But something was different about this band. Something had pulled me in despite my hip-hop<\/a> roots and I was intrigued about this \u2018hot new band from Southern California\u2019. I decided it was time for me to find out more, and twenty minutes later I was home, pulling up their website on my excruciatingly slow 56k connection, replaying the stream of \u201cOne Step Closer\u201d over and over to the point I probably made my dad want to bash his forehead repeatedly into the wall. It was then that I To say that the album was a life-changer would be an understatement. My introduction to harder rock music via Hybrid Theory<\/i> would lead to my music tastes evolving to include all the rock music I had been missing at the time, and eventually would grow to all types of rock music, both indie, and mainstream. In the weeks and months that followed my first introduction to the band, I\u2019d sneak onto linkinpark.com on my school\u2019s library computers taking any opportunity I could to post on the Linkin Park Message Boards and Chat Room, meeting new friends, and learning more things about the band in the process. On those very forums, I would end up meeting a longtime friend of mine, Omar, who decided along with me that it was time to open up a website to show our support for Linkin Park.<\/p>\n In the years that followed, that very website (The Linkin Park Association<\/b><\/a>) would take us to places that we\u2019d never thought imaginable. Millions of people from all over the globe have visited the site since its founding, and the staff and I have become friends with people of all different walks of life, and from many different countries. As for me? A lot has changed in those 13 years. I\u2019ve grown older (pushing 30, but who\u2019s counting?) and I am thoroughly convinced I\u2019ve found my first gray hairs -although my parents think I\u2019m totally seeing things- and it goes without saying that I\u2019ve changed a lot from the naive fifteen-year-old who opened up that site with no inclination of how big it would eventually become.<\/p>\n In fact, it\u2019s the very success of the LPA that lead to it being possible for AltWire to exist as a community in the first place, and much of AltWire\u2019s history is in direct thanks to Linkin Park and their music. I think it is fair to say that the website owes its birth to a chance listen of \u201cOne Step Closer\u201d all those years ago.<\/p>\n As for my appreciation of Linkin Park? It has never faltered. In the years that have followed, I\u2019ve continued to follow the band and their music. Through watching their development as artists over the last few years, I\u2019ll admit to being pretty excited about their upcoming album.<\/p>\n Recently both AltWire and its sister site The Linkin Park Association<\/b><\/a> had the opportunity to ask Mike Shinoda<\/a> of Linkin Park a few quick questions. For those who may have been living under a rock, Mike Shinoda is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, rhythm guitarist, and as one of the two lead vocalists in Linkin Park. His projects have ranged from his side project Fort Minor<\/a>, scoring the US version of The Raid, designing a limited edition clothing line, hosting two different art shows containing his artwork, and various other endeavors.<\/p>\n In the questions that follow, we discuss the band\u2019s upcoming new record, Mike\u2019s current thoughts on the rock music industry as a whole, and much, much more. Enjoy.<\/p>\n AltWire\/LPA [Derek]: 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Shinoda \/ Linkin Park:<\/strong> 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\u2019m talking about the whole picture\u2013how a release and an experience feels to a fan. In general, as we\u2019ve 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\u2019t say we \u201craise the bar\u201d each time, or that every move we\u2019ve made is better than the last. It\u2019s often all about the journey, taking risks, and enjoying what we\u2019re doing at the time. But while we\u2019re doing that, we strive to innovate and achieve.<\/p>\n AW: 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Shinoda \/ Linkin Park: <\/strong>The question is, what\u2019s \u201crock\u201d 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\u2013and I truly like all these bands, I\u2019m just saying there\u2019s something missing. I guess it doesn\u2019t have to be \u201crock,\u201d but I\u2019m at a loss for something else I\u2019d call it. I\u2019m looking for ferocity, innovation, and energy without giving up songwriting, sophistication, and craftsmanship. It\u2019s a tall order; even if we\u2019re able to address it on our next Linkin Park album, it\u2019ll take more than one band to really move the needle.<\/p>\n AW: 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Shinoda \/ Linkin Park: <\/strong>Sure, I\u2019m open. It\u2019ll happen if it happens\u2013I really don\u2019t write a song to fit a certain time length. When we make a song, the song length is dictated by how the \u201cstory arc\u201d of the song progresses.<\/p>\n AW: 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Shinoda \/ Linkin Park: <\/strong>He knew what he was signing up for\u2013it\u2019s very hectic for him, but he\u2019s making it work! I don\u2019t think our progress has been negatively affected in any major way by the STP shows.<\/p>\n AW: You\u2019ve 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Shinoda \/ Linkin Park: <\/strong> I think Mike Einziger (or Incubus) said it best, I\u2019ll paraphrase: when I\u2019m onstage, I\u2019m not thinking about what my hands are playing or how the notes go, I\u2019m engrossed in the experience of connecting with the fans, on that stage in that city. So with that said, it kinda doesn\u2019t matter what song we\u2019re playing, as long as everyone is into it.<\/p>\n AW: 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Shinoda \/ Linkin Park: <\/strong>I don\u2019t 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\u2019ve missed playing in a lot of places in the U.S. because there has been such incredible demand overseas. I suppose it\u2019s a great problem to have!<\/p>\n AW: What have you taken away from the process of creating video games?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Shinoda \/ Linkin Park: <\/strong>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\u2013I majored in Illustration and design in art school, and always thought I\u2019d 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<\/p>\n true.AW: 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Shinoda \/ Linkin Park: <\/strong>I\u2019m playing with a lot of different things; I don\u2019t 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\u2019re expanding off the usual platforms: we\u2019re working on Mac and Windows, and we\u2019re working in Ableton in addition to Protools. And we\u2019re trying to get off of the computer as well, which is unusual for us.<\/p>\n AW: With the recent Typhoon in the Philippines, what is the band doing to support those affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Shinoda \/ Linkin Park: <\/strong> 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\u2019re accepting donations at musicforrelief.org. Two: we\u2019re 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\u2019s) 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\u2019s a philanthropic effort. I encourage every person reading this to go to musicforrelief.org right now and donate\u2013there are literally millions of people who need your help.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019LL BE GONE (Vice Remix) Feat Pusha T\u201d from Linkin Park\u2019s RECHARGED Remix Album:<\/strong><\/p>\n http:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F115866195&auto_play=false&show_comments=false<\/p>\n *BONUS*<\/strong> Since the time this interview has taken place, we’ve done many more interviews with Mike Shinoda. Read them all here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"bribed<\/del> asked<\/em> my dad to drive me to Best Buy and buy me Hybrid Theory<\/i> so I could listen to the album in its entirety. I probably could\u2019ve been studying for an upcoming test or could\u2019ve been working on homework, but dammit\u2026nothing was going to keep me from listening to that album! Teenage priorities for the win!<\/p>\n![\"Linkin](\"http:\/\/www.altwire.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ms_02.jpg\")
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