Artist

Radiohead

5: briefs
9:47: average
49 min: in total

On music.briefs5

A Moon Shaped Pool

Radiohead · 2016

A Moon Shaped Pool is Radiohead’s ninth studio album, released in 2016. It features Jonny Greenwood’s orchestral arrangements, includes older material such as 'True Love Waits', and incorporates strings and choral vocals by the London Contemporary Orchestra. The album was released digitally in May 2016 and physically in June via XL Recordings. Its sessions were affected by personal events including Nigel Godrich's father's death and Thom Yorke's separation from and later loss of his wife Rachel Owen, who died from cancer in 2016. The album was promoted with music videos for 'Daydreaming' and 'Burn the Witch' and received critical acclaim, appearing on year-end best-album lists and earning Grammy nominations including Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Song for 'Burn the Witch'. It became Radiohead's sixth UK number-one album and reached number three in the US. It was also nominated for the Mercury Prize, making Radiohead the most shortlisted act in Mercury history. The album was recorded at La Fabrique studio near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, after initial work began in September 2014. Radiohead had previously attempted to write a theme for the James Bond film Spectre, but both submissions were rejected and later released independently. The album's release marked a return to more emotionally resonant and less cynical lyrical themes compared to earlier works, conveying wonder and amazement rather than alienation or political anger. It was followed by extensive touring across Europe, Japan, and North and South America, featuring Clive Deamer on drums until 2018, and later Chris Vatalaro on the 2025 tour. The album's production involved long-standing collaborators Nigel Godrich (producer), Stanley Donwood (cover artist), and Paul Thomas Anderson (music video director).

10:43

In Rainbows

Radiohead · 2007

In Rainbows is Radiohead’s seventh studio album, self-released in 2007. It was recorded between March 2005 and June 2007 across four locations: their Oxfordshire studio, Halswell House, Tottenham House, and the Hospital Club in London. After initial unproductive sessions without Nigel Godrich and a failed collaboration with Spike Stent, the band re-enlisted Godrich in 2006. The lyrics are less political and more personal than previous albums, exploring mortality, embodiment, and transience. Production techniques include merging rhythm tracks, phasing guitars inspired by Steve Reich, and capturing white noise via full-scale string clusters. The album runs 45 minutes. Its release used a 'pay what you want' digital download model. It won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

9:00

Kid A

Radiohead · 2000

Kid A is Radiohead’s 2000 studio-as-instrument pivot: abstract lyrics, modular synths, ondes Martenot, jazz horns, and no guitar dominance. Recorded across Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire with Nigel Godrich and no deadline. It replaces rock grammar with texture, silence, and editing—making it essential for listeners who hear arrangement as meaning.

10:24

OK Computer

Radiohead · 1997

OK Computer is Radiohead’s third studio album, released in May 1997. Most of it was recorded in 1996–1997 at two locations: Canned Applause, a converted apple shed near Didcot, Oxfordshire, and St Catherine’s Court, a 15th-century mansion near Bath owned by Jane Seymour. The band abandoned Canned Applause due to its proximity to home and lack of basic facilities. At St Catherine’s Court, they recorded 80% of the album live, exploiting room acoustics—vocals for 'Exit Music (for a Film)' were captured on a stone staircase; 'Let Down' was tracked in a ballroom at 3 am. Strings were recorded separately at Abbey Road Studios in London. Production avoided artificial reverb and minimised overdubbing. Nigel Godrich co-produced. The album marks a departure from the guitar-centred introspection of The Bends, favouring atmospheric density, thematic abstraction, and collective, room-responsive experimentation. Lyrics shift from personal confession to fragmented, character-based narratives reflecting 'end-of-the-millennium blues'.

10:02

The Bends

Radiohead · 1994

The Bends is Radiohead’s second studio album, recorded in 1994 at RAK Studios and Abbey Road Studios, released March 1995. It marks a shift from the monolithic guitar textures of Pablo Honey toward collaborative, texturally deliberate arrangements—featuring defined guitar roles, strategic use of effects like the Boss DD-5, and a conscious embrace of restraint. Produced by John Leckie, engineered by Nigel Godrich, and visually realised by Stanley Donwood, it established the core team behind all subsequent Radiohead albums. Critics praised its songwriting and performances. It charted singles in the UK—including ‘Fake Plastic Trees’, ‘High and Dry’, ‘Just’, and ‘Street Spirit (Fade Out)’—but peaked only at