I feel as if Linkin Park needs to tone down their electronics on their next album. If they turn it up a notch I wouldn't be mad at them, but I feel like they already pushed that level too far. Take for example, Hybrid Theory and Meteora. Meteora has more electronic elements in it, and although it was released in 2003 meaning it was three years forward from Hybrid Theory, it sounded way more raw and over-produced with too many random samples. Didn't Mike once say that The Catalyst had around 65 or 70 tracks? While it's a lengthy song with many twists in sound throughout the song, holy shit is that too many elements. Being a huge fan of electronic dance music it's hard for me too say it but, I miss the raw-ness of Linkin Park. The voice cracks in Valentines Day and the stripped five-six track The Messenger. Those songs were awesome.
When you say electronics, do you mean electronic music like synths and beats, or do you mean the use of technology like too much Pro Tools editing and layering? If you mean electronic music, I don't think they are "too" electronic. They could push it a lot further if they wanted to, and I don't think they will. If you mean technology, then I guess I can see your point.
At first they were, but then I embraced it. ATS was a big step for me to break down my musical taste and accept electronic music as a genre that I could enjoy. I could get heat for this, but growing up in the 90's and graduating high school in the early '00's as a kid in a rock band, I was hard pressed to listen to any music being made "out of a box." I was one of those people that claimed that if it wasn't created by a real musician playing real instruments to make music, then it wasn't real music. I adopted Linkin Park early on as my favorite band in '00, even though they had electronic elements back then, they still played real instruments. With ATS, I wasn't sure of the electronic elements that made up most of the album at first, but then, I embraced it and the love I have for that album grew like wildfire. I've concluded that whatever the band does, I fully trust them to make something that I will enjoy. Call it fanboyism, or call it naive, I call it enjoyable.
No. They need more electronic. They can do a lot of experimenting with synths and stuff. That's the future. And The Catalyst have 20 tracks if I counted right.
They're "too electronic" in that it's more and more obvious all of their songs are pieced together via laptop and they worry about making them sound ok live after the fact, which is annoying as fuck. But as far as the electronic elements like too "techno", not really. If anything they could stand to pepper a bit more in.
I wouldn't say that Linkin Park is too electronic for me at all. I do believe that some of their best songs have taken simplistic forms. "The Messenger" is a fantastic track, especially as the closer to A Thousand Suns. I do think however that what made that album so good was the use of electronics - it added another element that had previously been lacking from their music. Granted, they've been using electronic sounds since their early days, but what I liked about ATS was how they would run organic sounds through some electronic modulation and give it a different sound. That's why I think "Wretches and Kings" is really cool - it takes guitar sounds and it gave them an electronic edge. And that modification allowed the band to create very unique production for a hip-hop oriented song. LIVING THINGS isn't my favorite album, but I think the electronic edge gave their songwriting more breathing room and allowed the band to be more creative. Structurally, the band returned to what they've done in the past - verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus - but I was a lot more distracted from that structure (which I otherwise find boring) for two reasons: (1) they've improved lyrically and (2) the electronic element. I think it's become a very unique style - harder rock with thoroughly infused electronic elements. And what makes Linkin Park so versatile with that is how they've incorporated rock and rap elements for the entirety of their history. I think it's a good hybridization and I think the band could still do more with it. At the same time, though, I am not opposed to the band stripping down and doing an album that is bare in its instrumentation. I'd like to see the band, at some point, make a complete left turn and do something different again. What if the band took a more Fleet Foxes or Sufjan Stevens route? What if the band did more to musically challenge Dave and Brad - spending more time focusing on riffs and melodies than on big sound? I think that would be really cool to see. I think taking Linkin Park and throwing them into an unfamiliar territory is where they are best suited to be creative - and it's how they've best showcased their capabilities. Maybe we can see the band tackle different instruments - maybe Joe no longer sits behind a turntable and a laptop for a few songs. Maybe you see Dave take a song and sing it. Maybe the band works on more instrumentals different from the fashion of "Cure for the Itch," "Session," and "TINFOIL," and maybe look more like what you would see Explosions In The Sky does. Maybe the band taps into more orchestral, brass and wind sounds. All of that, to me, is very exciting. I think for the band to look into those things and successfully integrate them with the styles they've mastered thus far would be great. They could make another largely electronic album and I wouldn't be disappointed - but at the end of the day what I'm looking for is something different. I want surprise and I want to listen to an album where people ask, "Who is this?" and when I say Linkin Park they become surprised. I don't want just radio-friendly hits, and I don't want songs based purely on emotional "you and I" stuff. Maybe the band can return to introducing themes - I really like that style. Green Day's two best albums, in my opinion, were so good because of the themes they carried and the stories they told (referring to American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown). I'd like to see Linkin Park do something along those lines while exploring different styles.
Damn, this thread blew up fast with replies. I don't think Linkin Park is going "too electronic", but I feel LIVING THINGS was more of a simple album that happened to use electronics. So, my answer is no. They aren't going too electronic.
65-70 tracks for a song like The Catalyst isn't really a lot (quite frankly, that seems VERY small to me). Hell, the song I submitted for LPU Sessions is literally just a programmed drum track and a bunch of guitar stuff, and my track count on that one ended up being 37. I think a lot of people don't quite have a grasp on how extensive a studio recording can be. Every different effect (even on a single instrument) is usually a different track. Every vocal take is a different track. Every piece of the drum kit is a different track. Anything controlled by MIDI has both its own track and a separate track for the automation process. Between all of the synth layers, the multiple piano tracks (there are at least two), the programmed and live drums, the guitar and bass, Joe's scratching, the miscellaneous sound effects, and likely around a dozen or so vocal tracks (The Catalyst is easily in the top 2 or 3 Linkin Park tracks when it comes to number of vocal parts), I honestly wouldn't have been surprised one bit if someone told me that song had over 100 tracks in it. "70 tracks" probably amounts to 25 or 30 actual "elements" with how extensively Linkin Park layers stuff. ...On the subject of the original topic, no, I don't think they've become too electronic, but I think they made a mistake on Living Things by making the electronic elements the most dominant part of the mix on most songs. For example, Lost in the Echo is ten times better live because the guitars actually have some bite to them instead of just serving as a droning wall of distortion with no real definition.
I just feel as if the electronic elements are up front way too much. Songs like "Skin To Bone" would be nothing without them (I mean the finished product, I know it was originally written as a folk tune).
I don't think they've become too electronic, I agree they made a mistake puting the electronics at the forefront on Living Things, I didn't hear strings on I'll be gone. Even though I like electronic music it would be nice if they jusy used instruments, the actual instruments have a limited amount of sounds they can make, therefore you would be more pressured to come up with a progression that isn't the same as everyone else's. there are only 12 notes, you can't really do anything revolutionary, but doing something new with a limited amount of options is just as creative as doing something new with a lot of different sounds. The quirky things and imperfections in time signature, volocity, and exact sound that would happen with playing an instrument like guitar and piano makes the music sound more organic and emotional. Electronics just don't sound as human to me. So I wouldn't mind if they did more electronics but it would also be cool if they just went with plain old instruments.
As long as they do a good job, which I trust they will, I will support them 100%. I would like one electronic heavy album and one organic/ no electronic album before they are done
I agree with this. That approach worked very, very well on "A Thousand Suns" but, on "Living Things", it weakened songs such as "Echo" and "Burn It Down".
They haven't gone to electronic enough. I think a drum & bass LP album would be the shit, that or an electronic rock album along the lines of Mike's Enjoy The Silence remix. My only problem with the electronics in Living Things was from the genericness most of them felt like when compared to ATS which I think was pulled off perfectly electronically.
I also think they should use less electronic in their next albums. Years ago, the electronic elements were like a good placed, decent stylistic device. Today they are the main elements for a song. (imo) But in the end, it's their thing. If they want to use more electronic, ok... but then they should get a better 'mixing guy' than in LT. Electro-Music has to be particulary good mixed. Living Things was awfully mixed (imo) and had the lowest 'play again rate'.
I'd like to see them go further with electronics because I think they write more memorable material using samples and synthesizers than with guitars. They've always been a production-focused band and I don't think conforming to this rockist attitude that live performances are the main arbiter of talent suits them. However, as much as I like their production, I can't ignore that their music sounds shallow compared to established electronic artists. I'd love to see their synths hit as hard as say, a Front Line Assembly track.
I thought ATS was really electronic for my liking back when it came out. Then I heard LIVING THINGS, which is definitely way more electronic. To an extent, it annoys me. I'd rather hear ''raw'' sounding drums and guitar like on Minutes To Midnight, but I have to keep in mind that LP will never do that again. I just guess I'd rather have clean sounding drums from Rob, rather than computerized drum beats and stuff. I don't see the point in that, when they have a drummer who is capable of doing it. The other electronic elements, I enjoy in the music. Just not the overly enthusiastic computerized drums.