'Dropped Frames, Vol 1' Review: Mike Shinoda's experimental album brings fans together in the ultimate collab
Mike Shinoda has released his new album, 'Dropped Frames, Vol 1', and fans are in love with his music all over again. The album dropped on Friday, July 10, via Shinoda's own Kenji Kobayashi Productions (ADA) which featured collaborations with several fans. For the first time in his career, the Linkin Park co-lead singer began creating music and art live on Twitch in front of and in collaboration with the multitude of his fans each day. The audience directly participated in the process, "turning what might've been a creative low point into a communal creative revitalization", as described by a statement.
Shinoda aired a daily 10 am PT live stream, in which he made music and shared visual art four days and one day per week respectively. Twelve of those tracks were then curated for the new album "that connects music, technology and community." "Dropped Frames is just as much about the live channel as it is about the album," Shinoda explains, adding, "The collection of songs is a highlight reel of the tracks I make on the channel, but a big part of the experience is the stream itself. When I start, I usually have very little idea of where it will go. What comes out is a product of the viewers' suggestions, my spur-of-the-moment ideas and whatever inexplicable magic is floating in between."
It's clear when hitting play on the album's first track 'Open Door', not only has Shinoda crafted his music down to fine art but he is a proven champion in experimental production. For the only track with vocals, he received hundreds of user-generated vocal submissions and ultimately incorporated seven into the final recording. Over an industrial-toned 4/4 bounce, Shinoda raps, "Yeah, they tell you that you should quit trying. You are too small, that you are too young. They tell you the chance is too slim. The world is too big, but you say, 'how come?' I'm ready to light a new fire. Raise a new flag, to cross a new sea and. If I'm ever the one in your way. Then put your head down and run right through me."
A special shout-out is certainly required for the fans who harmonized the song's stunning chorus. The following tracks showcase an epic mix of sounds and creative intuitiveness. 'Duckbot' gets an instrumental mesh of darkwave with snaps, clicks, metallic textures and more. In 'Cupcake Cake', we hear an old-school hip-hop beat carrying looped Indian vocal grooves and instruments.
'Doodle Buzz' gets a tremolo effect with instrumental layers probably best described as happy hip-hop Radiohead. 'Super Galaxtica' sounds like a 32-bit game score of a dystopian future. The entire mix of music is incredible and fans share a similar sentiment, calling it "Well crafted!"
"I think I'm going to need another quarantine," said a fan on Twitter, while another said: "Bravo Mike This is so Coool". Another fan wrote, "Congrats for the new album, you did a wonderful job like always, I'm so happy for you. We love you Master, God bless." "You are an actual legend. Thank you for mixing styles in such an extraordinary way," said another.