Radiohead got hacked and previously unreleased material from the OK Computer era made its way online last week’s via a leak of 18 minidisc files. The group has responded to the leak by making the sessions available in their entirety on Bandcamp.
The 18 minidiscs will be available for £18. All proceeds will go to nonviolent protest group Extinction Rebellion, a socio-political movement which demonstrates against climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse.
While I’m always down for hearing gems from Radiohead, this isn’t exactly what I would’ve had in mind. But now that it’s out, let’s dig in.
Stream it below.
Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood says in the press release:
We got hacked last week – someone stole Thom’s minidisc archive from around the time of OK Computer, and reportedly demanded $150,000 on threat of releasing it.
So instead of complaining – much – or ignoring it, we’re releasing all 18 hours on bandcamp in aid of Extinction Rebellion. Just for the next 18 days. So for £18 you can find out if we should have paid that ransom.
Never intended for public consumption (though some clips did reach the cassette in the OK Computer reissue) it’s only tangentially interesting. And very, very long. Not a phone download. Rainy out, isn’t it though?
