Nine Inch Nails’ April Fools Joke Gets a Punchline 10 Years Later
An April Fools' Day surprise has emerged after the Nine Inch Nails album Trent Reznor first teased in 2009 was shared online, albeit in the form of what's presumably a creative fan's tribute to the musician's original meme. Uploaded to a Bandcamp page, the effort claims to be NIN's "lost" album Strobe Light.
It may be hard to recall ten years ago in Internet time, but the Nine Inch Nails frontman and noted word sparrer celebrated April Fools' '09 with the unexpected reveal of Strobe Light, an album unsurprisingly tabbed as a gag. At the time, the release was said to include an array of various artists and feature production from Timbaland. In uncharacteristically gauche manner, a flashing GIF accompanied the announcement on the band's website that day, mirroring the album's title.
But ten years later, Strobe Light is now available for your listening pleasure — although Reznor's probably not behind it. Twitter user @seed_nine was reported be the producer behind the tracks, as noted by the NME. Hear it below.
In keeping with the original prank, the release incorporates vocal samples from a mix of artists such as Sheryl Crow, U2's Bono, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, pop star Justin Timberlake and country singer Shania Twain.
Music writer Annie Zaleski, a frequent contributor at Ultimate Classic Rock, took to Twitter to express her joy with the joke album that counts the titles "Coffin on the Dancefloor" and "This Rhythm is Infected" among its track listing.
"I appreciate the gambits with long games," the author shared on Monday. "It's delightful to me that, a full decade after Nine Inch Nails touted an April Fool's Day gag album called 'Strobe Light,' the LP apparently exists."
Meanwhile, Reznor spent this past weekend inducting the Cure into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, even though he previously said he didn't "give a shit" about the institution and its accolades.
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