Mr. Self Destruct
Encyclopedia
"Mr. Self Destruct" is a song by American industrial rock
act Nine Inch Nails
. Written by frontman Trent Reznor
, co-produced by Flood and recorded at Le Pig in 1993, it is the opening track off The Downward Spiral
(1994), and predicts the album's ugly aesthetic and mostly angry tone. The song also gives a lyrical background of the album's protagonist.
Receiving positive feedback
from music critics, its title became used as the official name for a tour
by the act. "Mr. Self Destruct" has been remixed multiple times, with five of them appearing in its accompanying remix album
, Further Down the Spiral
(1995)), and in 1996 Reznor granted film director David Fincher
(whom he later collaborated with along with Atticus Ross
to create soundtracks to two of his films) the permission to use a remix of the song in a Levi's television advertisement.
1991 festival. Production began after the completion of Broken (1992), when Reznor wrote a short poem. This was transformed into a prototype of "Mr. Self Destruct", along with many other songs. Flood was the co-producer of the song, as with the remainder of the then-upcoming album from Reznor's project.
Reznor was considering Adrian Belew
(who played in several bands, including King Crimson
and the live band for David Bowie
) exhibited to Le Pig, so Flood made a welcoming phone call and invited him to the house surrounding the studio (10050 Cielo Drive
). Upon entering Le Pig he asked, "Hi, what do you want me to do?". The production team communicated back to Belew, who spoke about what tuning the song was played at. Reznor responded, "Um, I'm not sure. Probably E. See what happens. Don't worry about it. Here's the tape, [and] do whatever you want
. Go!". Belew eventually recorded what became the odd ending of the song.
Belew said of Reznor: "Trent [Reznor] has an astounding command of technology, old and new; he's such an intriguing person to work with, but that may have actually helped in some way. The music just lent itself to so many ideas that are in my realm." He went on to collaborate on two more Nine Inch Nails records, follow-up The Fragile
(1999) and the instrumental, independently released Ghosts I–IV
(2008).
, often avoids letting people stop criticizing him, and is a religious person. He appears to be highly atrocious and lousy
at certain points (for example the character spectalates that he's a "bullet in the gun"), though he would make appearances at the ending of a random dream
.
Almost all of the lyrics launch with the word "I," while virtually all lines of the verses (with the ruling out of the powerful "and I control you" line, introduced by the word "and") begin with "I am the."
"Mr. Self Destruct" predicts the album's ugly aesthetic and mostly angry tone; the opening sounds of the song are a portion from the George Lucas
-directed THX 1138
in which a man is being beaten by a prison guard
while flanked inside a jail
. It then immediately cuts out to aggressive verses and choruses
. These parts are set in the tempo
of 200 BPM (like "Big Man with a Gun"). Reznor's casual vocal delivery contrasting with the noisy cacophony around it.
The only section of the song to feature bass is the bridge, the opposite of the rest of the song. This portion has Reznor singing in a quiet voice. The remaining quarters follow, ending with manipulated and looped guitar noises made by Belew, who was invited by Reznor to the production. Like "March of the Pigs
", "A Warm Place" and "Reptile", the song is played in the Drop D tuning
.
' s cryptic declarations of the many addictions we seem to openly enjoy are jarringly poetic, and its blistering chainsaw guitars and machine gun drum loops are an outstanding example of how aggressive yet tuneful industrial music
can be." Rolling Stone
was also positive towards "Mr. Self Destruct", saying that the song "the soft passages are soft chiefly in the sense of not being loud
, as if there were a really great party down the street that you were wimping out on, pumped guitars and cranking boom-thwack drum machines and what not. But almost as soon as you rush to your pre-amp and squeeze in more juice, the loud
comes back in, but so unimaginably loud this time that you think your speaker coils might melt, and old man Reilly in the next apartment has already started to bang his broomstick on the wall." "Mr. Self Destruct" was remixed five times in Further Down the Spiral
(1995), with one of them having the second half created by Aphex Twin
.
(note-worthy at the time of the advertisement's release date for directing his breakthrough movie Se7en
(1995)). Fincher later directed the music video
for "Only
" in June 2005, and along with Atticus Ross
, Reznor later collaborated with him for the soundtrack
s to the films The Social Network
(2010) (which won many awards) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
(2011). In 2004, "Mr. Self Destruct" was featured in Man on Fire
(2004), a film Reznor was involved with.
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
act Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
. Written by frontman Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, co-produced by Flood and recorded at Le Pig in 1993, it is the opening track off The Downward Spiral
The Downward Spiral
The Downward Spiral is the second studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released March 8, 1994, on Interscope Records. It is a concept album detailing the destruction of a man, from the beginning of his "downward spiral" to his climactic attempt at suicide...
(1994), and predicts the album's ugly aesthetic and mostly angry tone. The song also gives a lyrical background of the album's protagonist.
Receiving positive feedback
Positive feedback
Positive feedback is a process in which the effects of a small disturbance on a system include an increase in the magnitude of the perturbation. That is, A produces more of B which in turn produces more of A. In contrast, a system that responds to a perturbation in a way that reduces its effect is...
from music critics, its title became used as the official name for a tour
Self Destruct Tour
Self-Destruct Tour was a concert tour in support of industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral album, which took place in early 1994, running until mid-1996, and was broken into 8 legs....
by the act. "Mr. Self Destruct" has been remixed multiple times, with five of them appearing in its accompanying remix album
Remix album
A remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...
, Further Down the Spiral
Further Down the Spiral
Further Down the Spiral is a remix album by Nine Inch Nails, and was released on June 1, 1995. It is the tenth official Nine Inch Nails release and is the companion remix disc to The Downward Spiral...
(1995)), and in 1996 Reznor granted film director David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
(whom he later collaborated with along with Atticus Ross
Atticus Ross
Atticus Ross is an English musician, composer and producer. Ross, along with Trent Reznor, won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Social Network in 2011.-Early career:...
to create soundtracks to two of his films) the permission to use a remix of the song in a Levi's television advertisement.
Writing and recording
The first ideas for the song were conceived after the act's role in the LollapaloozaLollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
1991 festival. Production began after the completion of Broken (1992), when Reznor wrote a short poem. This was transformed into a prototype of "Mr. Self Destruct", along with many other songs. Flood was the co-producer of the song, as with the remainder of the then-upcoming album from Reznor's project.
Reznor was considering Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer...
(who played in several bands, including King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
and the live band for David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
) exhibited to Le Pig, so Flood made a welcoming phone call and invited him to the house surrounding the studio (10050 Cielo Drive
10050 Cielo Drive
The original home located at 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, California, has been occupied by many famous Hollywood figures, and was the scene of one of the Manson "family" murders. The house was designed by Robert Byrd in 1942 for French actress Michèle Morgan...
). Upon entering Le Pig he asked, "Hi, what do you want me to do?". The production team communicated back to Belew, who spoke about what tuning the song was played at. Reznor responded, "Um, I'm not sure. Probably E. See what happens. Don't worry about it. Here's the tape, [and] do whatever you want
Creativity
Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...
. Go!". Belew eventually recorded what became the odd ending of the song.
Belew said of Reznor: "Trent [Reznor] has an astounding command of technology, old and new; he's such an intriguing person to work with, but that may have actually helped in some way. The music just lent itself to so many ideas that are in my realm." He went on to collaborate on two more Nine Inch Nails records, follow-up The Fragile
The Fragile
In terms of narrative, virtually no references are made to the aspects depicted in The Downward Spiral. Like The Downward Spiral, The Fragile is a concept album, but, as a double album, is nearly twice the length of its predecessor. Reznor's vocals, for the most part, are much more melodic and...
(1999) and the instrumental, independently released Ghosts I–IV
Ghosts I–IV
Ghosts I–IV is the sixth studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on March 2, 2008. The team behind the project included Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor, studio-collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder, and instrumental contributions from Alessandro Cortini,...
(2008).
Music and lyrics
Lyrics to the song are a background to the protagonist of The Downward Spiral; claiming himself to be "the voice inside your head," he is interested in sexualityHuman sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
, often avoids letting people stop criticizing him, and is a religious person. He appears to be highly atrocious and lousy
Aggressive
“Aggressive” is a New York-based Grammy award-winning music video and commercial directing team of Alex Topaller and Daniel Shapiro.Aggressive has been described by Movie Creation Mag as “having a fascination with the wonderful, in the likes of the surrealist Rafal Olbinski” and “tenacious about...
at certain points (for example the character spectalates that he's a "bullet in the gun"), though he would make appearances at the ending of a random dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
.
Almost all of the lyrics launch with the word "I," while virtually all lines of the verses (with the ruling out of the powerful "and I control you" line, introduced by the word "and") begin with "I am the."
"Mr. Self Destruct" predicts the album's ugly aesthetic and mostly angry tone; the opening sounds of the song are a portion from the George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
-directed THX 1138
THX 1138
THX 1138 is a 1971 science fiction film directed by George Lucas in his directorial debut. The film is based on a screenplay by Lucas and Walter Murch...
in which a man is being beaten by a prison guard
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
while flanked inside a jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
. It then immediately cuts out to aggressive verses and choruses
. These parts are set in the tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 200 BPM (like "Big Man with a Gun"). Reznor's casual vocal delivery contrasting with the noisy cacophony around it.
The only section of the song to feature bass is the bridge, the opposite of the rest of the song. This portion has Reznor singing in a quiet voice. The remaining quarters follow, ending with manipulated and looped guitar noises made by Belew, who was invited by Reznor to the production. Like "March of the Pigs
March of the Pigs
"March of the Pigs" is a song written by Trent Reznor of American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails. It was released in 1994 as the first single from The Downward Spiral , the second album by Nine Inch Nails.-The song:...
", "A Warm Place" and "Reptile", the song is played in the Drop D tuning
Drop D tuning
Drop D tuning, also known as DADGBE, is an alternate, or scordatura, form of guitar tuning — specifically, a dropped tuning — in which the lowest string is tuned down from the usual E of standard tuning by one whole step to D.- Uses of drop D tuning :In drop D the three bass strings...
.
Release and reception
Sputnik Music said about the song in a review of The Downward Spiral, declaring that "'Mr. Self Destruct'Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
can be." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
was also positive towards "Mr. Self Destruct", saying that the song "the soft passages are soft chiefly in the sense of not being loud
Quiet
Quiet may refer to:* Silence, a relative or total lack of sound* Quietism * Quiet game, a children's "game" where children must stay quiet and still, on fear of punishment* QUIET, an astronomy experiment...
, as if there were a really great party down the street that you were wimping out on, pumped guitars and cranking boom-thwack drum machines and what not. But almost as soon as you rush to your pre-amp and squeeze in more juice, the loud
Noise
In common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound. In both analog and digital electronics, noise is random unwanted perturbation to a wanted signal; it is called noise as a generalisation of the acoustic noise heard when listening to a weak radio transmission with significant electrical noise...
comes back in, but so unimaginably loud this time that you think your speaker coils might melt, and old man Reilly in the next apartment has already started to bang his broomstick on the wall." "Mr. Self Destruct" was remixed five times in Further Down the Spiral
Further Down the Spiral
Further Down the Spiral is a remix album by Nine Inch Nails, and was released on June 1, 1995. It is the tenth official Nine Inch Nails release and is the companion remix disc to The Downward Spiral...
(1995), with one of them having the second half created by Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
.
Media usage
In 1996, a remix of "Mr. Self Destruct" ("The Art of Self Destruction, Part 2") was used with permission from Reznor in a Levi's television advertisement, which was directed by David FincherDavid Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
(note-worthy at the time of the advertisement's release date for directing his breakthrough movie Se7en
Se7en
Seven is a 1995 American thriller film, which also contains horror and neo-noir elements, directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It was distributed by New Line Cinema and stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R...
(1995)). Fincher later directed the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Only
Only (Nine Inch Nails song)
"Only" is a song by Nine Inch Nails. It was released as the second single from Nine Inch Nails' fourth album With Teeth. "Only" reached number one on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, where it stayed for seven weeks...
" in June 2005, and along with Atticus Ross
Atticus Ross
Atticus Ross is an English musician, composer and producer. Ross, along with Trent Reznor, won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Social Network in 2011.-Early career:...
, Reznor later collaborated with him for the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s to the films The Social Network
The Social Network
The Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits...
(2010) (which won many awards) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an upcoming English-language drama thriller film that is the second film based on the Swedish novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. The first film was the 2009 Swedish-language adaptation. The upcoming film is written by Steven Zaillian and directed by David...
(2011). In 2004, "Mr. Self Destruct" was featured in Man on Fire
Man on Fire (2004 film)
Man on Fire is a 2004 American thriller film, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell. Another film based on the same novel was also filmed in 1987....
(2004), a film Reznor was involved with.