awesome compilation! looking forward to see more stuff like that... there are enough other songs from all other albums to remix! thx for that LPA
Thank-you, Joe, for making the post. Thank-you to all the LPA staff members, really, for the support that you guys have given. Surprise! My rmx of "I'll Be Gone" was a Monthly Mix-Up entry in October of last year, so you might have already heard it.
Hey! Minuteforce first contacted me about the project roughly one month ago and started gathering all the remixers together. So, from the remixers first being contacted, to the final mastered release being uploaded was approx. one month's work. And I can tell you, the guys and girls all worked hard!
I make a little review. I discovered a lot of the process and with being a part i hope i can judge it in a good way. And i want to say sorry for the bad english, i mess up with big texts. 1.) Tinfoil by Confetti Parade I could listen to it the WHOLE time. It's the perfect intro for this compilation. The way how the beat comes in, and still having those ambient sounds. Just perfect, i really really like it. Damn good job. Amazing intro. 2.) Lies Greed Misery by DirtyBlup I love the way how... unique this track is. The quiet way and then those hard drums. Damn, thats awesome. Then suddenly those strings / pads came in, i was blown away. That piano! LISTEN TO THAT PIANO! I swear, this is a masterpiece. 3.) Castle of Glass by Xefuzion I think i don't need to say anything, don't i? What the fuck happened here. This is paradise! The intro / first part could be easily in a movie. And the after that - That build up! I freak out. Fast drums, cool electronic fills. Everything! I love it so much. FOR MY PERSONAL TASTE it is the best Castle of Glass remix i have heard. 4.) Lost in the Echo by Decay Seriously, this is a clever way to use the stems of this track. The drums are used in a so unique way. I love those short breaks. They really make the special but effective thing on this track. The chorus - awesome. Good job! 5.) Victimized by m_macdonald So, basically we know that track BUT doesnt change the fact that its FUCKING awesome. We all love it, we all jam to it. Those sounds are so sweet, i would eat it if i could. So, very very well done! 6.) Until It Breaks by me Pf - what do i need to say, sounds good, doesnt it? 7.) Roads Untraveled by Confetti Parade & Shurpi and a breeze of Simple Automaton This is a very awesome mix in my opinion. It has a LOATR feeling with some fresh beats. The atmosphere on this track is very strong and i could listen to it all day. That doesnt happen very often to me but that one is so amazing. Well done! 8.) In my Remains by Simple Automaton So, i observed Simple Automaton since he started music. He improved a lot and i really think the remix has something special i really like. I think its because those glitchy sounds or the way he made it... retro? I cant really tell it. I just like it a lot. 9.) Skin to Bone by Shurpi So, the whole remix compilation group agrees with me i think. This one is special. I definitely can tell that was hard work and it turned out GREAT! I love this! Especially those wobbles :3 DONT JUDGE ME - i just love wobbles. Melody is very awesome too! 10.) Burn it Down by Lizzi Cloverman FINALLY... Finally a remix I LIKE! I waited for so long and finally i have it. This one has an ambient sound and still those riffs fit in. It just needed to be awesome. And i am so glad that someone did something non-house/trance/electronical thing. The melancholic sound is perfect! 11.) I'll be gone by minuteforce So, basically we know that track BUT doesnt change the fact that its FUCKING aweso.... Wait, stop with those copy paste skills. Yes, we know that track and its awesome. The flanger effect is the thing what makes it perfect. The brightness of the song gets me everytime. And when those plucks come in - my body is ready. Good job! Amazing, seriously 12.) Powerless by Glen Orpheus I told him already this track is awesome. The beat surprises me everytime, and the flow with the piano is astonishing. I love that work, seriously. And i could repeat it everytime. I actually dont like edits on vocals like that one, but here it fits so perfectly that i just need to love it. Nicely done! BONUS TRACKS - Tinfoil by Glen Orpheus WHAT?! I swear... this cant be real, i really love this version! Piano, harp, this and that, fuck, this whole track is awesome. THEN BEAT?! Slap me, it must be a dream. That electronical transform drums i dont know, they are too amazing! - In my Remains by zwieR.Z. I knew that track already, but some of you dont know that one. I can tell its a real good version of a piano version by In my remains. Lovely done and you can press the repeat button few times without getting bored. I hope you enjoy that one. I hope that review was kind of... okay? Anyways, i am bad at this, just enjoy the album! Thank you guys!
So after listening to the whole album I can finally say what I thought from the beginning: LIVING THINGS has been A Thousand Suns-ified. Wonderful work guys, superb audio quality, sick remixes each and every one of them. I'll edit this post in a while to do a track-by-track review. This album is EPIC, and it was made by Linkin Park fans! REVIEW 01. Tinfoil (Confetti Parade Remix) When I heard it for the first time, I didn't think much of TINFOIL, it's almost nothing like it, but at the end, it's a huge plus when a remix track doesn't look like the original, that's the whole point. Great intro for the album. 02. Lies Greed Misery (DirtyBlup Remix) This one was very diverse, has a really cool build-up. First with a delicate piano, then comes the beat and the song adquires that "atmospheric" feel to it, it has a nice groove. Then towards the end twists into that quick-paced chorus, you just bop your head to it. 03. Castle Of Glass (Xefuzion Remix) This remix is insane, it's like Linkin Park meets Jesper Kyd. When I listen to the beats and powerful-cinematic drums from the beginning all I can think of is Assassin's Creed (maybe I've been playing too much, lol). If you want to win me over in a track, you gotta have epic percussion, and this remix has just that. Love the synth as well. 04. Lost In The Echo (Decay Remix) Mellow, cinematic intro that evolved into a thunderous synth and beat, which portrays Linkin Park's no-guitar heaviness to perfection. Sweet verses with more prominence to the backing "ooh" vocals. The song has the same lyrical structure but the music completely transforms it into something else without losing the essence to the song. Excellent work. 05. Victimized (m_macdonald Remix) It's Mike, there's nothing more to be said. Lol jk. I am familiar to this song, he transformed the visceral-but-short LIVING THINGS song into 4 minutes of massive swag (Lol haha). You almost want to dance to this song, especially on the hook "they're acting like they want a riot..". This song changed the role each lyrical part plays in the original, and it works rather well. 06. Until It Breaks (CΔsper White Remix) This one just pours awesomeness, from the Joe Hahn samples to the Catalyst stems, this track just punches you in the face swiftly. The beat on the 1st verse and outro looks like it comes from a Fast and Furious score soundtrack or something, the piano also blends really well with the verses. From the Brad part onwards just prepare yourself from some epic shit. 07. Roads Untraveled (Confetti Parade x Shurpi Remix) This is like the "break" from all the groove and heavy stuff from the first half of the album. Mellow, ambient track but with still with awesome beat, it's a powerful electronic ballad that fits very well within the album, which has been very consistent so far. Soulful. 08. In My Remains (Simple Automaton Remix) When I listened to the intro I inmediately went "Woah, 8 bit vibe!", and someone actually pointed that out here! (said it was like 'retro'). It feels like the soundtrack from a SNES video game. The synth of this song reminds me of 'Jornada Del Muerto', and that's a really GOOD thing to say, since Jornada is a kick ass interlude from ATS. I LOVE the beat of the last chorus, it's a pattern that people here use a lot in Latin music, but most prominently -and unfortunately- in a genre called Reggaeton, which I happen to despise, but in other genres it sounds really awesome. 09. Skin To Bone (Shurpi Remix) This one has an awesome synth, reminds me of a videogame once again (probably Ninja Gaiden from NES, WTH is wrong with me? ). What I like the most is the fact that the instrumental is entirely new, doesn't seem to use stems of the original that are evident or obvious, like on many other tracks from this compilation. 10. Burn It Down (Lizzi Cloverman Remix) Wow. I've been very vocal about Lizzi's remixes since I first heard her works and with good reason. I think she had one of the toughest songs off LIVING THINGS to work with, simply because we were poured with BID remixes since the album was released and unfortunately, none of the DJ's made true justice to it. Miss Liz(zi) over here just kicked the shit out of all them. I love how Chester in the chorus doesn't "break down" (no pun intended ) that long "Dooown" but instead sustains the note, that alone puts a totally different vibe into the chorus. It doesn't have an ambitious drum beat but the atmospheric sound just makes up for it, very ATS-ey. I've only heard the album in speakers, but this must sound amazing with headphones. 11. I'll Be Gone (minuteforce Remix) If you know minute, then when you listen to this you know it's him. Soulful, atmospheric, he turned the song that many pro-ATS fans consider "generic" into something more progressive and experimental. It's incredible how you can take the exact same vocals and make them work in an environment that's so far from the original. It fits, it's minimalistic, yet precise, everything falls into place. Great work. 12. Powerless (Glen Orpheus Remix) Ending of the album. I close my eyes listening to this and somehow picture myself at a beach near the palms in a bright night, warm with the light of a fire (notice the level of detail, lol). I don't know why, it feels caribbean, maybe it's the percussion. This is exactly the same effect that A Thousand Suns can do, it takes you somewhere else, but this time that place isn't apocalyptical, but very relaxing. Totally different from the original. BONUS TRACKS 01. Tinfoil (Glen Orpheus Remix) This TINFOIL is a bit closer to the original than the album opener, simply because it uses the main piano track, so you can relate the two. This one I think could also serve as an album closer. Can you imagine? Open and close with TINFOIL. This one has an Industrial vibe to it and I love industrial (well, not really, I just listen to one band or two, but the style is great still) 02. In My Remains (zwieR.Z. Remix) This is like an unplugged version of IMR, and like minutes' remix, it's impressive how the vocals still work so well over a totally different instrumental. I think I can hear strings on it, I don't know but whatever that layer is during the chorus, it's amazing. This remix made me think IN MY REMAINS should be re-recorded with a full orchestra, it would be KILLER. In case that doesn't ever happen, I still got this. Excellent work. ---------------------------------- I am amazed at the level of creativity poured by this. And I am not over complimenting or ass kissing, it's just THAT GOOD. There are concepts within this compilation that you never thought could work, and they just fit perfectly. Every remixer put their own personality and vibe to it, some got to maintain the essence of the original with a new spin, and others just went through a totally different path. Thanks guys for taking the time on making such a great body of work, the quality of this is impressive, huge props to Mike on the mastering. And of course, thanks to Linkin Park for creating LIVING THINGS, and giving these talented guys the opportunity to put their hands on clean sources of the album with the accapellas and instrumentals. The band knows how much fans love to do this sort of stuff and I can bet it was really appreciated that those tracks were made available.
Damn this was great! Favorites: LGM, UIB, RU, IBG, and Powerless. RU and Powerless are incredible, just perfect. In a way, better than the originals.
I'm so happy that this album is being received well, and thank you Filip, that comment brought a lump to my throat.
Seriously, I've listened to your remix the most. You just got the vibe right. How simple the drums seem, how addicting that whistle (I don't know what to call it... ) is, and especially how you ''altered'' the way Chester sings it. I love how you didn't insist on adding the more agressive vocals that are on the end of the original. Anyway, keep it up, 'cause this is really great.
wow, that came totally out of left field thanks to all the contributors for this amazing Compilation. I`ve given it a couple of spins now and kinda am rediscovering Living Things. That`s new And I have to agree with Andreina: LT got "A Thousand Suns ified". That puts it best. Thanks to LPA for hosting this and making it available to us. If only i knew how to do remixes Big Thumbs Up!