Mike had some time to make the rounds and say important things to different media outlets. Make sure to watch them all, or you won’t be informed enough! He talks about Music for Relief’s effort for the Philippines, the new Linkin Park album, the cool parka he designed with 686, and many other interesting topics.
Artisan Video Interviews
RECHARGED Review and Interview
White Raver Rafting used their funny name to score an interview with Mike and they were successful – probably because they also wrote a review of remix album RECHARGED:
Tyler: EDM is becoming saturated with music that seems to follow a predetermined formula. What sets the remixes on this album apart from other remixes and originals within the scene today?
M: If you listen to EDM in particular, I think you realize that a lot of subgenres are represented on this album. If you see a review of RECHARGED that calls it a “dubstep album,” you instantly know it’s being reviewed by someone who doesn’t really know what they’re talking about. But even stepping outside of EDM, the album has a lot of different flavors—some songs represent multiple genres at once. For example, on the Rad Omen remix, there are elements of house, trap, and folk, all in the same song.
Tyler: You have two of your own remixes on this record and they’re quite remarkable. Tell me a little about how you tackled remixing your own projects.
Mike: Thanks! VICTIMIZED was a pretty simple approach—it’s based on the jungle and gabber techno I listened to when I was in college. A good friend of mine was a DJ who introduced me to those artists, and I wanted to do a modern take on that style with the VICTIMIZED remix. My CASTLE OF GLASS remix was a journey; the verse section was the first thing I made, which originally lived in a Justice/Daft Punk kind of world. But I didn’t want the song to be two-dimensional or a rip-off, so I dirtied up the sounds and added a little of a prog-rock kind of feel. Then I added the ambient intro. After that, I had the idea to take it somewhere really unexpected, which is where the last movement came in. I think that last section is where the real musicality and magic happens, introducing the dreamy synths, new chord changes, vocoder vocals, guitar, and piano.
Read more: http://whiteraverrafting.com/linkin-park-recharged-remix-album-review-mike-shinoda-interview/2013/11/21/#ixzz2lUexGsW8
Fuse TV Video Interview
Mike Shinoda opens up to Fuse News about their connection with the devastating 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami and how he turned to his other love—design—to help out
Watch the video interview HERE!
AltWire Interview
Our friends at Altwire.net had the chance to interview Mike together with fellow fansite LPA. Read the full interview HERE!
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?
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.
AW: 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.
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?
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!