Part live album, part greatest hits, part remix album – Nine Inch Noize revamps classics and deep cuts from the band’s expansive catalogue using Boyz Noize’s industrial-tinged techno.
Nine Inch Nails need little introduction, since their debut in ’98 with Pretty Hate Machine, all the way to 2025’s Tron Ares soundtrack, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have sculpted a behemoth catalogue of music. Whilst the majority of their influence is credited to abrasive yet catchy emo-tinged industrial music, the duo are also cross-genre producers and film composer heavyweights.
You’re likely less aware of Berlin producer and DJ Boyz Noize, this project was my introduction to his work, and it likely won’t be the last. Known for his club-centric techno, he was a fitting choice for a remix for the Reznor and Ross’s Challengers score. After more behind-the-scenes collaborations, and Boyz Noize joining the band for the celebrated NIN Peel it Back tour, Nine Inch Noize was advertised as a performing group on the 2026 Coachella Lineup. Their performance in the first week was an electrifying set of reinterpreted NIN (and related) songs, also featuring Mariqeen Maandig, post-industrial singer and Reznor’s wife. Released just ahead of their second Coachella set, Nine Inch Noize was released as an official album on all streaming platforms.
The release was, in essence, the same set as their Coachella performance, twelve remixed and live-inflected songs, but the official release differs slightly with some studio flair and polish. It blends the raw remixes with live recordings. The group invites listeners to experience the full punch of studio remixes as well as the expansiveness and immersion of a concert, as if the project were an eternal, imagined club night.
The remixes themselves are reframed by using synth textures and heavy electro drums, making them sparser and more rhythm-focused. Core melodies, vocals, and structures are still present, but are mangled and twisted into arrangements that allow for new experiences from well-known material.
After a short, tension-building intro, the album kicks off with Vessel, originally from The Fragile. This track’s structure and distorted synth motif remain mostly intact, with a club-oriented facelift to the percussion and mix. She’s Gone Away sees a more drastic change, the cinematic lumbering desert twinged rock of the original track is replaced with a faster, more direct instrumental. The track is no longer mournful, but more vengeful with its energy. This type of more radical change is more interesting to hear, it completely flips the vibe of the original, whilst still being NIN coded.
Heresy, a core track from the industrial opus The Downward Spiral, is one of my favourite reworks. Distorted guitars are swapped for synths, and the foot-stomping drums of the original are now more sparse but more thunderous. The chorus features a very cinematic breakdown of wall-of-noise synths, making the devilish commandment lyrics even more triumphantly wicked. The ending is pure catharsis, with Boyz Noize’s blown-out EDM drums and SFX perfectly concocting the image of an end-of-the-world rave.
On the flip side, the Closer rework has a more uninspired approach. The stuttering loop to the core drum loop is cool, but aside from the occasional noise blast every other bar, there is little else added or changed. There’s a spacey bridge that could have been cool with more texture and build-up.
Parasite is probably my favourite here, I’ve run it back so many times to hear the initial drop hit again. The simple four-to-the-floor drums against an acid-twinged, skittering bassline is a really addictive combo. If you’ve got some speakers with generous low end, or better yet, a subwoofer integrated system, this track will get your heart racing.
The track list remains really consistent from start to finish, a really positive note, as the project is a compilation and a live set, and it excels across both fronts. Memorabilia, a Soft Cell cover turned emo EDM, features some super-catchy looped guitar stabs and a really great Reznor vocal performance. Come Back Haunted maintains its original rocking momentum, pushing it to 11 with some sidechain-induced pumping bass.
Overall, Nine Inch Noize is a great time. I love the concept, a quasi-live album/compilation is a great experience for new and old fans. I’d love to see some of my other favourite bands embrace this idea. Other than a rare dud in the track list, I was pleasantly transported to the filthiest rave throughout the project’s run time, all from the comfort of my headphones.
Author: Elliot, Holborn Store
