Linkin Park's Reanimation is one step closer to coming to life.
The album, consisting mainly of new versions of tracks from the group's
multiplatinum 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory, has gone through the
mastering stage, and a final track list has been settled upon, according to
the band's manager. The 20-track LP is due July 30.
Linkin Park are the prototypical rap-rock hybrid (in fact, the group was previously called Hybrid Theory), and Reanimation doesn't do anything
to change their stance on crossbreeding genres. While Hybrid Theory
employed looped beats, scratching and other DJ techniques, courtesy of
Joseph Hahn, Reanimation puts a heavier emphasis on the hip-hop, with
contributions from Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, the Roots' Black Thought,
Pharoahe Monch, and Dilated Peoples' Evidence and DJ Babu, among others.
That's not to say Linkin Park have dropped the rock completely, however
— Taproot's Stephen Richards, Deftones' Stephen Carpenter, Korn's
Jonathan Davis and Staind's Aaron Lewis see to that.
"There's a lot of strong hip-hop elements, but there's also rock elements
and there's also different electronic elements too," guitarist Brad Delson
explained. "Everything we do we want to try to make the whole thing as
seamless and cohesive as possible. ... Even with groups being as
experimental as they are today, people still try to categorize everything.
We want to just keep breaking down those walls with everything we do."
The band prefers to call the tracks that comprise Reanimation
reinterpretations rather than remixes (see "Move Over P. Diddy, Linkin Park Reinterpret The
Remix"), since it's not just the backbeat that gets a makeover.
Changed melodies, guest singers and even new lyrics to some songs combine to
give Linkin Park's tried and true tunes a new spin, not to mention an
innovative spelling.
The reworked "Crawling," re-titled "KRWLING," replaces the emotional roller
coaster of the original with a more straightforward trajectory.
"I usually like to make really dramatic songs [that are] dynamic from part
to part — a lot of jumping from really quiet to really loud," MC Mike
Shinoda said. "And this song is pretty much a five-minute build to a
crescendo and then it ends. It's really smooth. There's a lot of dark
soundscapes created by the samples and the strings together."
Staind's Lewis, judging by his own band's emotionally wrought songs, had no
problem relating to "Crawling"'s anguished theme. But when it came to
recording his vocal parts, which he did in the back of Linkin Park's tour
bus on last year's Family Values tour, the swiftness with which the tracking
was done surprised even Shinoda.
"It was ridiculously easy because he liked the vibe," Shinoda said. "His
voice is just amazing. Aaron came in and heard it and sat down and recorded
his vocals in probably a half-hour. He comes to our bus, records it and
leaves. I felt like it should have taken longer. I'm like, 'Aaron, come back
...' "
Another track, "1STP KLOSR" a retooled version of the group's breakthrough
single, was remixed by the Humble Brothers, a relatively unknown production
duo who have remixed tracks by Deftones ("My Own Summer [Shove It]"), Filter
("Best Things") and Static-X ("Black and White").
"[The Humble Brothers] are from Canada, and they're these amazing guys,"
Delson enthused. "We heard a remix they did of a Deftones song and we were
like, 'This is the sickest thing we've ever heard.' They're just one of
those groups people haven't found out about yet."
And as if the original version of "One Step Closer" wasn't disturbed enough,
bolstered with a new verse by Korn's Davis, "1STP KLOSR" has an even darker,
more morose vibe to it, Shinoda said.
Not all the songs on Reanimation will be familiar to fans who only
know Hybrid Theory. Those privy to last year's "Frat Party at the
Pankake Festival" home video will recognize "X-ECUTIONER STYLE," "MY <DSMBR"
and "H! VLTG3" (and original versions of the last two were B-sides on the
U.K. single for "One Step Closer").
Although there are no official singles to the album, per se,
"PTS.OF.ATHRTY," remixed by Orgy's Jay Gordon, and "H! VLTG3," featuring
Pharoahe Monch, will be the tracks radio programmers will be encouraged to
play.
Reanimation track list, according to Linkin Park's manager:
- "Opening"
- "PTS.OF.ATHRTY" Jay Gordon remix
- "ENTH E ND" Kutmasta Kurt remix f/ Motion Man
- "[CHALI]"
- "FRGT/10" Alchemist remix f/ Chali 2na
- "P5HNG ME A*WY" Mike Shinoda remix f/ Stephen Richards
- "PLC.4 MIE HAED" Amp Live remix f/ Zion
- "X-ECUTIONER STYLE" f/ Black Thought
- "H! VLTG3" Evidence remix f/ Pharoahe Monch and DJ Babu
- "[RIFF RAFF]"
- "WTH> YOU" Chairman Hahn remix f/ Aceyalone
- "NTRMSSION"
- "PPR:KUT" Cheapshot and Jubacca remix f/ Rasco and Planet Asia
- "RNW@Y" Backyard Bangers remix f/ Phoenix Orion
- "MY <DSMBR" Mickey Petralia remix f/ Kelli Ali
- "[STEF]"
- "BY_MYSLF" Josh Abraham and Mike Shinoda remix f/ Stephen Carpenter
- "KYUR4 TH ICH" Chairman Hahn remix
- "1STP KLOSR" Humble Brothers remix f/ Jonathan Davis
- "KRWLNG" Mike Shinoda remix f/ Aaron Lewis
—Joe D'Angelo, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway and Meridith Gottleib