Having teased fans with the promise of a number of live instrumental sets this summer, the Beastie Boys have also taken the organic approach on their forthcoming record, Mike D told NME.com this week.

Beastie Boys

The Mix Up, as the new album will be called, will feature loads of live instrumentation, a return to the sound the band showed off at its creative peak and on the instrumental comp, The In Sound from Way Out.

"We play instruments on the whole album, as opposed to sampling," Mike D told the magazine. "There's more rock on there," he said. "If you know us you can trace the influences, and they're not completely surprising. Someone who listens to us casually might think, 'What the hell are these guys doing?'"

"It might make you flip your wig right off, or your hairpiece, if you're a casual listener," he continued.

The legendary group is set to play several summer music festivals, including the Sasquatch Music Festival in Washington in late May, where they will also play an instrumental set. The Mix Up is slated for a late June release.

The band's schedule also includes a performance at the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium in London on July 7, alongside the likes of Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a reunited Spinal Tap.

"It has come to the point where drastic measures have to be taken now," Mike D said of the campaign to raise awareness of global warming. "To really create a mass consciousness of what needs to be done, mass action, it's gonna take mass awareness. And these huge concerts around the globe are probably one of the best means of doing so."