All of the tracks, somewhat arbitrarily separated into four sections are much less polished songs than intriguing musical vignettes. Very rarely do they follow traditional song structure or framework. Rather, they seem to try and isolate, magnify and/or sustain a particular mood and ambiance

After years of unquestionable innovation in the music industry, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails seems to give a nod to Aphex Twin with the release of his new online album “Ghosts I-IV.”

According to Reznor, the album is the result of a ten-week-long recording experiment in fall 2007 with longtime collaborator Atticus Ross.

Giving further justification to his split from Interscope Records earlier last year, Reznor stated on the album’s website www.ghosts.nin.com, “I've been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn't have made sense until this point.”

Based on the initial packaging and construction of the album alone, this is starkly apparent. “Ghosts” I-IV is only available by downloading via Nine Inch Nail’s website or Amazon.com, akin to another label expatriate Saul Williams, who’s latest online-only album Reznor produced.

Very similarly, fans can download the first nine tracks that make up “Ghosts I” completely free of charge. Alternatively, in a genuine bargain by today’s standards, contributing $5 directly to Reznor and company allows listeners to download all 36 tracks of “Ghosts I-IV” in a range of high quality bit rates, along with extras like desktop wallpapers, web graphics and the more intriguing 40-page PDF accompaniment to the album.

A la Aphex Twin’s “Selected Ambient Works Volume II,” each of the nameless tracks of Ghosts I-IV begin with an imaginative landscape or “daydream,” according to Reznor. Each song is matched to a corresponding image presented in the PDF file, which conveniently carry over to media players for portable reference.

All of the tracks, somewhat arbitrarily separated into four sections, are much less polished songs than intriguing musical vignettes. Very rarely do they follow traditional song structure or framework. Rather, they seem to try and isolate, magnify and/or sustain a particular mood and ambiance. Some even begin or end in then middle of beats, as if they were more improvisational experiment than product.

Indeed, each track, coupled with corresponding images of bleak urban decay, desolate desert landscapes, and cavernous and foreboding studio spaces flushed with wires and blinking lights, delivers a rather secluded, melancholic multimedia experience. The album as a whole plays out as a sort of superfluous portfolio of credentials for Reznor’s abilities as a score composer.

That is not to say that “Ghosts” doesn’t occasionally falter. In a few instances, the aesthetic motif appears to be lost in translation through an orgy of heavy synthesizer and drum machine, leaving Reznor’s aim open to occasional perplexed conjecture.

The light price tag may sit appropriately with those looking for an NIN release in the vain of the raging and raucous “The Downward Spiral” or “Year Zero.” Reznor’s angst seems to take the bench in favor of a more subdued exploration of his compositional and improvisational talents more in the tune of the loud, ominous instrumentals of “The Fragile” or the brooding, acoustic subtlety of “Still.”

The territory is not entirely unfamiliar. Nearly all characteristically NIN/Reznor devices make some kind of appearance. From Reznor’s sparse-yet-striking piano riffs with comfortably off-key notes to the factory machine drum beats and heavy synth, many of the songs almost seem like an elaboration of melodies from throughout his career. One gets the sense of a more confidant Reznor dusting off old ideas away from the controlling nature and influence of his former label.

To add to that theory, Reznor recently released a video on YouTube.com calling for fans to further engage in the experiment by creating and submitting their own visual accompaniments to each track of “Ghosts,” which he will then sort and compile into a best-of “film festival” to the album.

Fans have already begun to sound off in droves. Between the $5 downloads and sales of a deluxe $300 limited edition of LPs, “Ghosts” boasted over $1.6 million in sales in its first week.

“We are all amazed at the reaction for what we assumed would be a quiet curiosity in the NIN catalogue. My faith in all of you has been restored,” Reznor later wrote in his public blog.

It’s hard to say whether the album’s success will add any more momentum to the online music release movement, but luckily for NIN fans, the “Ghosts” phenomenon shouldn’t disappear too quickly.

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