DJ: LINKIN PARK just stormed onto the scene with Hybrid Theory, and Reanimation, which was the remix of Hybrid Theory, they are hugely popular all over the world, they kinda started that whole Nu-Metal scene, and they are back, they have a new album out soon.

DJ (called Alex): Phoenix how are you man?

PHOENIX: We been doing great, we just about a month ago finished the record, and lately now we’ve just been learning how to play the songs.

DJ: So you have actually finished the record, I know that one of the people from Warner’s who was here in New Zealand came and played us a song, but wouldn’t let us keep it yet, (2nd DJ: he wouldn’t let us keep the CD we can't play it on the radio).

PHOENIX: (laughs) We can’t keep the CD ourselves. (DJ: You’re jokin!!!), Its under some serious security I guess.

DJ: Because I jumped online last night and looked on Kazaa and WinMX and couldn’t find anything, and I was like damn man, I would have thought someone would have leaked it by now, ya know?

PHOENIX: Right, well that’s ah what they’ve been trying to do I guess, I mean we’re excited about it and we cant wait to be able to go out and start playing at shows, and have people able to hear it, so it like we’ve been working on it, and ah, going through that process for the last 18 months, so we’ve almost felt like we’ve been sitting on it that long, and like, barely, just now people are being able to start hearing snippets of it, and parts of it, like you guys did, we cant wait until it's actually out and people can just kinda sit with it.

DJ: I believe you also made a documentary, a behind the scenes documentary called LPTV, of the making of the album, is that right?

PHOENIX: Yea, we’ve actually gotten to do a ton of different things, one of them being LPTV. Basically what we did, was during the 18 months we were working on Meteora, we’ve just kinda had a camera around, whether one of us was holding it, or you know one of our friends, that kinda thing. We’ve just caught a lot of the moments of the creative process. So what we did with that was we kinda added them together and just did the streaming video for the internet, called LPTV, and then in addition, with some special packaging stuff were doing with the record, we’re releasing, like a 40 minute DVD that just shows kinda the evolution of what happened over those 18 months making the record (DJ: Wicked man!!!) as well as some enhanced CD content.

DJ: You guys are always into raising the bar, I thought it was really amazing when Reanimation came out, a completely re-working of an album, and it was so fresh, and so cool and pushed that kinda Rock-Rap thingy even further.

PHOENIX: Thanks, yea, for us its fun, you know, its fun to challenge ourselves, to figure out new things, and keep our fans interested, and us interested, you know part of Reanimation was a lever of love for us, it was just something we were excited about doing, and we really wanted to work with a lot of these other people, and see what they could bring to these songs, and put a lot of energy into it and Mike and Joe, particularly, but it was all in the whole process of that, it was just great, and so much fun to do.

DJ: 8 million albums only in the US, is there any pressure with this new album?

PHOENIX: When we were making he record, I think the biggest pressure we has was just pressure we put on our selves to create another album that we’d be excited to tour for another year and a half, you know, that was the same challenge that was there with Hybrid Theory, although a little bit different in a way. When we stared working on Meteora, we really wanted to be able to have a record that, basically you could sit down with and at the end of that process, say we wouldn’t have done it any differently, and so that part of the reason we ended up taking 18 months was just to be able to have an end result that we thought was great and that will hopefully be timeless, it will kinda have that feel of, not permanent, but just something you can come back to at 3 years down the road and just listen to, and still kidna be hearing new things and just be excited about it.

DJ: So the new album, the title is, what from a monastery, a place overseas?

PHOENIX: Yea it (laughs), k heres the story behind it, its gonna sound deep and mythological but its not (2nd DJ: see I just thought it was just a large Meteora Pizza) (laughs) Basically Meteora is a rock formation thats like in the Greek Islands, and ontop of it is this monastery and its, I guess its been around like years and years and years, and is a place where people go to kind of get in touch with themselves again, a place to go just to be quiet you know get in touch with what's going on and that kinda stuff.

DJ: You guys have always lyrically, without a doubt, have always been concerned and very interested and very deep, and uplifting I think for people who listen, and a lot of very personal lyrics, tell me what the lyrics are like on this album, and I suppose, in todays world theres a lot going on, there's a lot to be concerned about.

PHOENIX: True, I think one of the most exciting things, about how Meteora turned out was a lot of the vocal and lyrics performances that came out on the record and basically, for us is exciting, you know me, Brad, Rob and Joe we pushed ourselves to write new music and find new way to be creative, for Mike and Chester you know hearing the music they kinda ended up doing the same thing, I think there is deffinitly, theres a common thread musically and lyrically that will run through Hybrid Theory and then into Meteora, that youll be able to tell it's Linkin Park, you know you’ll recognise similar scenes etc, but at the same time, I think Mike and Chester did a great job just pushing themselves to explore new areas, one example of that is the first single were releasing ‘Somewhere I Belong’, there's a hint of hope or of positivity in the chorus and it was something that just kinda came out and toward the end of the proccess of that song, our producer asked them if you guys realised this is the first time I've heard you guys singing about something, you know a little bit more hopeful, almost, a little bit more positive and it was something that just occurred naturally, and so for us, it just broadens the scope of what we were able to do before I think, and that’s the exciting part, dealing with the new territory musically and lyrically.

DJ: Hey man, I don’t suppose, its very cheeky of me to ask you, but seeing as the record company wont give us a copy of the song, I don’t suppose youd have a copy there that you could play down the phone for us can ya???

PHOENIX: (laughs) I don’t.

2nd DJ: Oohhh, can you give us like any kinda sneak preview into it, like a 10 second clip or anything???

PHOENIX: (Laughs) yea like sing my bass part, or something like that.

DJ: Yea yea, can you do that just do like a duum dumm dum do doo duum dum dumm bum bum bummm???

PHOENIX: I'll have to practice, i'll have to rehearse that and then give you guys a call back, when I feel that my vocal performance of my bass line is performance ready (DJ: you must do that man!), Ill give you a call back and sing some bass line parts.

DJ: You must do that on the bass, just walk around j ust going dummm dummm doo dumdum bummbum, (Phoenix Laughs) you must do, even I do, I don’t play bass.

PHOENIX: Everybody does, I think that’s a one thing we all have in common.

DJ: well we are very much looking forward to Meteora man, cant wait for it to come out and Hopefully we speak to you again, closer to the time. Any plans to come out to New Zealand this year please???

PHOENIX: Absolutely, Absolutely (DJ: Cool), we had a great time, last time we got out, hopefully we can stay a little longer this time, but the easiest way to keep in touch is the website, LinkinPark.com.

DJ: And you guys are updating that at the moment right?

PHOENIX: Yea, its completely, we’re redoing all for the release of the record and just adding some new stuff, but theres always touring information, I mean, ask any of the six of us what were doing tomorrow, and were usually not gonna be able to tell you, so like asking us 6 months in advance is completely usless (DJ: I know hat you mean man), so the easiest way for me, and for anyone else, is to go to the website and check it out, cause we do keep that information accurate and current as we have it.

DJ: Wells thanks Phoenix, wicked talking to you.

Phoenix: All right, thank you guys.