" ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁In ▁the ▁release ' s ▁dawn , ▁the ▁du o ▁had ▁begun ▁recording ▁a ▁new ▁album , ▁and ▁the ▁track ▁had ▁proved ▁basis ▁for ▁the ▁band ' s ▁recording ▁of ▁the ▁album . ▁ ▁Rec ording ▁Work ▁for ▁the ▁album ▁began ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁initially ▁titled ▁Chem ical ▁Four . ▁The ▁album ▁expl ores ▁new ▁g ear ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Parker ▁M ID I ▁Fly ▁guitar . ▁When ▁asked ▁about ▁if ▁the ▁album ▁is ▁a ▁" back - to - ro ots " ▁album ▁following ▁their ▁change ▁in ▁style ▁for ▁S urr ender ▁three ▁years ▁previous , ▁Ed ▁Sim ons ▁said ▁" The ▁first ▁three ▁or ▁four ▁numbers ▁do ▁rem ind ▁me ▁of ▁those ▁days ▁when ▁we ▁were ▁so ▁excited ▁about ▁putting ▁together ▁little ▁gro ov es ▁and ▁be ats ▁– ▁that ▁whole ▁cut - up ▁era ▁of ▁hip - h op . ▁We ▁had ▁Grand ▁W izard ▁The odore ▁DJ ing ▁at ▁our ▁gig s ▁then . ▁Like ▁that ▁scratch ▁segment ▁in ▁' A frika ', ▁those ▁tiny ▁segments ▁where ▁it ▁sounds ▁like ▁a ▁DJ ▁cutting ▁in , ▁those ▁sorts ▁of ▁things ▁used ▁to ▁really ▁ex cite ▁us . ▁But ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁music ▁is ▁totally ▁removed ▁from ▁that . ▁' H o ops ' ▁is ▁totally ▁different ▁than ▁anything ▁we ▁– ▁or ▁anyone ▁– ▁have ▁ever ▁done ". ▁The ▁album ▁took ▁eigh teen ▁months ▁to ▁record . ▁ ▁In ▁making ▁the ▁album , ▁the ▁string