Hybrid Theory 6-Track Demo

Hybrid Theory
Demo by Hybrid Theory
Recorded:	2000
Length:	20:26
Label:	Warner Bros. Records
Linkin Park demos chronology Hybrid Theory 8-Track Demo Hybrid Theory 6-Track Demo Linkin Park - Demos From 02-2000

Hybrid Theory 6-Track Demo or simply 6-Track Demo (as known by fans) is one of many CDs compiled by Warner Bros. Records to promote Linkin Park (Hybrid Theory at the time) before the release of their debut album. The CD contains demo versions of songs from the album.

Background

A copy of the CD dating from May 8, 2000 was obtained by community member Ginger and made available for free download by fan site LPAssociation on September 15, 2012. A second version of the CD dating from April 25, 2000 was discovered by fan site LPCatalog in December 2016. Both versions had the name "Hybrid Theory" printed both on the cover and on the CD, indicating they might have been made before the name change to Linkin Park.

The May 8 version has a note indicating that Chris Williams from 99X (a radio station in Atlanta, Georgia) picked "Plaster" for his Rate-a-Record program, where he played new alternative rock tracks and asked his audience to call in and choose their favorite one.

Writing and Recording

The band entered NRG Recording Studios with producer Don Gilmore on March 7, 2000 and the recording process for Hybrid Theory was scheduled for a month and a half. In the first week of March, Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson went to Jeff's office with a two track demo of new tracks they were working on. The first song was "Plaster" without a bridge and the second song was a very rough beat and guitar demo of "Papercut."

"Plaster" was written after Hybrid Theory started working with producer Don Gilmore and was partially inspired by him. He was quite intense with the band, making them rewrite many songs over and over again, so the lyrics were written as a way to vent their frustration.

"Papercut" was a song that came together relatively quickly. Incorporating elements of hip-hop, jungle and drum & bass in a organic way, it became one of the band's favorite songs.

"Crawling" is different to its counterpart on the 8-track demo CD, with Mike's raps and whispers being absent throughout the whole song, making it the earliest known version of the song without the rap bridge. This is also the first known demo with the lyrics "Fear is how I fall" in the chorus. The band decided to use that line after Don Gilmore misheard "​Fear is powerful".

The version of "Points Of Authority" on this CD already has a similar structure to the final version of the song, but it contains alternate rap lyrics. This exact same version would be later released for free download on Hybrid Theory's official website and included in the Forgotten Demos disc of Hybrid Theory (20th Anniversary Edition).

While looking for a producer for their debut album, the band met John King and Mike Simpson in September or October 1999. The song was originally intended for the Dust Brothers album (hence why it was named after the duo), but once Jeff Blue had Mike and Chester work out a full demo, he liked it so much that he started putting it on demo CDs immediately, and then got permission to include the song on Hybrid Theory.

"Untitled" is identical to the version found on previous demo CDs.

Composition

This CD offers some insight into where Hybrid Theory was as a band at this point, still in the process of finishing their debut album. It contains the earliest known versions of what would become "One Step Closer", "Papercut", and "With You" as well as new versions of songs found on previous demos.

Track Listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	Plaster		2:45
2	Papercut		3:09
3	Crawling		3:30
4	Points Of Authority		3:27
5	Dust Brothers		3:42
6	Untitled		3:50

Gallery

• 

  April 25, 2000

• 

  May 8, 2000

Trivia

• The band's biography from hybridtheory.com, written in 2000, reveals the band had plans to release a five song EP and tour in the US West Coast in May, but the EP never materialized and its potential content is unknown.