Space Shower TV - Hybrid Theory 20 Interview

[LPLStaff]

Japanese music television channel Space Shower TV has uploaded a YouTube series with an interview done with Linkin Park last year for the #Hybrid Theory20 celebration.

It also includes interviews by Japanese singers who talk about Linkin Park: Takuma Mitamura from 10-FEET, Masato Hayakawa from Coldrain, Takanori Nishikawa (known as T.M.Revolution), Shuhei Igari from Hey-Smith, Kenta Koie from Crossfaith, Takumi Kitamura from DISH//, and Takumi Kitamura from The Oral Cigarettes.

Below you can watch the videos and read some of the highlights by Brad and Mike.

Episode 1
- "The band's original name was actually Hybrid Theory. So our all creative vision was to create some unique sound of our own that blended all these different styles of music that we grow up listening to, rap, alternative music, electronic music, heavy music, rock. The idea that we had in our head we weren't hear it anywhere, so it felt like we had to make it and that's what drove us to make these songs and start sharing with people." - Brad

- "We just wanted to make a great album that we were proud of. That was all we can control, right? So we fought to make the record that we wanted to make and we were very fortunate that so many people around the world connected with this album." - Brad

Episode 2
- "I think it was an exciting time. I think there were some bands that had become successful, that we knew growing up, like from high school, so we knew it was possible. At the same time we never felt like we were part of any scene. Not like outsiders per se, but just that we had our own thing, our own vision, we don't really fit into anyone box. And that's why it was weird, like... it's always useful for... could be a record store, could be a journalist to have some kind of category or classification of what the music is and just wasn't accurate, because our all raison d'être, our all reason for existence was to mash all of this things together, was not to be one thing. Whereas Hybrid Theory certainly established that kinda mission, I think fortunately we got to play around throughout in our career with so many different... Like, Linkin Park clearly has one sound and also can be so many different things." - Brad

- "Everything was so stressful because there was always ups and down. We would be so excited to be doing our album but then also be fighting with different people at the label about the creative direction and we wanted to get it right and they kept wanting changing things. And then we were getting on the road and be so excited to tour but the first band that we toured with hated us and it was very difficult, touring in general was very hard. [...] We just wanted to make sure we took good care of our baby, our album and our band." - Mike

Episode 3
- "We were sitting like in an underground parking garage, doing some early photoshoot, but not a real photoshoot, just someone we knew took pictures, we thought it would be cool to do like a 'photoshoot'. I was just bored, I was sitting there, messing around with the guitar, and the guitar is in Drop D, so... Normally the low guitar string is a E, the third string is a D, it was fashionable back then lower the bottom string to a D so it was an octave. So just messing around in that tuning, with the harmonic, and the open string and the harmonic, and the bounce to it, it's probably my favorite riff I've ever come up with. What's cool is the riff in the intro plays straight the whole song, really. I was amazed how modern that song still sounds. The mix of it, the sonic presentation of it, just sounded amazing to it. And I'm used to hearing it live, so I kinda forgot what it sounded like. I mean, it sounds good live too, but I haven't heard the record, the recorded version of it in a while, and I just thought 'Wow! This is really heavy but it's also really melodic'. A lot of electronic information, sounds in that mix. It's a very cool song." - Brad about One Step Closer 

- "The intro is so recognizable. Right into the chorus. Chester's guttural... I don't know if it's singing or screaming, I think it's both, certanly no one can't do that with their voice, right? His voice was so unique. So you've got all the softness and the vulnerability and you've got the electronica, and you've got the drama, and you've got the intimacy. That's a song you can play on any instrument, any way, the words and the melody ring true today I think as much as they... maybe more so, even, then they did when we made it." - Brad about Crawling and Chester's voice.

Episode 4
- "Papercut was always my favorite song off of Hybrid Theory because it had all of the elements of the band packed into one song. It started with a hip hop beat, it had heavy guitars, a very rhythmic feel and also underneath that you can hear a jungle drum and bass style loop. And then you can hear in the verses and choruses it's rapping but then it gets very melodic." - Mike

- "An incredible talent and an incredible human being. Certainly miss him." - Brad about Chester

- "I think everything is wide open. I think it's an exciting time to look back and I think the future is wide open." - Brad (with a big grin) about the future of Linkin Park

- "I think the band evolved a lot over twenty years. We've always retained our identity, our through-line. Making these first two records with Don Gilmore and then getting to work with Rick Rubin who is such an incredible human being and creative mentor... He really encouraged us to continue to challenge ourselves and grow in different ways and never to put ourselves in a box. We took that and ran with it and we've made so many different kinds of songs. Really heavy songs, straight rap songs, very vulnerable, delicate songs and that's one thing that was always amazing with Mike and Chester, between the two of them, they could perform any kind of vocal, any style. So, we were really spoiled. As a songwriter I was personally really spoiled in the band because there was never a song where it was like, "Oh you know that's cool but we just can't do it." Anything that was great in any genre, any style, we could do it. Such a blessing." - Brad

Episode 5
- "We can see each other over Zoom. We've actually been doing some really cool press for this Hybrid Theory release, so... While I haven't been with those guys in person recently, in this kinda way we can be together." - Brad about having meetings with the band

- "I don't think Linkin Park just means one thing to me. I think it means the music, I think it means the friendship with my bandmates, I think it means our adventures all around the world. Just how we feel at home in all these places, I think a lot of people around the world feel like we're their band and it's just magical. It's a magical story and what a privilege to celebrate it with you today. Hybrid Theory was the record that really started the rocket ship ride. Incredibile that it's been twenty years, incredible." - Brad answering to the question "What does Linkin Park mean to you?"

 

[JZLP-Benningstrong]

HAIBRITO TORI

[Soeffingnaive92]

Brad basically summed up in a few words why LP is amazing 😍😍

[PeppePark]

Added the other 4 videos from the series and more quotes by Brad and Mike, enjoy!

[JZLP-Benningstrong]

23 hours ago, PeppePark said:

Added the other 4 videos from the series and more quotes by Brad and Mike, enjoy!

thanks

[PizzaPino]

it's so cool to see some j-rock bands that i listen to talk about LP. they all seem like superfans watching docs and follow their band lives

Edited April 18, 2021 by PizzaPino

[Cesar656]

Interesting to hear those words from Brad, Mike is just repeating what we heard him saying a thousand times

[Soeffingnaive92]

1 hour ago, Cesar656 said:

Interesting to hear those words from Brad, Mike is just repeating what we heard him saying a thousand times

Yeah I really like Brad’s part here, he’s always shy but has always been crucial in shaping the band’s sound. 

[LPsMart]

TL;DR anything new on here or just Brad being reminiscent?