Linkin Park Association And AltWire Interview Mike Shinoda

The Linkin Park Association was founded more than a decade ago by a group of individuals who had one common goal in mind: we wanted to bring you, the fans, the most up-to-date and complete Linkin Park news available on the internet. We, as a community, have had our share of great moments as well as moments that have left us with a bitter aftertaste of humble pie. Through it all, we, as fans, have always striven to keep our integrity up and our eyes on the horizon by finding new and innovative additions and features to offer you, our users; our friends. As successful as The Linkin Park Association has become, however, our forum's owner, Derek has had his mind set on expanding and broadening the credible scope of work started here for quite some time. With that, Derek's expansive new project, AltWire has come to fruition.

AltWire is an online alternative music community that is looking to build upon the foundation that The Linkin Park Association originally started, by breaking down barriers that currently exist within most online rock websites. Most rock communities currently operate only in "cliques"; providing coverage on only one sub-genre of rock, while turning away other great rock music that doesn't completely conform to their short focus. AltWire was created out of a necessity and a desire to change that fact. It is Derek's mission at AltWire to provide that one place where people can discover new alternative rock music (indie or mainstream), while also learning more about the artists they already love. To foster a community that welcomes and includes all Alternative Rock sub-genres, thus giving rock fans a home to feel welcome at, regardless of what area of Alternative Rock they currently subscribe to.

Derek, knowing the importance of lining up interviews for his new venture, recently reached out to Mike Shinoda for an interview to help AltWire. Although it seemed like it was a shot in the dark, Derek, along with the rest of the LPA Staff, were floored by Mike's response agreeing to do an interview. In the days that followed we gathered together some questions from fans to ask Mike, allowing Mike to pick his favorite questions from the list to answer. Below are his responses. While reading the interview below, we also recommend you check out AltWire for a special article by Derek (which also contains the interview), that discusses the early beginnings of LPA, and how his experiences with Linkin Park helped eventually lead to the creation of AltWire. You can read the article here.

Now, without further adieu, it is our privilege to present the first-ever Linkin Park Association/AltWire exclusive interview with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park.


LPA: Maintaining the drive to continually record and produce music seems like it would be a difficult challenge in the long run. Who or what inspires you to continue the work that you do, and where do you look for motivation these days?

Mike Shinoda [Linkin Park]: When it was our first or second album, we had a more limited scope of the aspects of what we do. And it went beyond writing and recording; I’m talking about the whole picture–how a release and an experience feels to a fan. In general, as we’ve made more albums and experimented with many things both in and out of the studio, we learn how to be better artists, better songwriters, better performers, better designers, better community builders, better communicators. I wouldn’t say we “raise the bar” each time, or that every move we’ve made is better than the last. It’s often all about the journey, taking risks, and enjoying what we’re doing at the time. But while we’re doing that, we strive to innovate and achieve.

LPA: You recently made some very interesting comments on the state of rock music, and how the genre has gone soft. Are you unsatisfied with the current version of rock music?

M: The question is, what’s “rock” right now? Mumford and Sons? Capital Cities? AVICII? Vampire Weekend? Lorde? Arcade Fire has basically gone disco, and Trent Reznor spends too much of the new Nine Inch Nails album whispering–and I truly like all these bands, I’m just saying there’s something missing. I guess it doesn’t have to be “rock,” but I’m at a loss for something else I’d call it. I’m looking for ferocity, innovation, and energy without giving up songwriting, sophistication, and craftsmanship. It’s a tall order; even if we’re able to address it on our next Linkin Park album, it’ll take more than one band to really move the needle.

LPA: Just two songs from your first five studio albums have eclipsed the 5-minute mark in length. In the future, are you open to writing longer songs and worrying about radio edits afterwards?

M: Sure, I’m open. It’ll happen if it happens–I really don’t write a song to fit a certain time length. When we make a song, the song length is dictated by how the “story arc” of the song progresses.

LPA: Is the process for the writing/recording of the next album any different this time around, with Chester off doing his own thing with STP? What challenges does this bring forth?

M: He knew what he was signing up for–it’s very hectic for him, but he’s making it work! I don’t think our progress has been negatively affected in any major way by the STP shows.

LPA: You’ve been touring as Linkin Park for over 14 years now. How do you balance keeping your live setlists fresh for yourselves vs. appeasing the fans? Are you sick of playing One Step Closer yet?

M: I think Mike Einziger (or Incubus) said it best, I’ll paraphrase: when I’m onstage, I’m not thinking about what my hands are playing or how the notes go, I’m engrossed in the experience of connecting with the fans, on that stage in that city. So with that said, it kinda doesn’t matter what song we’re playing, as long as everyone is into it.

LPA: Although you did do a short run of European Projekt Revolution shows in 2011, the last time we saw a full-scale Projekt Revolution tour was back in 2008. Are there any plans to bring back Projekt Revolution in the future?

M: I don’t know if that will come back in name, but I hope to do a more robust U.S. tour in the next couple of years. We’ve missed playing in a lot of places in the U.S. because there has been such incredible demand overseas. I suppose it’s a great problem to have!

LPA: What have you taken away from the process of creating video games?

M: One side project I really enjoyed working on was the LPRecharge.com game. As you know, I was a visual artist before I was a musician–I majored in Illustration and design in art school, and always thought I’d be a designer or painter of some kind. I also grew up drawing video game characters like Mega Man, Samus from Metroid, or Mario and Luigi. So being able to create and sculpt the characters in RECHARGE was a dream come true.

LPA: Your gear and instrument collection constantly evolves with each album cycle. What kind of gear are you working with in the studio right now? Anything new that might surprise some people?

M: I’m playing with a lot of different things; I don’t want to give away any surprises, because they might be a part of the next phase in our sound or tour. One interesting thing is that we’re expending off the usual platforms: we’re working on Mac and Windows, and we’re working in Ableton in addition to Protools. And we’re trying to get off of the computer as well, which is unusual for us.

LPA: With the recent Typhoon in the Philippines, what is the band doing to support those affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan?

M: The band and Music For Relief are fully committed to raising funds and awareness for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which has forced over half a million people from their homes and killed over 10,000 and counting. One: we’re accepting donations at musicforrelief.org. Two: we’re going to offer an upgrade item in the LPRecharge.com game: you get a character boost and the purchase money goes to Haiyan relief. Three: we are in talks to put together a fundraiser event. Our partner on the effort is International Medical Corps., one of most renowned and experienced disaster relief organizations in the world. And our (MFR’s) overhead for programs like this have historically been close to nothing, because people donate their time, we offset costs with our own (LP) contribution, and we try to work with partners who will waive fees when it’s a philanthropic effort. I encourage every person reading this to go to musicforrelief.org right now and donate–there are literally millions of people need your help.

Source: AltWire

 

I know! That hands down has made me more excited than any other new album quote to date. The band kind of tinkered with "less computers" on some songs on MTM and that was one of their most underrated albums.

 

Basically just described Muse to a tee.

 

Exciting!