Trent Reznor is a renowned American songwriter, musician, and producer, best known as the sole member of the multi-platinum act Nine Inch Nails, as well as an Academy Award, Emmy, and Grammy Award-winning film composer.
As a child, Reznor began creating music in Western Pennsylvania, initially on the piano and later taking up other instruments. He eventually moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he landed a job at a local recording studio as an assistant engineer and janitor, using his downtime to record his own material.
These early recordings eventually became the first Nine Inch Nails album, 1989's Pretty Hate Machine. The band soon developed a reputation as one of the best live acts in rock and joined the inaugural Lollapalooza tour in 1991.
The Broken EP followed in 1992, earning Nine Inch Nails their first Grammy Award, and in 1994, the breakthrough album The Downward Spiral was released, featuring the hit singles "Closer" and "Hurt." The music video for "Closer," directed by Mark Romanek, is considered one of the best of all time and has been included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
In 1994, Reznor also produced the soundtrack for Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, and three years later, he produced the soundtrack for David Lynch's Lost Highway. In 1997, Reznor appeared on Time magazine's most influential people list, and Spin magazine named him "the most vital artist in music."
Nine Inch Nails' next album, The Fragile, was released in 2000 and debuted at number one. In 2002, the song "Hurt" was covered by Johnny Cash to critical acclaim, and in 2005, the album With Teeth reached number one, featuring the hit single "The Hand That Feeds." Reznor broke new ground by posting the single's source tracks online for fans to remix and sample, creating an online community for fans to share their creations.
The concept album Year Zero was released in 2007, accompanied by an alternate reality game (ARG) that engaged fans through various websites, hidden messages, and other interactive elements. The ARG attracted 2.5 million cumulative site visits and 7.5 million cumulative page views within two months.
In 2008, Reznor released Ghosts I-IV, a 36-track instrumental album, and The Slip, a new studio album, as a free digital download. Both albums were released under Creative Commons licenses, allowing extensive use of the material in independent film projects.
Nine Inch Nails embarked on the acclaimed Lights In The Sky Tour, featuring groundbreaking production effects and programming that allowed the performers to interact with the show's visuals. The tour was recognized as one of the top-ten most creative tours of all time.
Over the course of his career, Reznor has also collected numerous production and remix credits, including collaborations with David Bowie, Saul Williams, and Marilyn Manson.
In 2010, Reznor composed his first film score, for David Fincher's The Social Network, which won the Academy Award for best score and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. He also scored Fincher's next film, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
In addition to his work with Nine Inch Nails, Reznor is currently recording new music as a member of the group How to Destroy Angels.
