This four-disc collection of experiments marked a major turning point in Reznor’s career. Reznor’s first independent release, Ghosts was released in part as a free download, in reaction to his stormy relationship with Interscope during the promotional period for Year Zero. Ghosts is unlike every other NIN release: a series of unnamed instrumental songs, varying wildly in tone and instrumentation, some completely electronic, others nearly acoustic. And while some of them are quite good, others come across as demo takes, sketches, or just plain unfinished ideas. Reznor intended some of that unfinished quality: He encouraged his fans to sample and remix Ghosts, even hosting some of his favorite pieces on NIN’s official website. Reznor even took part in the re-mixing himself: Some bits of Ghosts later became songs on The Social Network and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo soundtracks. Taken as a work unto itself, Ghosts bores most of the time, but it foreshadowed better work to come.