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Jun 11, 2019

Radiohead posts hours of demos to thwart extortion attempt

Joe Uchill
Radiohead

Radiohead performs in New York. Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Radiohead released nearly-20 hours of "OK Computer"-era live tracks and demos as a download, rather than pay a hacker $150,000 not to do the same.

Why it matters: To fans, "OK Computer" was a landmark pivot to the band's later, more experimental work.

Details: The extortion scheme was announced on guitarist Jonny Greenwood's Twitter feed.

  • The download will be available on the band's Bandcamp page for the next 18 days for a fee of £18. Proceeds will go to the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion.
  • Greenwood describes the tracks as "only tangentially interesting. And very, very long."
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