CLIMATE ACTIVISTS TO BENEFIT FROM RADIOHEAD HACK

Radiohead have released online 18 stolen MiniDisc recordings in response to a demand from a hacker, selling them through Bandcamp to benefit climate activists Extinction Rebellion.

Guitarist Jonny Greenwood wrote on the band’s website: “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.”

The hacker who stole the 1.8 GB archive owned by Thom Yorke reportedly demanded $150,000 to return the recordings.

The sessions include demo versions of tracks on OK Computer, a full-band version of “True Love Waits,” which was later recorded for A Moon Shaped Pool, and unreleased songs.

Get it here.