Living Things in my opinion was a combination of some of the worst sounds LP has made so far. High pitch electronic sounds open just about every song. ATS was a much more natural sounding album.
I dont think LP had too many electronic elements. Actually I think MTM was too raw and didn't have enough. Electronic instruments have versatile voices and break up the guitar-drum-bass monotony. Hated seeing Mr. Hahn doing nothing that whole time. LPU 13 LETS GO.
You know, I feel like it's getting close...There is a lot of electronic exploration being done...and it just isn't as captivating as exploration of real instrumentation, rhythm and time. I admire LP for always pushing the boundaries, but I do hope they channel their exploration for 'sound' away from laptops for the coming album.
This, there are so many other options for exploration other than "What new sounds can I make in on my computer today?" Experiment with real instruments (as much as I hate to be that guy or even use that term), do something crazy with time signatures, rhythm. Look at Tool. Tool's sound never actually evolved much but the music is still innovatove. In contrast LT had a whole new sound but was still rather boring. LT just fell back into radio friendly structures and style.
THIS. I get a real feeling of staleness on Living Things when I can just tell it's "let's put a thousand synths on this song". The balance was perfect on ATS but I get what the OP is saying. I'd wish they'd take it to the max like Reanimation again. So I think they feel "too electronic" when the balance is lost, which makes a song feel cheap (personally Skin to Bone feels this way to me). A lot of LT just feels like loops upon loops upon loops whereas ATS didn't feel like that. It doesn't help that they seem absolutely committed to not playing most of that album live so all we have is the album versions which get stale. Edit: I feel like LP is doing what I do when I want to be different, which is exploring 1001 presets and synth patches rather than focusing on really delving into mastering a few sounds. I know they've always been more like producers than cut and dry songwriters, but ATS has a nice focused palette of sounds while LT, as someone posted, "was a combination of some of the worst sounds LP has made so far." Some songs I love and some songs I really cringe at the sound or melody. I think that makes some fans have the knee-jerk reaction of "Okay, that's enough." And I don't think they need MORE guitar, they need BETTER guitar. More creative guitar. I love Lost In The Echo but the guitar part is laughable compared to what was thrown down on Meteora. I'm not looking for a return back to der rootzzz, but I do wish Brad cared about being a creative guitar player and not "Okay this song needs guitar (4 boring chords)."
I have no problem with electronic music in general. I just don't think LP are all that great at it (and yes, I'm including A Thousand Suns). Rob, for example, might not be the best drummer on the planet, but he's a tight player. None of their albums aside from Hybrid Theory and Minutes to Midnight really showcase that. They always choose the worst programmed drum sounds, and it makes their music sound cheesy. I still attest that LT is one their stronger albums, but that's just because LP doesn't make very strong albums. It's as if the band still hasn't figured out how to play to their strengths, and there's no excuse for that after 13 years.
Yeah their electronic drum sounds sound so damn cheesy. They didn't have any drive in The Catalyst which is why every simple-minded person kept calling it techno. The outro drums were beautiful, but I can see how they made that track work. It felt like an epic stadium close to a digital dance song...so it's acceptable. I don't feel like Minutes To Midnight was too raw. The electronics in Leave Out All The Rest (more keyboard if anything) simply worked. If that song was more digital (well the remix was pretty kick ass) it would take away from the emotion that the balance of vocals, keys, strings, and guitars put out there. That's why the remix is good for a remix. If the remix was the original sound...eh..I'm not soo sure how I would feel about it.
I don't know if anyone feels this way, but I feel like Minutes To Midnight was more of a collective effort from the whole band. They made the album way differently than they have ever made any other of their albums and you can see how involved each member was in the making of DVD and stuff. With A Thousand Suns and LIVING THINGS, it feels like it was more of a Mike and Brad production, rather than the whole band. If that makes any sense. The electronic drums and stuff is definitely a Mike Shinoda thing.
True. With Chester working with STP a lot it feels like it's still going into this direction with the next album. Also, I'd like to say that I'm not against electronic music, but I'd love to see more raw elements in their music. Especially LT was way too... flawless.
The band said that they always want to make new and fresh stuff... so I think we have good chances in getting a new raw album this time, 'cause they already did two albums with 'tons' of electro things going on. A third album with much electronic-influence wouldn't be a new thing (imo)
See, I would argue against STP elements working their way into LP's new album. Think back to the other side projects: Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied" comes out, Mike showcases his rapping abilities. The next LP album is "Minutes To Midnight", which features fairly little rapping. Dead By Sunrise's "Out Of Ashes" comes out, Chester steps into his rock roots. It is then followed up with LP's "A Thousand Suns", which was, at the time, the most electronic album they had produced. That's why I feel like, if anything, Chester's work with STP will influence LP's music with an opposite effect.
Technically Yes. But most of the album had real instruments effected (Like DAFT PUNK Random Access Memories) There was still Drums, Guitars were morphed into the "Farting" sound (Still can't get over how hilarious it sounds). The most synth-heavy track were Blackout, Waiting for the end, The Catalyst,and the interludes. LIVING THINGS IS THE POLAR OPPOSITE! I Can Stand it but it wasn't organic.
At first I really hated Living Things & A Thousand Suns because I preferred their Nu-Metal sound but then I gave it a chance and now I'm okay with it. But I still want to see Linkin Park release just one more song with the Hybrid Theory/Meteora sound.
This. Not just with the sound but also with the lyrics, melody, rapping... all of it. Seemed like a manufactured album they just decided to chuck out. I personally don't like where their music is going. I was a fan of ATS (their best effort imo). It felt adventurous and inspired... like they were finally coming out of their shell as artists. And I expected that trend to continue with the next album. But it was surprising that they went back to such a commercial sounding/radio-friendly album. It was a step back that I was not expecting, esp after ATS.