"THE BECOMING" musical analysis/breakdown | Nine Inch Nails (The Downward Spiral)

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
  • TW: STROBE LIGHTS, depression
    KEY: G Phrygian Dominant
    BPM: 150
    PIANO COVER NOW AVAILABLE for download on Bandcamp along with all piano covers from The Downward Spiral! iximusix.bandc...
    My song breakdown videos cannot be monetized due to music copyright laws. If you'd like to support me in making these videos:
    🎹 Buy the The Downward Spiral: Reimagined for Piano on Bandcamp: iximusix.bandc...
    🤚 Join my PATREON - more videos & song covers, album/score listening parties, sheet music, & educational content: / iximusic
    👍 Like, subscribe, ring the notification bell, and share
    💄 TIP JAR (buy me a lipstick): www.buymeacoff...
    {{ THANK YOU to Slightly Basic for the glitch effects on this video! / slightlybasic }}
    DOWNLOAD multitracks and fonts: www.nindestruct... - many thanks to Jerry for running this awesome site!
    ___________
    SPECIAL BIG PIG THANK YOU to my Piggies! (Patrons):Victoria Hogg, Dario Cotti, Duncan Edwards, Benny Ruiz (last name pronounced 'Roo-eez'), Zachary Stevens, Darius McCaskey, John Kirkilis, Ada Cohen, James M. Bowers, Beguile, Philip Sharp, Kevin Meyer, Eric Blum, richchupac, JTScott Gentzen, Dustin Sinkey, Justin Owens, Michael Fisher, Ste McFreeman, Shane Gartner, Davey Cadaver, Andrew Hussey, Jeff Hamm, Katie Murphy, Tyler Shaw, brandon, Tim Moore, Bradley Kemp, Melissa M Reynolds, echothirteen, Patrick LaRue, Fernando, John Schadegg, Brian Gunn, Jake Cole, louis_ricks, Kyle Krull, Marc Jeray, Giorgio Tidei, Vesuvian, Luc De Brouwer, snettles1143, Justin Montgomery, Erik Hermansen, 5-MeO-DMT, Jerry Langwell, Andrés Fernandez, Brian Hard, Max Hodges, Travis Ames, Joseph Martin Giralt, Noah, Gaven Cornaby, Matt Shepcar, Midwinter Minis, Michael Thomas, Kent Overtreet, Devon Lee, Sid Sothoth, Steve Marseille, Victor Howard, Matt Standish, Toney Vecchio, Shane Welch, Michael Elliot, Brian, Stephen Marsh, Christophe, Simon Evans, Jonathan Tackling, wolfheart, Nick Teague, Sam, Daniel Baer, Adam Chmielowiec, Chris Power, Daniel McGauley, Matt Spurlin, Kai Ellis, Rory Wilson, Arenow, yalehneb, Forrest Karbowski, Dan Kelly, Skippityboo, Nate Beckman, Chrifis, Andrew Stimson, Joseph Souder, Kondrad P-Kala, Grant McManus, Brian Gunn, Jake Cole, Seth Startix, Etvid, Wesley Griffin, Rick Grush, Rickard Enfors, Alexander Ekman, Josh Alllard, Steve Bock, dreamsaremaps, Maze, HeliosVIII, Wayne Bristol, Dluck75, and Jesse Russel.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 784

  • @iximusic
    @iximusic  3 роки тому +131

    Download multitracks here: www.nindestruct.com/. I'll be analyzing the differences in the Still version later this week and I'll combine what I learn from both analyses to record my piano interpretation(s) before the next series video! I've got ideas...Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoyed the video as much as I enjoyed making it!

    • @bouchonaise124135
      @bouchonaise124135 3 роки тому

      Dumb moment when I realized still is the last word in the sentence, “and all that could have been still”

    • @ChiefSmackahoLLC
      @ChiefSmackahoLLC 3 роки тому +2

      I think of the Still version as completely separate from the album track. Especially in artistic intent.

    • @bobbeckishere
      @bobbeckishere 3 роки тому

      @@ChiefSmackahoLLC I always think of STILL as being angry angsty teenage goth Tent up in his bedroom..."grandma doesn't understand me" as his eyes tear up while applying his liquid eyeliner.....I mean this in the best possible way.

    • @yutro213
      @yutro213 3 роки тому +5

      Please analyze songs from *Fiona Apple!*

    • @tidalboxer
      @tidalboxer 3 роки тому +1

      The screams actually REALLY bothered me as a teen too. I had to skip this song too a LOT, but just as you said… my skin got thicker and the older I got I realized how much of a great song it is. It sure did make me ill listening to it at first though. It’s painful.
      Trent is just a genius though. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s just amazing and one of the best composers of our time. He never ceases to amaze me.

  • @groverXIII
    @groverXIII 3 роки тому +66

    There are musical breakdown videos and then there's "breaking down the pitch of the woman's scream in a sample from Robot Jox" videos. This is incredible, and I hope Trent sees these videos, because he seems like the kind of guy who would really be able to appreciate this level of analysis.

    • @youneedpeoplelikeme5376
      @youneedpeoplelikeme5376 2 роки тому +1

      So cool if he does-Rock On Trent
      I have been pleading for them to tour this year & am so grateful they are but please come closer to NY or to NY around city or or Long Island-
      Please- I have no car & suffering but this music has been my refuge & discover new ones every day & I love it all

    • @SacredMilkOG
      @SacredMilkOG 6 місяців тому

      Without a doubt

  • @kaicanyonellis
    @kaicanyonellis 3 роки тому +302

    I just love that these videos have become little epic 45 minute mini documentaries.

    • @te9591
      @te9591 3 роки тому +1

      Yup.

    • @ianlongshore
      @ianlongshore 3 роки тому +1

      yes i love it

    • @daniellachance173
      @daniellachance173 3 роки тому +10

      She's incredible. I can't wait to hear her thoughts on Reptile. :) The whole thing really.

    • @te9591
      @te9591 3 роки тому +3

      @@daniellachance173 i cant wait to hear her analysis of the peter murphy version of reptile that's been posted.

    • @valeriokurs
      @valeriokurs 3 роки тому +1

      Same here! It's beautiful!

  • @bobbeckishere
    @bobbeckishere 3 роки тому +43

    This just popped up on my feed and I was like..."My stories....my stories are on!!" Ran down to the basement so I could use the better speakers!

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +3

      Haha this is wonderful 😂 🙌

  • @riggsby24
    @riggsby24 3 роки тому +28

    I always pictured the screaming as a sample of people on a roller coaster. Endlessly going around and around, making something fun turn into a form of torture.

    • @Gevsterz
      @Gevsterz 3 роки тому +1

      That was also my first inclination

  • @jtvj8423
    @jtvj8423 3 роки тому +130

    The song is so utterly mechanical and inhuman until the acoustic guitar breaks in and he admits he is hiding backwards inside of himself and he's slipping away. He asks to be held tighter and, in a common theme, this is an internal dialogue that doesn't actually get heard by others around him. The Becoming and I Do Not Want this were two songs I always coupled together.. The Becoming has the heavy verses and the soft chorus, I Do Not Want This has the soft verses and the heavy chorus. To me they feel like the two most conflicting and uncertain songs in terms of how the music plays out and the lyrics therein. In my own depression this song spoke to me and pained me, the idea that it's something I can't control and it's a cry for help. This is generally where my 'level' or 'zero' is in depression, not the leadup or the ensuing suicidal ideation that the album shows aside from these two songs. It's the confusion and darkness battling with the desire to reach out.

  • @AltCTRLF8
    @AltCTRLF8 2 роки тому +6

    3 levels of “it won’t give up it wants me dead god damn this noise inside my head”
    1) whispered when he first notices “it”
    2) normal screaming when he acknowledges “it” is not gonna have a happy ending but he’s still able to cope
    3) loud/distorted screaming when “it” has taken control and is dragging him away

  • @robesdebah4811
    @robesdebah4811 3 роки тому +6

    Weird note: When I heard that tortured but somehow elated animal scream during the bridge, I always pictured the distorted picture of Chris Cornell from the cover of Superunknown. Another group masterful at folding soothing blues notes into off-time, screeching, chromatic nightmares.

  • @unciervoenciervado
    @unciervoenciervado 3 роки тому +7

    The acoustic guitar bridge sounds like the character dissociating. The anxiety, pain and fear becomes so overbearing the character has no other choice that stare into the infinite as his thoughts shut off. He also remembers fondly but kind of mocks Annie in the last verse, whoever she is.

  • @ToriaDumOfTheTweedle
    @ToriaDumOfTheTweedle 3 роки тому +5

    The Becoming is absolutely my favourite NIN song. I have Dissociative Identity Disorder and this song feels like the perfect embodiment of so many experiences I've had. Thank you for breaking it down, I'm going to be listening to this on repeat for the next few days now

  • @mrjonnyburkecovers
    @mrjonnyburkecovers 3 роки тому +12

    I always perceived the bridge as acceptance that this change is coming. Someone acquiescing to a fate they can no longer delay. Great stuff

  • @nikola4107
    @nikola4107 3 роки тому +40

    My favorite song, next to reptile. There's so much stuff going on in this song... Can't wait for you to break it down!

    • @GrantValdes
      @GrantValdes 3 роки тому +2

      If it's possible for a song to be virtuousic, in terms of showing off mastery of songwriting itself, this one has it. No lesser songwriter could come close to imitating it.

  • @bigchiefbc
    @bigchiefbc 3 роки тому +11

    This has been my favorite song on TDS since the very beginning. The background screaming, the mechanistic clanging, the weird time signature (I always counted it in 13/8, but alternating 7 and 6 works as well), the lyrics, it just floored me right from the start.

  • @ameliacharles7119
    @ameliacharles7119 3 роки тому +20

    My 2nd favourite NIN track after The Wretched.
    Great job on the breakdown as usual. So informative.
    Thank You

  • @questtheinfinite1984
    @questtheinfinite1984 8 місяців тому +2

    My favorite track from DS...I was lead to this channel after listening to the DS instrumental album here on UA-cam, after listening to that album (like many of us) countless times it eas like listening to that album for the first time again. Hearing every sonic detail was refreshing without the vocal tracks. In any case, brilliant breakdown for anyone who truly appreciates NIN and Trent's impact on music PERIOD

  • @aettic
    @aettic Рік тому +2

    I know the lyric is "I can try to scratch away the sound in my ears" but for the life of me I only hear "I can try to nudge away..." in the studio recording. Literally every time.

  • @IvanRubin
    @IvanRubin 22 дні тому +2

    As a non musician this is AMAZING!! My two favorite songs are the becoming and we’re in this together! Sadly you don’t have an analysis for we’re in this together! Would love if you did it ! But this is so amazing THANK YOU

  • @Lostinthesauce0
    @Lostinthesauce0 3 роки тому +14

    My favourite song on this album, along with Reptile!

    • @ashm7955
      @ashm7955 3 роки тому

      The last time I saw them live during Cold and Black and Infinite they played Reptile and I nearly lost my mind...

  • @llifeofllauren
    @llifeofllauren 3 роки тому +24

    Ixi’s channel is BECOMING epic 💛🌻

  • @brandonsharp3147
    @brandonsharp3147 3 роки тому +8

    I have always heard the "it won't give up" whispers buried in the synths too! Always thought I was just reading something into nothing.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +2

      Ahhh awesome! 🙌

    • @thegreatsco
      @thegreatsco 3 роки тому

      Never even considered that there weren’t whispers!

  • @PrescientHope
    @PrescientHope 4 місяці тому +1

    You Are An Amazement On Keys, Completely Capuring A Feminine Verse Of Reznor, Yet When You Sing, The Gait Of Heaven Opens.

  • @FrightfullyForgotten
    @FrightfullyForgotten 3 роки тому +3

    "The time signature tells you how many beats in a measure, but doesn't necessarily tell you how a song FEELS" Yes!! I've never been able to put that into words. I love that you know your theory very well but also know what groove is hahah! The whole section you spent on the time signature reminds me of a time my old bad wrote this cool beat/riff for a song, played it live many times but when it came to recording to a click we spent like a hour arguing over what time signature it was in! As for the screaming, 15 year old me always found them comforting, I'll shut up now and finish watching your BRILLIANT VIDEO!

  • @chuntoon1
    @chuntoon1 Рік тому +2

    I love hearing how the song made you feel on top of the technical .. my teenage experience with nin was different, but equally impactful

  • @quadrupole6904
    @quadrupole6904 3 роки тому +4

    These videos are like having an elite martial artist give me a play by play a of a ninja doing brain surgery. Incredible!
    This is my favorite NIN track of all time. I always knew it was strange, but you have shown me so much more. Thank you!

  • @person257
    @person257 2 роки тому +1

    Watching this video made me realize... I've been hearing that main piano line WRONG this whole time. I've always heard it going down a step at the end to a lower B, when it really jumps up to that higher B. Seeing it written out, then listening to it again... now I can hear it going up every time. I wonder why my brain just decided it was going down.
    Also, I LOVE the screams in this song. Hearing those rhythmic screams is what immediately hooked me. Favorite song on TDS!

  • @peanutt82004
    @peanutt82004 3 роки тому +7

    I know there is a concept to the album, but I always thought this song was about Darth Vader. Ani being Anakin Skywalker. I remember a while back asking if it was about Darth on the old Spiral forums on the official NIN website and a user under the name Trent answerd: "F&$# No!" I always wondered if it was actually Trent himself.

  • @Kordakov
    @Kordakov 3 роки тому +2

    I've loved NIN for the past 25 years, and now thanks to you I'm discovering it again. Your work is IMPRESSIVE.

  • @XDeLeonX89
    @XDeLeonX89 3 роки тому +7

    My God, you are a genius, I did not want this video to end, the effort you did to break all this down is just pure genius, you are so talented, I have no words. PD: those screams at the end 40:25 gave goosebumps, I did not notice them at all

  • @zx9music704
    @zx9music704 3 роки тому +22

    The screaming is the music.
    The music is the machine.
    The machine is the man.

  • @ShadyMonkOfficial
    @ShadyMonkOfficial 3 роки тому +3

    This song is literally the song that taught my brain how to process unique and odd time signatures. Learning it on piano taught me so much.

  • @pointsbeingmade7996
    @pointsbeingmade7996 3 роки тому +1

    Robot Jox haha. You were giving it a goid guess. Maybe imagine my old bullies screaming

  • @andresposada2545
    @andresposada2545 3 роки тому +2

    The "run away" scream always reminds me of the sampled scream from the beginning

  • @NightMedicine
    @NightMedicine 3 роки тому +1

    I love weird time signatures. I think there's a Bjork song in 17. Moon? That's DEFINITELY the most bizzare time signature I've ever heard. I love writing in 7/8 and 5/8. I even have a song in 11/8.

  • @nikola4107
    @nikola4107 3 роки тому +2

    That acoustic guitar + breathing... I can't describe you how much i love that part. Especially that it continues till the song ends. I love it!

  • @MokojinGaming
    @MokojinGaming 3 роки тому +4

    The most important, personal song in my life.
    Thank you for doing it justice.

  • @Austrocylindropuntia
    @Austrocylindropuntia 3 роки тому +1

    My mum walked past as I was watching this. She only saw a glimpse as she wanted me to pull up something else on the computer. She though that was a nice image, asked if it was pot rivets and rusted metal, I said no, it's human teeth. The change in her tone when she said "Oh" was hilarious. It also feels like a good inversion of this song.

  • @bluecoast1
    @bluecoast1 3 роки тому +2

    THE BECOMING was the TDS track I tried hardest to figure out but never really got anywhere. I think this is your best analysis yet!

  • @ps3wizard45
    @ps3wizard45 3 роки тому +1

    To make the scream sample even worse: I'll never forget when a friend of mine told me the snare drum sounded to him like gunshots and the screaming was supposed to represent people caught in some sort of mass shooting event. Very morbid and intense, but still one of my favorite songs for the composition.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +1

      Disturbing. Do you think over time we've just become desensitized to the screams or we are more able to be in the presence of the harsh realities of humanity? I feel like it could be both for me. Also hearing the screams as a musical component has helped take the edge off.

    • @ps3wizard45
      @ps3wizard45 3 роки тому

      @@iximusic It's hard to say, I think everyone has their own sort of horror triggers. Also I think the internet has desensitized lots of people to such realities. That being said some of the samples on TDS are pretty terrifying pre internet era and now. Timeless terror, but still sonic/musically pleasing.

  • @AsmodeanEmpire
    @AsmodeanEmpire 4 місяці тому +1

    I’ve always counted the song in 13/8 in part because I love the idea of such a dark song being in 13 😅

  • @bobaector23
    @bobaector23 3 роки тому +3

    The screaming reminds me of the Roxy Music sample from Closer but emotionally it does the exact opposite. No place, no warmth, only desolation. Fun!

  • @phideaux3
    @phideaux3 3 роки тому +1

    The 'mouth movement' is created by an 'envelope filter' - a feature I found out about on early VCO synths. Also implementable as auto-wah.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +1

      Rad, thanks for the info! I hear that envelope filter on the bassy synth in The Wretched too. I think if makes it more dynamic.

  • @desertforest2221
    @desertforest2221 2 роки тому +1

    I legit didn't even notice the screaming until this year when I listened to it again on youtube. Back in the 90s, I guess I was listening more to the drums and lyrics? I don't know.

  • @atraveleronthesea9806
    @atraveleronthesea9806 3 роки тому +2

    The younger me was in a state of mind that just wanting to be a robot. I didn't want to feel anything. Because of this I feel the Universe decided "ok, wish granted" and it began changing me. It put me on a path to get rid of what made me human.
    I grew up and realize that I didn't want this but the universe wasn't changing it's mind. This song perfectly encompasses my thoughts.
    The final lines "it won't give up it wants me dead, God damn this noise inside my head." Always made me feel this constant dread that I'm no longer in control. I am "becoming" this thing weather I like it or not.

  • @SamKooshesh
    @SamKooshesh 3 роки тому +3

    Hard agree on the screams. I couldn't handle them the first time through the album. It's pretty raw stuff!
    On another note, this may have been the song that first introduced me - when I was a young drummer - to feeling a 13/8 kind beat (I took the 7 + 6 as a phrasing of 13 and worked with it that way). I deeeeefinitely had some awkward moments slapping the beat on me knee and trying to make sense of it before it stuck. :)
    Thanks for these weekly musical ELixiRS :)
    It's so obvious how much of a labor of love this is for you

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +1

      My people! And punny too! 🤓

  • @miriamharvancik3964
    @miriamharvancik3964 6 місяців тому +1

    Perspectives.... So I didn't fully get why I upset people when I told them this album was what got me through insomnia because someone ELSE could hear the primal scream in my head and recorded an accurate representation. That said, when you are IN the worst mental health struggles knowing that someone can not only SEE your pain but also fought through it is like...a best friend you just haven't met yet. Sometimes you just need to know you don't suffer ALONE to push past the darkness that builds a track like this.

  • @ianmccollum2643
    @ianmccollum2643 Рік тому +1

    I used to have a very visual mind when I listened to music and lyrics. When you describe the robot man thing as if it’s breaking down in the ending bridge before the “it wants me dead” and now I listen to this song and have a crystal clear picture in my head. It can feel the hairs on my neck lifting and I get choked up at this imagery because it’s grotesque and deeply sad at the same time. Thank you so much for this video series!

  • @ikemoon127
    @ikemoon127 3 роки тому +3

    I was so excited to see you did a video on this song, lol. It's one of my favorite NIN songs, probably next to Somewhat Damaged and The Big Comedown, though it's hard to decide because there are so many good ones, lol. I would love to see a video on those if you were ever inclined. Whatever the case, keep doing what you're doing because you rock

    • @ikemoon127
      @ikemoon127 3 роки тому

      Oh, the \m/ emoji didn't show up at the end of my comment 🤘
      weird

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +1

      🤘

  • @galvinatrix1984
    @galvinatrix1984 2 роки тому +1

    The timing is so tricky!!!! Your video helps a lot!

  • @mitchcumstein142
    @mitchcumstein142 3 роки тому +12

    One of my absolutely favorite bits of trivia with this song was, as far as I know, discovered relatively recently. During the mellow acoustic guitar bridge breakdown, there is a backwards sample. It is from the film Angel Heart, where Mickey Rourke is screaming, "I know who I am! I KNOW WHO I AM!". It fits perfectly with the themes of the song/album. Plus, the sample was used in NIN's Purest Feeling demo for "Down in It". It's like there are so many cool little Easter eggs in this record that people are still discovering. By the way, another amazing video Ixi. Here is the sample from the film (at 23 seconds in): ua-cam.com/video/pEUUS_kjI4k/v-deo.html

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +2

      Oh that sounds right! Wow

    • @mitchcumstein142
      @mitchcumstein142 3 роки тому +3

      @@iximusic Here is the sample backwards as it appears in the song: www.reddit.com/r/nin/comments/a4pih1/very_recently_i_discovered_there_is_a_hidden/

  • @chuntoon1
    @chuntoon1 Рік тому +1

    Stumbled onto your videos a month ago, but don't often have an hour to listen to someone breakdown a song, so have been watching several piecemeal. Finally watch this start to finish on a quiet Saturday and have to say I just love you passion for these songs and am in awe at your ear and wildly applicative of the time you've taken to so perfectly make an interesting video covering everything from feelings, melody, rhythm, sample origins, and more .. WILD .. you talk about Trent's talent a lot, you have quite a bit yourself!

  • @sdwscience
    @sdwscience 3 роки тому +4

    The best NIN song. In my mid-20’s, this was my personal theme.

  • @danielhenderson3753
    @danielhenderson3753 3 роки тому +1

    As a drummer of 35 years and a prog fan for 30, there are some critical percussive elements to help the listener hang on to the 7/4 6/4 alternations... exaggerated downbeat (kick and vocal), repetition without deviations/rolls, and one thing that is straight (the hi hat). The pattern will stick with these guides in place.
    It's so cool that the screams came from that scene of Robot Jox... wow.
    This is the darkest point for this drummer analyst, socially inept, intensely passionate robot wrapped in flesh and muscle. When I am at a socially isolated low point where even being human is difficult, it is imperative that I listen to this in my Sennheiser headphones at top volume and emote it out until I come back. Thank you for this one.

  • @hektik2200
    @hektik2200 3 роки тому +2

    This has always been my favorite song. Before I knew the album was a concept piece telling a story I connected very heavily with this song. To me the Becoming is what a neurodivergent feels when masking or at least how I connect to it. After finding out about the story telling that was going on in the album I feel in love even more lol
    Great analysis.

  • @itzzzsss
    @itzzzsss 9 місяців тому

    My definition of this music is when you've been quiet to the point where u advanced your hidden potentials and u let loose and kill everything that put u down

  • @rvfiasco
    @rvfiasco 3 роки тому +1

    Ohhh Yes!! One of my favorites on the whole album! So much massive ambient darkness on it. It also ends in such a chunky guitar part... Excellent as always!!

  • @discobobo
    @discobobo 3 роки тому +2

    Like many others have said oh my God this is absolutely one of the songs I hope you would do, it is so beautifully haunting in this version and the still version. Thank you Ixi, you are freaking awesome

  • @jamesmeeker6933
    @jamesmeeker6933 3 роки тому +1

    Trent may have used the synth bass to trigger an ARP 2600's (modular synth) filter as an envelope follower that the voice was run through. It is well-documented that many audio tracks were processed by an ARP 2600 on TDS (the ARP is even credited in the album sleeve). This may be confusing for non-production nerds. The audio signal would be: vocal track > ARP 2600 audio input > recorded; the trigger for the ARP 2600 would be: bass synth > ARP 2600 preamplifer to envelope trigger. This allows the input of the synth bass to modulate the voice through the filter.

  • @bk138gt6
    @bk138gt6 Рік тому +1

    Absolutely outstanding analysis that makes me appreciate music I already love even more

  • @thejoewhitworthkeyboardman9037

    I was COMPELLED to subscribe to this genius channel! I could listen to the way you break down and analyze and interpret songs by NIN that are near and dear to my heart, and have been for years. Not only do you have a talent for giving definitions of things I have always heard in this particular song, you brought to light things I've never heard before, from my senior year when TDS was brand new, to my present age of 47. Awesome job, keep up the excellent work! 😎🎹

  • @jpgduff
    @jpgduff 2 роки тому +2

    I can't believe I've just found this channel!!
    This is my favourite NIN song.
    (Reminds me of Tetsuo: Iron Man 😲 Insanity).
    Great video.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  2 роки тому

      thank you! I've still not listened to Tetsuo. I keep forgetting!

  • @jaysmakingprogress
    @jaysmakingprogress 3 роки тому +2

    My favorite tracks off this album have always been this and Eraser because of the complexity. They’re not meant to feel comfortable. Trent is spiraling downward and he’s taking us with him.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +1

      Eraser is waaaay up there for me. It's hard for me to pick favorites but it's one of them.

  • @bobaector23
    @bobaector23 3 роки тому +3

    I believe the hidden sound you mention at 39:51 is a ring modulated guitar played by Adrian Belew.

  • @outerspacebass
    @outerspacebass 3 роки тому +1

    These songs are never the same after you do them. I immediately go listen to his choices in the album version again and then live versions. Gives me chills and breathes new life into them.

  • @Josh-ff1zm
    @Josh-ff1zm 3 роки тому +1

    It's so cool that you're in Austin too!

  • @bobhatescomputer
    @bobhatescomputer 3 роки тому +1

    Great break down! Ive always thought of this and The Collector as 13/8 but in my head counting was repeating 7&6 or the opposite for the latter mentioned song. And on Becoming i really rely on the ANDs.. "5+6+!"(headbangs). The quad time high hat always sounded like something in the machine had started to break and was now spinning in time with everything but its getting worse like a piston ring, same with the guitars changing tone to finally unintelligible ring mod. And i think the howling noises were trents dog slowed down. always gave me dinosaur imagery or just a giant beast. Great work again, your notation comments open a whole world for me im slowly getting more into!

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +1

      Love your insights! I've since learned that sample is likely reversed dialogue from Angel Heart; he's yelling "I know who I am!" ua-cam.com/video/eb1AjU67W2s/v-deo.html

  • @biggrabowy
    @biggrabowy 2 роки тому +1

    Just found your videos and am so impressed and happy that you have made these. The level of detail and analysis you go into is so impressive and has given a fresh life to the music for me. Becoming has always been one of my favorite NIN songs the mechanical texture and mood of the song then broken by the acoustic “sing along” bridge to then return to the brutal soundscape, I have always found that juxtaposition deeply satisfying. Great work!!!

  • @martinjohnson2549
    @martinjohnson2549 2 роки тому +1

    5:15 I can so much relate to this.

  • @EricT43
    @EricT43 3 роки тому +2

    You had me at "hemiola". Wow, that was an incredible breakdown and analysis. I hope I can learn to appreciate the music I love as much as you do.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому

      I never pass up a chance to say hemiola! 😆

  • @Jason_N7
    @Jason_N7 2 роки тому +1

    I keep coming back to this video. This is the video that made me subscribe to her.
    She was able to put into words, what I couldn't, when asked to describe NIN sound/style. The Becoming is my most favorite NIN song, and to this day, I still can't even explain why.

  • @residentkrockhead
    @residentkrockhead 3 роки тому +2

    My favorite of the album by far! The ending always gets me, it’s extremely intense

  • @kaliced9588
    @kaliced9588 3 роки тому +1

    When I was hanging out with a friend who plays piano and drums professionally, he was teaching me about time signatures and we listened to a few of our favorite songs. I purposefully played this because the rhythm always felt strange to me, but I wasn't sure how to explain it in musical terms (I play and write for fun, but I'm not trained). He came up with 13/4 and it seemed to fit, but your more in-depth explanation and breakdown are more precise. This album has been one of my favorites for over a decade, and it's been absolutely delightful to listen to your analyses and even hear parts of tracks I didn't notice before without them being isolated

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +1

      13/4 works! It's long for a musical measure but it's not wrong. Glad you enjoyed the video! 🙌

  • @danwest9900
    @danwest9900 2 роки тому +1

    Wow! I came looking for opinions and instead found musical bliss!!! I loved, loved, loved your intricate analysis of The Becoming. Thank you!

  • @AKnatta
    @AKnatta 3 роки тому +1

    Your videos deserve to be released on dvd! What a great, instructive, mind opener and impressive documentary you're doing with all these analyses of this incredible album! Hope Trent Reznor one day will see your amazing work. Thank you!

  • @jameswilliams-nw3lq
    @jameswilliams-nw3lq Рік тому +1

    I love this song like no other..

  • @Peonforlife
    @Peonforlife 3 роки тому +1

    This is amazing, The Becoming is by far my favorite NiN song, thank you.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  2 роки тому

      You're so welcome! (Also: HOMESTAR RUNNER)

    • @Peonforlife
      @Peonforlife 2 роки тому

      @@iximusic haha nice no one ever gets that!

  • @andrubis468
    @andrubis468 3 роки тому

    @ixi music That's why I love industrial music. At 3:38 in Ministry's N.W.O I recognised the sample while watching Apocalypse Now. It was Dennis Hopper shouting Terry Terry

  • @michaelwojcikiewicz1478
    @michaelwojcikiewicz1478 2 роки тому

    Gave up? The angriest track I heard. When I was younger, it fed me when I needed that

  • @michaelmarhal
    @michaelmarhal 3 роки тому +2

    i always imagined the scrams as people riding a roller-coaster.

  • @jamesstaggs4160
    @jamesstaggs4160 3 роки тому

    Oh wow he lifted it wholecloth from a film. The way the screams fit together I thought he just grabbed a bunch of random screams, layered and looped them, then slapped it on the song. I remember Robot Jox. Terrible movie, but damned if he didn't grab something good out of it.

  • @Kinnakeeter
    @Kinnakeeter 3 роки тому +1

    The screams sound like they were ripped straight from hell

  • @Codeaholic1
    @Codeaholic1 3 роки тому +2

    Awesome analysis as usual Ixi. This song is a major ear worm for me. It'll get stuck in my head for days.

  • @ABearRidingAUnicycle
    @ABearRidingAUnicycle 3 роки тому +3

    YES YES YES, I've been binging this song all week

  • @ikemoon127
    @ikemoon127 3 роки тому

    I love how the song just fades out while repeating the bridge, it really emphasizes that this song marks the *beginning* of something, something which will come to a greater realization later in the album.

  • @rars0n
    @rars0n 3 роки тому +1

    I love the sonic palette of this song. So many different layers of amazing sounds that combine together. However, it's even more powerful due to the musical composition. It works even with an entirely different sound palette, as evidenced by the version on Still (there's a video on UA-cam of it being performed live as it was recorded). It gives me chills every time. I almost like it even better, because it's so raw.
    The Becoming is one of those songs that took me a while to really appreciate. It's not that I didn't like it, but rather, on probably the best NIN album ever made, it's a song that took repeated listenings for me to really soak in. It's easily one of the best songs on the album, which is saying a LOT. It's probably in my top 5 NIN songs.
    For the longest time, I never even realized the odd time signature, unlike March of the Pigs which is fairly deliberate in its forceful use of 7/8. To me, the drums really drive the rhythm of the track and it feels rather natural given the weird time signature and changes. I must note that I listened to this song hundreds of times before really grasping the drum rhythms. The off-beat snares and such took a long time to comfortably anticipate to the point where I could reliably tap it out on a table top. The way I hear the song now is a constant, plodding downbeat, 7/4 followed by 4/4, and that constant driving downbeat makes the song feel really steady to my ears. This really got drilled into my head after hearing the version on Still, on which it's very noticeable.
    I love your analysis of this, of course! You always manage to highlight a lot of stuff that I never caught onto. This song is amazing, and it's all the more insane when you realize that when he was making this album, they were using a 68k Mac in 1994 with something like 8MB of RAM. Just putting that Robot Jox sample into the song probably took a lot of time and computing power.
    That Phrygian dominant scale is beautiful! I love how you pointed out those major and minor thirds! These musical abberations are what make his songs so interesting to the ears. I sometimes (or maybe often) get the feeling that Trent is actually flaunting musical convention and just going with what sounds good to his ears, leading to things like playing with major and minor thirds, or just singing a vocal lyric that flows better by not rigidly adhering to a specific scale.

  • @validcore
    @validcore 3 роки тому +2

    As a huge NIN fan(first ever concert & one of many) that's now a Christian...those screams make a great opener for "are you sure of where you'll spend eternity" conversation.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому +1

      Yes, lots of folks have been saying they picture Dante's inferno.

  • @MikesVideoMadness
    @MikesVideoMadness 3 роки тому +1

    The solo section with the "Noise Solo" sounds like a guitar put through a ring-modulator, which is mentioned in the CD booklet credited to Adrian Belew an absolute master of insane effects & noises made with guitar.

  • @damianmelo1408
    @damianmelo1408 3 роки тому

    THANK YOU - shortest 42 minutes ever! and the gift of the upcoming extra for the still version! Loved how you weaved the Live Webster Hall wave goodbye show in here. My favorite song on my favorite album, well done.

  • @RobertJene
    @RobertJene 3 роки тому +1

    I covered this song back in the day.
    I need to do an updated one and put it all over the internets.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому

      You should!! 🤘

    • @RobertJene
      @RobertJene 3 роки тому +1

      @@iximusic OK Imagine this scene.
      I'm working at a Wal-Mart, ages ago, 2006.
      Back room made my department unload ALL THE TRUCKS in the morning.
      I was pissed after a few weeks of this.
      So one day, I put on headphones, listen to "The Becoming," and sing it with FULL EMOTION.
      Loudly.
      When the song was done I got a roaring ovation. From everyone in the wal mart backroom.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому

      Ha way to go! 🙌

  • @morganguinta1473
    @morganguinta1473 3 роки тому

    One thing I noticed while relistening to the album after watching your videos, is that the downward spiral theme slots perfectly into the bridge progression of this song. It even hits the flat 6 immediately after the elephant noise does. Probably a stretch but something cool either way.
    Also I think the weird synth sounding thing after the bridge is actually a guitar going through a ring-mod. In the credits of the album, Adrian Belew is credited with both the mr self destruct guitar noise and "ring mod guitar" on the becoming.
    These past two episodes of the series have absolutely been my favorites so far (they are all amazing though). I've been stuck in a bit of a creative rut recently, and hearing you explain the weird thirds and his picardy third phrygian that he loves so much, has given me a ton of ideas to play around with. Excited to see this channel get the attention it deserves!

  • @lovedeathdisco
    @lovedeathdisco 3 роки тому

    i remember coming across march of the pigs thinking holy hell, i fully encourage you to break down the entire album. i wouldn't feel right assigning that duty to just anyone and i think a lot of us probably feel the same way. these are incredibly objective yet so passionately portrayed with emotional connections i can relate to as well as help examine and define those subtleties. great work as always on one of my top top top top top favourite songs at all, period. have been looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint. i was thinking toward the end when you were mentioning live embellishments how great it would be if you sat with the 'still' version, i'm so glad to have this also to look forward to. thank you for giving the nin community something wholesome to look forward to in these otherwise dull times. that was awesome and you rule 👏🏼

  • @philwhite1897
    @philwhite1897 3 роки тому +1

    The Becoming is like reptile an intense goosebumps experience in a first time listen and in a live performance.

  • @ZachJames
    @ZachJames 3 роки тому +1

    Hey! I asked for this one! Thank you ixi!

  • @rycolligan
    @rycolligan 3 роки тому +1

    This is my favorite track on the album, and the one I had been waiting for you to cover most eagerly. The screams are amazing, and I had no idea it was from Robo-jocks which I had actually seen on late night cable way back in the day, it's a weird, cheesy, brutal movie. Awesome breakdown!

  • @BR0K3NARCH3TYP3
    @BR0K3NARCH3TYP3 3 роки тому +1

    37:02 this solo is actually a guitar, is just makes very heavy use of Ring Modulation, which turns it into a bizarre, noisey riff. Ring mod is also what is used on the piano in the intro to make it sound... well, off

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому

      I stand corrected! Ring modulation is starting to sound like a magic wand to me. It makes everything cooler.

    • @BR0K3NARCH3TYP3
      @BR0K3NARCH3TYP3 3 роки тому

      @@iximusic It's crucial element to the sound of The Becoming, and the science behind it is honestly fascinating and underrated af. Can't wait to hear your Still version analysis of this!

  • @MatthewNolan101
    @MatthewNolan101 3 роки тому +1

    Everyone one of your videos is a masterpiece

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  3 роки тому

      I have to do these masterpieces justice somehow!

  • @mrjonnyburkecovers
    @mrjonnyburkecovers 3 роки тому

    I love how hissy and spiteful Trent sounds on this

  • @liylmusic
    @liylmusic 3 роки тому

    Amazing, been waiting for this one! As a drummer the timing was the first thing that drew me into this track but the thing I love most is the melody when he sings "the me that you know..." over the half time and 32nd hats, just a stunning combination of musical elements and the reason I became obsessed with NIN. Great video as always, really nice to have all the melodies and harmonies broken down because I'm hopeless with anything that isn't rhythm!

  • @mattdenninger
    @mattdenninger 3 роки тому +1

    Your videos are the shizz. Thanks for them all!

  • @rohanbeer1654
    @rohanbeer1654 3 роки тому +1

    I’ve always thought that those “elephant noises” you described in the mix was a sample of trents vocals from the very song we’re listening to but just pitched way lower and altered a bit.
    Amazing video! I absolutely can’t wait til I do not want this

  • @alexbondarenko4166
    @alexbondarenko4166 3 роки тому +2

    I do not want this...to ever end