect HDH while still loving NIN? TR: whoa... what??

Kraftwerk and Colplay Jeff Davis: One of the synthlines in the teaser videos sounds similar to 'Computer Love' by Kraftwerk/'Talk' by Coldplay. Is this indicative of a cover, an homage, or was it unintentional? TR: Yes to the Kraftwerk influence / nod but please don't remind me of the Coldplay abomination.

Swarmatron and Ghosts Ollie Nedwell: Apparently there are only two 'Swarmatrons' in existence. It sounds excellent on the very first video you released (nice work Mariqueen, unless Trent got back into black nail varnish... ). I was wondering if you were given it as a present or whether you purchased one? Trent: Does the instrument feature on Ghosts 20 III by any chance? TR: For those of you interested in the green thing Mariqueen is playing: http://www.dewanatron.com/instruments.php?page=swarmatron I bought this from Big City Music and it's been a pleasant surprise in terms of usability and sound. We didn't use it on Ghosts because I only learned of it's existence a few months ago. Next Ghosts, for sure.

May 7th 2010 Other single releases Jaykub Muf Fin Birney: Hey, in the off-chance you read this, I got to say I love A Drowning to death. Great job :) Any plans to release any other songs/samples/possible video for the single before the EP? I seriously can't wait--any idea what month the EP will be released? TR: more will be released before the whole thing. Friday is a cool day... EP in July

Physical release Melissa Chambers McClellan: This question is for Mariqueen, Atticus and Trent, any or all to answer. I read that there would indeed be a physical release for "How To Destroy Angels," but I'm curious as to if there will be any type of Deluxe Packaging, perhaps even along the lines of NIN's "Ghosts?" I for one know that I would love to have such a thing, as I'm sure that many already-made-fans would also be interested. Thanks, Luke TR: No Deluxe packaging for the EP, but certainly for the full length record next year.

Diddy blog Brian Hughes: How do you feel about www.diddyblog.com. After seeing that 25% of my IRA had evaporated overnight seeing this pretty much sealed it as a shitty day. TR: I haven't actually experienced the "Diddy blog" but just putting those two words together leads me to think I'm not missing much.

Rob Sheridan Doug Mroz: Are you and Rob Sheridan still working together? TR: Yes of course. He's art directing HTDA as well as working on a few other items with me at the moment.

Remixing and multitracks Paul Scott: Will multi-track audio be made available for fans to remix, like with NIN? TR: You know, I haven't really thought about that. Yes probably. I'd like to build out the HTDA site a bit to accommodate it directly rather than piggyback it into NIN.com, but (thinking as I'm writing) fuck it maybe I'll put the multitracks up there in the meantime. Thanks for bringing that up.

Year Zero TV Zep Ilyas: Hey Trent, are you still planning on doing a live action adaptation of Year Zero or are you planning a sequel to Year Zero? TR: I'm still getting used to the incredibly slow pace that television works, but for now just let me say YZ is very much alive. Can't say any more yet. The fate of the musical sequel / conclusion / coda to YZ is somewhat dependent on how things play out with the series as well as the how the tone of the new material I have earmarked for NIN develops. Did that make any sense?

Influences Mollie Echeverria: I dig the Cranes-y juxtaposition of female vocals and noisy music. Can we expect a dream pop/shoegaze/ethereal sound for the EP? Alternately, since I noticed Gang of Four and Cabaret Voltaire listed as influences on your Myspace page, will there be a current of funkiness? Finally, there's a piece called "A Drowning" in Tuxedomoon's Ghost Sonata; was this in any way an influence (or just coincidental)? TR: A Drowning is fairly unlike the rest of the EP. The rest of it gets noisier. Early to mid-period Cabaret Voltaire is a big influence, as is GO4, as is P.i.L. and the like. I'm aware of Tuxedomoon but never listened to them. May 11 2010

Lyricist Daniel Dunderfelt: Who is the main lyrics writer in this project? Also, Mariqueen, you sound amazing. Your voice is just so perfect for Trent's music! Sorry if this sounds like asskissing, but I really mean it. A Drowning is amazing. MR: nobody has strict rules as to their role in the band, but the majority of the lyrical content falls on me. ps - thanks :)

May 12 2010 Sobriety Serena Pegues: My question is for Trent. I am 7 months sober and a dancer., I've been dancing since i was a baby. Ever since I got sober, I am finding it hard to create/choreograph. Did you experience a lapse in creativity when you got sober? How did u move past it? TR: For me personally, I waited a while to feel somewhat human and then found creating to be much easier and natural. Drugs hindered me much more than they ever helped creatively. May 20 2010

The Space In Between Video TR: Lots have been asking about the video for The Space In Between. Here's some details. The concept was conceived by the band as the song was being written. Rupert Sanders (who happens to be Atticus' brother-in-law) showed interest and embellished the concept into what you see now. Laurie Boccaccio went the extra mile pulling this together producing. Greig Fraser was the DP and we shot on 35mm using anamorphic lenses. Visual effects were done by The Mill LA. Full credits here: http://creativity-online.com/work/how-to-destroy-angels-the-space-in-between/20081 The mysterious woman on the phone is Molly McDowell.

June 2 2010 Fur-Lined drums Karlzt Michael: why are the drums in "Fur-Lined" recycled from "Only?" TR: They aren't. I think I used the same "vintage" drum machine (SC Drumtraks - I think) so the sounds could be similar / the same.

Download sales Marcus Proctor: What was the ratio of people initially downloading the EP that actually paid you a few bucks, compared to the fans who downloaded the free verson? Just wondering due to the poor performance of the Niggy Tardust release. TR: Not sure yet, but we were really just trying to cover bandwidth expense with the 2$. Over 100K downloads on the first day - better than we expected.

Limited Edition T Shirt Marcus Proctor: Secondly, did the Limited Edition sell out so quickly because there was no limit to the ammount you could buy, meaning someone (scalper) has relisted 10, 15, 100, etc shirts on Ebay? TR: We didn't really think that through, but I'll check and see if something was put in place to prevent that. I don't THINK that happened and will make sure we have something in place for the next limited event.

Thanks Marcus ProctorThanks for the EP guys, sounds great, alot of my favorite TR and Atticus studio style matched perfectly with Mariqueens haunting, yet incredible vox. TR: Thanks - we had fun doing this.

Favourite track James 'Churchy' Churchill A question for all of you: What is your favourite track on the EP and which one was the most enjoyable to create? TR: I think most of us enjoyed working on The Believers from start to finish and that was a band fave for a while. Fur-Lined was difficult to get to the right place and we almost left it off the EP. Glad now we included it.

Tour dates Timothy Sharp: I'm shore you have been ask already but I'll throw it out there When can we expect tour dates? Will you be doing the states first or last? Much less will you be touring world wide or just the states or is it both? TR: I am currently finishing an unrelated project, then we're going to finish a full-length record over the course of this year. We are discussing touring and would like to on a limited basis but this will not happen until the full-length comes out.

June 23 2010 FLAC quality George Kalamaras: Ghosts was released in 24bit 96000hz. How come this time around we're not getting the full experience? HTDA: We recorded this at 24bit 48k because we're currently subscribing to the belief that it actually sounds better than 96k. Hence, no reason for larger files to be distributed.

Tumblr

Following the success of How To Destroy Angels' FaceBook Q&A, a tumblr page was created for the same concept.

---

June 3 2010

Full length album armandolara:Are you planning on releasing a full LP? If so, when can we expect it? TR: We are working on a full-length release now. We hope to have it released Q1 2011.

Inspiration nothingxs: What was the inspiration behind the EP? Was there some sort of specific sound you were trying to capture, or was it a more natural "build and see how it goes" affair? TR: As I mentioned elsewhere, this EP is an artifact of the very first experiments we tried together. We were going to wait until we had a large batch of songs and then distill things down from there, but we liked this first collection and decided to release them. I would expect the next release to sound a bit more focused as we discover more about our combined chemistry.

Touring antidoto:When are you planning to tour? TR: No immediate plans for touring. We’re focusing on the new full-length record and then we’ll consider.

Alan Moulder poly915Is Alan Moulder still the king of the universe? TR: Of course he is!

Doom 4 shagg187:An off-topic question for Trent: Whats going on with id software and you? Are you working on Doom 4 or was it just a false rumor? TR: I haven’t been contacted my them and find it unlikely that I would have time at this point.

The Believers sfx lookoverthere12346:How did you make those atari-like synth sounds in The Believers? TR: That was actually the iPhone app “Bebot” played by Mariqueen and then fed into a tape echo to add bends and warble.

Massive Attack steelknight:Hi from Spain!! While listening to your new work I thought sometimes it sounded a bit like Massive Attack. Maybe it's Mariqueen's voice or... is there an influence from this UK band? What do you think of them? Hope to see and listen to you in Madrid, we are waiting with our arms open!! TR: All of us really like Massive Attack and certainly they were an influence.

Musical equipment reconnection:What was the most used piece of gear on the EP? Thank you for the new music, it is fantastic. HTDA:We kind of decided to use only drum machines / programmed drums leaning towards analog sounds as a starting point. From there I think we only used real analog synths as opposed to virtual ones. Lots of Arp Odyssey, Korg MS-20, Moog Voyager and lots of modular. More exotic instruments we used a lot were the Swarmatron http://www.dewanatron.com/instruments.php?page=swarmatron and a prototype of the Rozzbox Oddulator.

Physical EP 24airic:Should I be preordering the physical EP from Amazon, or will you be selling it directly from your site? TR: The physical EP will not be sold on our site. If you are interested in one, I highly recommend buying it from your local independent record store (if there is one).

Rozzbox adamrhodes:That fucking Rozzbox. Ive been trying to get my hands on one for ages. Fancy convincing the guy who made them to sell me one? ;) I jest ... But srsly. TR: Email him -that’s what I did. I don’t think he’s going to put them in production but they sound AMAZING.

"Wired" iPad app redlamp:I'd love to know what your thoughts and experience was like with the Wired iPad feature. It was great to get such a sensory glimpse into the creative process. TR has been very forward thinking about the music industry and distribution, do you think there is some carry over or lessons for print? TR: The Wired iPad feature is substantially trimmed down in scale (content and features) from what I’d hoped, but I’m glad we had the opportunity to be involved. Bryan Gardiner is a cool guy.

Obscure instruments adamrhodes:Where do you find these obscure instruments? Like the Oddulator and Swarmatron... TR: Here’s two excellent places I get a lot of gear from: http://www.bigcitymusic.com/dept.asp?cat=New http://www.analoguehaven.com/ June 4th 2010

Lyrics auramineo:Were all of your lyrics a collaborative effort? If not which songs did Mariqueen write? MMR: seeing as how trent is a veteran & atticus is a fancy englishman, i would consult with the boys from time to time to see if they liked what i had come up with. lucky for me, they did.

With Teeth recycling? auramineo:Some guy on last.fm was blurbing about how you guys used samples from With Teeth multiple times in the new EP. I just don't hear it... Am I crazy, or is he crazy? MMR: there are no recycled samples on HTDA’s ep.

Vocal recording nheagy:In the Wired article Mariqueen is standing in the control room. Do you really record vocals in there, or was that just posed for the photo? MMR: all of the vocals were recorded there with the exception of “the believers”.

Hip Hop HTDA needlezkane:I was really into that Saul Williams "Industrial Hip Hop" project from awhile back. Any chance HTDA will go into Hip Hop territory? Like with Mariqueen singing the hook while someone raps a couple versus? MMR: signs point to NO.

Mariqueen inspiration lighannlaur:Mariqueen, I wondered what your earliest inspirations were and who is still inspiring you today? And also, was being a singer always your dream, or did you have another career in mind? Thanks! MMR:i started singing after a friend introduced me to the musical “miss saigon”. she convinced me to watch a video of the making of it & i was instantly mesmerized. i purchased the cd of the original london cast & that was how i developed my voice & my desire to sing (mostly in the shower). to be honest, being a professional singer was never a dream of mine, wait, that’s a lie, in the 8th grade i wanted to do broadway but in high school i realized i didn’t enjoy musical theatre that much. professionally, i wanted to be a buyer/stylist/personal shopper but after a couple of years at a fashion institute, i became very uninspired & lost. i stumbled into singing a year later & used the opportunity to overcome my severe stage fright. ta-da.

Working as a team erockparty:Q for Mariqueen: How is working with the production team of Trent, Atticus Ross, and Alan Moulder? MMR: intimidating at first, then surprisingly easy, which led up to being quite heavenly.

Bowel movements runnie:does your poop stink? mine does. MMR: i am a woman, we don’t poop.

Current top 5 bands mhord:Also what's your top 5 on your ipod right now? Mine: The Bloody Beetroots How To Destroy Angels (obviusly) Crystal Castles Cynic Re-traced Rusko OMG MMR: the entrance band, gonjasufi, the horrors, vitalic & dusty springfield. oh & M83, i know that’s six, but i listen to “saturdays = youth” every day even though it may not be on my ipod. June 9 2010

Zach de la Roch collaboration? buzzcaner:I was lucky enough to go to RATM's "Ragefactor" on Sunday, are there any plans for any of the tracks Zach and Trent put together to be released? Are there likely to be any further collaborations with Zach de la Rocha in the future? TR:No idea about that music coming out. Some of the stuff we did together turned out pretty cool but I wouldn’t hold my breath for a release. I like Zach and think he’s a talented guy.

Drum Machine privatestarfukers:hi , i'd like to know the name of the tube drum machine you used for this EP. HTDA:http://www.metasonix.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=77

Moog stih:Do you still use your minimoog(s), and do you have any tricks for keeping the damn thing in tune? TR: I really only use the Moog Voyager now. Sounds the same to me, much more flexible and STAYS IN TUNE!

Whole EP multitracks jmacd263:Question for Trent, you released the multi tracks for A Drowning and The Space In Between, are there plans to release the rest of the ep. in multi track form? And if so will they be released prior to the physical release or included with it? TR: Um… we will release the entire EP in multitrack form (for free) - not sure exactly when. Most likely before the physical release.

Trent's soundtrack work theremoteviewer:Trent: Do you wish you were more recognized for your soundtrack work? Lost Highway and Natural Born Killers both feel very cohesive and natural as complete works. TR: I’ll have some news in this arena very soon.

ID3 tagging jameslucas:How To Destroy Angels EP makes the leap into ID3v2.4. Was there any debate behind the decision? I know NIN releases have always illustrated much consideration regarding compatibility issues, and I suspect the mentality in HTDA is no different. TR: Truth be told, I didn’t personally tag them myself this time. I’m aware of incompatibility issues - sorry for the hassle.

Some bad dudes rkeine: Atticus, why you so bad in "The Space in Between"? And Mariqueen and Trent, why you so dead in "The Space in Between"? I think Mariqueen and Trent stronger Atticus and unknown girl. TR: I’ve read your question five times and I still have no idea what you’re saying. I’m into it, though.

Touring. Again. slowriot:Have you guys got any plans to tour as HTDA? TR: This has been asked and answered several times, but we will likely do some form of touring in 2011 after a full length release. We’re working on the record and all having babies this year.

Atticus Ross azreal677: Did Atticus Ross contribute to the EP? TR: Let’s see - he’s in the band, co-wrote all the music, programmed it all, played some of it and co-produced. So yes!

Most profitable release azreal677: When I want to make sure the artist gets the biggest share out of my album purchase, should I buy iTunes, Amazon or a physical release? TR: Good question. Physical release. June 10th 2010

Making sounds nekto: guys wtf ? I try to make a sound but all the peoples around me tell me that its shit or even tell nothing (worst) . One question - what I need to do? shoot myself or what? thank you AR ; impossible to answer but a good question nonetheless. I’ve been smiling ever since I read it.

Voltage pictures lawsuits fupadupa:What do you think about Voltage Pictures suing 5,000 torrent users for downloading The Hurt Locker? AR; I think it’s pointless and stupid

Atticus' hometown nrdarcy: Whereabouts in England is Atticus from? can't find anything about his early life online. PS. If you don't answer this I will fart on your balls. AR; West London (Ladbroke grove)

12 Rounds leonciorules:Trent, if I remember well you worked with Atticus and his band 12 Rounds on their third album a few years ago, and some of the songs from that unreleased album have been released on 12 Rounds' web and I think all of them are pretty awesome. Do you (or Atticus) know if that album will be fully released (or published) some day either digitally or physically (I would prefer this tbh)? I hope so. Thanks and congrats for the HTDA's ep, it's great. AR; I doubt there will be a physical release but we’ll continue to put songs up (slowly, as you may have noticed)

RE: Some Bad Dudes phiq:rkeine translation: “Dear Atticus, why did you unexpectedly turn evil in the “The Space In Between” video clip? You murdered Trent and Mariqueen, who looked very deceased. I am unhappy about this because I am sure Trent and Mariqueen could, like, totally beat Atticus and that other girl in a fight.” AR:; regardless of how a fight may turn out (and I wouldn’t be so quick with your assumption - the blonde is an excellent fighter) I have to point you toward a couple of clues; I am enjoying a cigarette and some tv ,two of my favorite pastimes, and the blonde is chatting on the phone. There isn’t a spot of blood on us. Trent and Mariqueen are covered in blood and both have a weapon either in hand or nearby. Draw your own conclusions.

Fuckable music justinmay:On behalf of my girlfriend and I thank you for making great music to fuck to! AR; you’re very welcome.

Tea bags ellz815:Do you guys drink tea while writing/recording music? If you do, then can you tell me how I might be able to create the 'ultimate' cup of tea? p.s. Love the EP, great job! AR; I love to drink tea - my favorite is PG tips with milk and 2 sugars. If you’re feeling special you can add a bag of Earl grey.

June 16th 2010 Production influences brainysod: This is a question for all of you. What would you say were your production influences? Like, if you could pick one album each where you think the production is incredible, what would it be? TR: At this moment, I would probably say my favorite record of all time is Talking Heads Remain in Light. I mean that from a “favorite record” AND production standpoint. I’ve come back to that record endlessly since its release and it always sounds inspirational.

Cabaret Voltaire influence sebastienperron: What song or album of Cabaret Voltaire influenced you the most? TR: The Voice of America confused and terrified me when I first heard it. I particularly like The Crackdown and Code.

Spotify benjosblog: Spotify. Any thoughts on it, or plans to submit to the service? http://www.spotify.com/uk/ TR: I’ve met with the Spotify guys and like them and the service. I wish the US would allow this to happen, but once again major labels continue pursuing every opportunity to NOT give the public what they want. June 20 2010

HDA Tattoos emiliewantstobeamasterchef: A friend of mine is a huge NIN fans and now LOVES HDA, he recently got a HDA tattoo on his leg. Considering you just released your first EP do you think this LAME? Or what DO you think guys?? I personally think band tats are a bit lame, but that's just my opinion. MMR: what kind of tattoo did he get? hope it wasnt HDA since its actually HTDA… that would be a huge bummer.

Duets lainieh: from a 43 yr old married woman.. silly question: will you ever sing duets together? something subtle maybe? hope so..:) ps.. since I'm in the same relative age group as TR it's interesting to witness maturing of musical direction over time. HDTA intrigues me from an artistic standpoint and the (fire) video was spot on. Thank you for this art. Mariqueen is beautiful too. Best. MMR: if you are going by the standard definition of a duet then you’ll want to take a listen to “parasite”, “BBB” & “the believers”.

Autotune sourstone:Is autotune used in The Space in Between? I keep hearing this, but I'm not sure if it's true. MMR: NO. we are all against autotune. all you hear is glorious reverb.

Mariqueen's NIN experience jaboma: For Mariqueen, is music from the earlier work of Nine Inch Nails something you'd listen to considering your musical background from West Indian Girl. Just curious if you and Trent clash musically. MMR: i owned “pretty hate machine”, “the fragile” & “year zero”. the fact that i was in west indian girl always puzzled my friends since they never saw it as a musical fit to my taste. i was never a big part in the creative process with WIG so now that ive started doing HTDA its very refreshing to be working with people that are aesthetically on the same level.

Trent giving lead vocals inkua: Is Trent Reznor going to sing only in back vocal? Great EP, but I'd like to hear Trent's voice more often =) MMR: you might want to check out this band called NIN. i think he sings all the vocals for that project. : )

Toilet cleaning stih: Do you need someone to clean toilets in your studio? MMR: no, our toilets, much like the subjects that use them are majestic & spotless.

Sexy Rob Sheridan rkeine: Mariqueen, Rob Sheridan is a sexy guy? I know, you are the wife of Trent Reznor - you are the best for Trent Reznor, but if Trent Reznor is don't to be created (is don't was born), you will be wife of Rob Sheridan? Oh, shit, this question looks like troll, I think. I don't now, my english is so bad (like Atticus). Just… just say: you thinking what Rob Sheridan is a sexy guy? And you thinking what Rob Sheridan looks like Elijah Wood? It's Frodo Baggins, you know. He's eyes… what a sexy eyes! Thus spoke my girlfriend. And thanks for Atticus and guy who re-asked my question about bad Atticus, and Trent who... I think, I've been got trolled by Trent, because guy who re-asked my question about bad Atticus fucking understand it!!! Thanks. MMR: you are rad, please keep submitting to our tumblr, seriously.

External Links

• Tumblr account
• Alternate archive of questions
• Official Q&A FaceBook thread