Linkin Park Association And AltWire Interview Mike Shinoda

Now this was an awesome interview. It's so sudden like the Lost in the Echo and Castle of Glass singles.

 

Bin waiting 3 years for this lol

 

Awesome interview! It's nice to get some more in depth answers, since Mike already knows we follow the band closely. Looking forward to seeing what future news tells us about the album!

 

Yeah, agreed. Glad to hear that they're trying to get off of the computer. I really hope this translates into the live shows as well, showing off more technical instrumentation (with the lack of a better term).

I don't get what his whole "problem with today's rock", though. To be completely honest, he comes off as cocky when talking about it.

Arcade Fire is trying a different sound, Trent is "whispering" on the latest NIN-album (which can be seen as different as well- he's done aggressive vocals in the past. Also, the dude isn't getting any younger either) and it looks like he's blaming them for that. Or rather, he's blaming them for not doing what he thinks should be done. I mean, if those artists wanted to make albums like that - different from what is expected of them - (if Arcade Fire wanted to "go disco", if Trent wanted more calm vocals on the new album) then he really isn't in a position to call BS on them, since Linkin Park has done the same thing in the past (ATS).

 

I don't think it's his intention to blame them. I read it more like a "what's happening right now" statement.I think he means that there is something missing, something that, for example, the new Arcade Fire or NIN records didn't delivered to him. Something that he would like to hear, but that doesn't "exist"at the moment.

That's how I interpret his statements, I might be wrong of course

But anyway, GREAT interview as a whole. The "trying to get off the computer" part made me excited. Really thankfull to the staff for this! Must feel like a real accomplishment to you guys who are rulling this site

 

What is rock?

 

Baby don't pop me, don't pop, me, no mo'..

 

I agree with all of this. It almost sounds like he's inferring that LIVING THINGS fulfills the criteria for rock that he wants from other bands, and as if LP6 will meet them. Imagine Mike saying rap and hip hop was lacking during the MTM/ATS eras.

The Arcade Fire/Nine Inch Nails comment was surprising to me. The fact that ATS exists really does make the comment hypocritical.

 

I don't understand the people who are shocked by Mike's comment on rock or on Arcade Fire/NIN. Everybody has the right to not be satisifed with some music albums.

If you find this cocky, then the band was cocky from day one. Because, let me remember some, when they started making music in the 90's, it was in part because they though a certain sound was missing/lacking, in a way that they decided to make it themselves.

 

Who the fuck cares? I'm sorry but this seems really strange, especially coming from Mike, the guy who originally named his band and his band's first album "Hybrid Theory" because they weren't concerned about fitting into a single genre. Didn't he kind of recently wear a t-shirt at a show that said "GENRE IS DEAD" on it?

It's 2013, genres ARE dead. Childish Gambino recently spoke about not wanting to be a "rapper" because of how that means people perceive you and your music. Kanye West has echoed that sentiment. Linkin Park said it about rock and nu-metal years ago. And even if you want to keep putting things in a box like "rock" or "rap," every style of music goes through phases. Mike accusing Arcade Fire of "basically going disco" is like when certain fans/critics said A Thousand Suns was Linkin Park "going techno." It just comes across as kind of nit-picky and bizarre. Sometimes electronic elements will be popular in certain types of music. Now it's more funk and disco. Mike Shinoda is now essentially the person calling for "MOAR GUITARZ." That is mind-blowing.

I just can't wrap my head around Mike Shinoda giving two shits about the state of "rock."

 

Heh, I really hope NIN fans don't catch wind of this interview, I can already see the LP bashing that ensues. And for the record, yeah I agree with Mike on that note.

Couldn't disagree more here. Muse often comes off as a mess to me when they try to combine stuff like Queen and Dubstep and Radiohead together and try to do the most epic, grandiose stuff ever. I wouldn't praise their craftsmanship at all.

Uh, how about rock fans? Sure, not everything needs to be pidgeon holed, but the idea that music should never be classified at all, is the opposite extreme if what you seem to be arguing against. People like Mike have diverse taste in music, and rock just scratches one of those itches. In his case, he feels like nothing is scratching that itch at the moment.

 

Some people. Because you personnaly doesn't care about rock history or the current state of rock, that doesn't mean everybody has to have the same mentality as you.

 

I care a lot about the history of the rock genre, because without it a lot of my favorite music today wouldn't exist. I just don't understand how people nowadays could still care about labels that much. Are there actually people out there who claim to be "rock fans"? Why tie yourself to a genre like that? I take it on an artist by artist basis, and up until now Mike has echoed that sentiment. I'm very confused as to what changed.

 

This is like asking "is there really such a thing as chocolate ice cream?"

 

No. Mike isn't precisely calling for "moar guitarz", the questioning is why NOT incorporate to rock music something ELSE to ADD to that, to evolve, and to push the borders because exactly that is what's holding "rock" behind. He's calling for the aggressiveness and here we all know you don't necessarily need guitars to be aggressive. Seems like LP isn't the only one who has had to "water down" their sound in order to "evolve". What Mike wants, and some of you might not realize it, is the same thing that many ATS-lovers want.. Heavy music, with experimentation, creativity and craftmanship.

I have to say that some are picking on LIVING THINGS to bash what Mike is saying but you have to remember each album has been elaborated with different mindsets. I seriously doubt he and the guys were thinking about how "rock" music was doing when recording LT. The whole idea has come to surface due to a simple article someone posted on Pidgeons and Planes RECENTLY, which generated an emotional response from Shinoda and consequently his own written blog entry. LIVING THINGS and the mindset of Mike (and posibly the rest of the guys) right now are two separate things.

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And on another note, what's the big deal with him mentioning NIN? Are they untouchable or something? Trent Reznor is a talented dude with an amazing career and great musicianship, granted, but that doesn't mean he's exempt of (constructive) criticism or that everything he does is holy. I listened to Hesitation Marks and only thing I could grab from there was Copy of A and Came Back Haunted, the rest was not memorable but then again, it's my own opinion and I didn't even mention it before around here or in the album's thread because of how high people hold that album around here.

And it's not like he's doing a cruzade or something, he wrote a response as a blog entry, and people eventually are going to ask about it time and time again, it's not like he's the one bringing that up on every interview.

 

At a time when every flavor of ice cream is borrowing from other flavors, yeah, it is like that.

That's what I meant. I used "moar guitarz" but I was referring to aggressiveness. It just surprised me that THAT is what he's fixated on.

 

That's exactly how I feel about Hesitation Marks too. Though I'm kind of biased, the only NIN album where I like more than just a few songs is Pretty Hate Machine.

When did music not borrow from other styles? Even rock music has its roots form other genres, and yet it has a label for what it is.

I'm just not understanding how you can discuss music without labeling different styles.

 

No one said Nine Inch Nails was untouchable. It's odd for Mike to basically say Nine Inch Nails isn't "rock" enough after numerous times saying he doesn't like conforming to a specific genre.

 

Great job from Derek, LPA and Altwire. And a great move from Mike. The LPA deserves an exclusive like this, we're just as much of fans as the people on LPU.

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YES.