DOWN IN IT

There's not really a lot to be said about this one. It is the first single that Reznor released and it is simply three versions of the song "Down In It" which was released as a teaser for NIN's first album which had not been released yet. The song is a hard driving song with a constant beat and is a great song. The versions on this single however are not as varied as NIN's later remixes would be. The first version (Skin) is simply the same remix that is on the album. The second remix (Shred) is pretty close to the same with a more accented bass line and a harder beat. However, the ending is extended by another 3 minutes and that is where the most interesting variations take place as the beat drops off and comes back and other sounds and variations come in. The third version (Singe) is the most different than the others in that it mixes all the vocals so that they are no longer in a verse/chorus format but looped in different arrangements throughout. The instrumentation is more industrial and techno sounding, but still close to the same. More experimentation is done here with the vocal arrangements than anything.

NIN's later remixes and singles would be a lot more interesting than this. Even though this is a very good song, there is not enough variation in the mixes to keep things very interesting throughout the single. This is only for those who like to hear the same song put on repeat, but does not have a lasting value except for collectors. I can't call it poor because the production value is excellent and so is the song. But there is not enough variety on the single to be anything more that a collector's item. 2 stars.