Linkin Park

THE BAND "The biggest misconception about us is that we're just a rock band," describes Linkin Park's guitarist Brad Delson. "We think our music is a cross-section of many genres; a hybrid of what the six of us have grown up on." The title of the band's debut album and its original band name, Hybrid Theory, describes both the six-piece's artistic goals and its approach to making music. Linkin Park's sound, a melting pot of heavy alternative rock, hip-hop, and electronic flourishes, is utterly their own, an accomplishment strengthened by the band's remarkably powerful, organic songwriting. But almost everything about Linkin Park has been unforced, including their Southern California origins. Ask Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson for a wish-list of bands he'd like to tour with, and he's ready with a response. "We told our manager, 'Pick a band and we can tour with them.' Our music reaches out in so many directions that there's pretty much an unlimited amount of cool bands with which we could play..." Delson is understandably proud of the diversity and uniqueness apparent on the band's debut album, Hybrid Theory (the band's original name). Built on an aggressive hard rock foundation, flavored with hip-hop vocal stylings and electronic flourishes, Linkin Park's sound is utterly their own, an accomplishment strengthened by the band's remarkably powerful and unforced songwriting. But almost everything about Linkin Park has been unforced, including their Southern California origins. Delson and emcee/vocalist Mike Shinoda attended the same high school together, where Delson also met the band's drummer, Rob Bourdon. Shinoda then hooked up with DJ Joseph Hahn while studying painting at the Pasadena Art Center. The final piece in the puzzle was singer Chester Bennington, a transplanted Arizona native who started making records when he was sixteen. "Since I learned how to talk I've been telling everybody I was gonna grow up to be a singer," laughs Bennington. "When I was two, I used to run around singing Foreigner songs - there's tapes of me doing that." The combination of Bennington's rich, mammoth vocal style clicked immediately with Shinoda's streetwise emceeing. "I think one of Chester and Mike's goals is to be as integrated as possible," offers Delson. "We want our sound to come across so that people go, 'oh, that's Linkin Park,' not 'I heard this hip-hop part, and now they're hitting me over the head with this rock chorus.' We want everything to have dynamics, but also a continuous cohesive flavor, so that you know what band you're listening to." It was that cohesive style and instantly memorable songs that attracted immediate attention, starting with a publishing offer after the band's very first show at L.A.'s famed Whisky. After showcasing around town and eventually inking with Warner Bros., the band began work on their first album with producer Don Gilmore (Eve 6, Lit, Pearl Jam). "We met with a lot of people and had a very difficult time deciding," says Shinoda. "But Don, aside from making things sound good, stood out as someone who could really push us further as songwriters. The end result is an album that's as well-crafted and melodic as it is confrontational, with a strong lyrical message. "We try to push real things through in our lyrics; whether it's feeling insignificant or questioning your own thoughts or discovering the dark side of yourself." Weaving influences as diverse as Deftones, Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin, and The Roots into a single unified whole, Linkin Park and Hybrid Theory are living proof that a fresh combination of talent, an unwavering dedication to craft, and a pure artistic vision can result in a powerful musical statement. "I've wanted to do this my whole life, and I feel really blessed to be here," says Bennington. "A lot of hard work and dedication and faith can get you through anything and make it happen." VOCALS | Chester Bennington DRUMS | Rob Bourdon GUITAR | Brad Delson BASS | Phoenix Farrell DJ/SAMPLES | Joseph Hahn EMCEE/VOCALS | Mike Shinoda

The combination of Bennington's rich, mammoth vocal style with Shinoda's rapid-fire emceeing helps to define Linkin Park's sound. "I think one of Chester and Mike's goals is to be as integrated as possible," offers Phoenix. "Although the styles we're mixing can be very different, we want the combination to feel natural--that is a big part of our band's identity." Weaving influences as diverse as Deftones, Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin, and The Roots into a unified whole, Linkin Park "want everything to come together without feeling forced," explains Shinoda. "As part of the writing process, I record everyone directly into a computer to best integrate our digital and live elements. We spend countless hours mixing and matching parts until we get the right combinations and composition." The band immersed itself in the writing process until the spring of 2000, when they inked with Warner Bros. Records and immediately went into the studio. To help record their work, they enlisted producer Don Gilmore (Pearl Jam, Apex Theory, Sugar Ray). "We met with a lot of people and had a very difficult time choosing a producer," says Bennington. "But Don, aside from making things sound good, stood out as someone who could really push us to work harder as songwriters." The end result is an album that is as well-crafted and melodic as it is confrontational, with a strong lyrical message. "Chester and I write about universal emotions, whether it's feeling insignificant, optimistic, or frustrated," Shinoda describes. "We write about everyday life, because sometimes it's good to know there are other people going through the same things that you are." These lyrics, along with the diverse instrumentation in which they are embedded, result in a powerful musical statement: Linkin Park's debut album, Hybrid Theory.

ORIGINS The band saw its beginnings in emcee/vocalist Mike Shinoda's small bedroom studio, where he and Delson recorded the band's first material in 1996. The two had attended high school together, where they met the band's drummer, Rob Bourdon. Shinoda hooked up with DJ Joseph Hahn while studying illustration at Art Center College in Pasadena. Meanwhile, attending UCLA, Delson shared an apartment with bassist Phoenix, who left the band after college and returned a year later. The final piece of the puzzle was singer Chester Bennington, a transplanted Arizona native who started making records when he was 16. "When I was two, I used to run around singing Foreigner songs--there's tapes of me doing that...Since I learned how to talk I've been telling everybody I was gonna grow up to be a singer." laughs Bennington.