The Word's three months and five interviews with the band...
"After the unexpected online release of In Rainbows, Radiohead have relinquished the role of modern Pink Floyd and instead become some reincarnation of the KLF [...] This is alarming: Radiohead do not do fun. Except maybe they do. [...] "Thom's got really broad shoulders," says Colin. "When you see them go down, boxer-style, that means he's really enjoying it." Then he smiles. "You know, I really hate it when people say, 'I'd love to do a tour of tiny places, get back to our roots.' Big tours are luxurious! I love them!" [...]
Then Nigel Godrich, who had grown with Radiohead from engineer on The Bends to co-developer of their sonic imprimatur on OK Computer, became available again. "We realised afterwards that we were always waiting for Nigel," says Colin - "making plans for making plans with Nigel." [...] One thing Godrich did to unblock the band's thinking was to employ deliberately primitive recording techniques. This meant that, secretly, In Rainbows would be strongly influenced by the Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest and early '90s hip hop. [...]
What do people most often get wrong about Radiohead? Ed O'Brien: "I used to think that maybe people didn't know that there's actually a great sense of humour in the band. But maybe the webcasts and a few of the things we did last year show that we're not entirely super-serious all the time. You can't do what we do without humour." [...] Ed is often described as Radiohead's second guitarist, which is both an over- and an under-statement. [...] "I see myself as a bit of a sweeper – bit of rhythm, can play up front or in the hole. I'm not a Ronaldo or a Rooney: that's Thom and Jonny. But in my dreams I'm a Paul Scholes." [...]
On 2 June EMI Records will release The Best Of Radiohead. [...] "We're not really bothered about it," says Thom Yorke with a sigh that suggests quite the opposite. "If they spend a wodge of cash trying to get those songs heard again, then great, but our management tried to tell them that people don't really buy greatest hits any more. Only in Britain, nowhere else. iTunes has seen to that. You might not make your money back. And we haven't really had any hits, so what exactly is the purpose? [...]
Are Radiohead really just the most self-effacing band in the world? "No," says Jonny, "because when we've done something good we know it. We've got that middle-class work ethic that stops you being overtly impressed with yourself, but inside we know that something like Pyramid Song is a great recording and we're really proud." It helps, he thinks, that the members of the band don't feel individually responsible for its work. "It's as if Radiohead is an institution, or a company you work for, and people really like their product. We're just working for it.""
[Radiohead: The Escape Artists - The full interview @ The Word]
via [ateaseweb.com]
[radiohead.com] [radiohead.com/deadairspace] [youtube.com/radiohead]
"After the unexpected online release of In Rainbows, Radiohead have relinquished the role of modern Pink Floyd and instead become some reincarnation of the KLF [...] This is alarming: Radiohead do not do fun. Except maybe they do. [...] "Thom's got really broad shoulders," says Colin. "When you see them go down, boxer-style, that means he's really enjoying it." Then he smiles. "You know, I really hate it when people say, 'I'd love to do a tour of tiny places, get back to our roots.' Big tours are luxurious! I love them!" [...]
Then Nigel Godrich, who had grown with Radiohead from engineer on The Bends to co-developer of their sonic imprimatur on OK Computer, became available again. "We realised afterwards that we were always waiting for Nigel," says Colin - "making plans for making plans with Nigel." [...] One thing Godrich did to unblock the band's thinking was to employ deliberately primitive recording techniques. This meant that, secretly, In Rainbows would be strongly influenced by the Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest and early '90s hip hop. [...]
What do people most often get wrong about Radiohead? Ed O'Brien: "I used to think that maybe people didn't know that there's actually a great sense of humour in the band. But maybe the webcasts and a few of the things we did last year show that we're not entirely super-serious all the time. You can't do what we do without humour." [...] Ed is often described as Radiohead's second guitarist, which is both an over- and an under-statement. [...] "I see myself as a bit of a sweeper – bit of rhythm, can play up front or in the hole. I'm not a Ronaldo or a Rooney: that's Thom and Jonny. But in my dreams I'm a Paul Scholes." [...]
On 2 June EMI Records will release The Best Of Radiohead. [...] "We're not really bothered about it," says Thom Yorke with a sigh that suggests quite the opposite. "If they spend a wodge of cash trying to get those songs heard again, then great, but our management tried to tell them that people don't really buy greatest hits any more. Only in Britain, nowhere else. iTunes has seen to that. You might not make your money back. And we haven't really had any hits, so what exactly is the purpose? [...]
Are Radiohead really just the most self-effacing band in the world? "No," says Jonny, "because when we've done something good we know it. We've got that middle-class work ethic that stops you being overtly impressed with yourself, but inside we know that something like Pyramid Song is a great recording and we're really proud." It helps, he thinks, that the members of the band don't feel individually responsible for its work. "It's as if Radiohead is an institution, or a company you work for, and people really like their product. We're just working for it.""
[Radiohead: The Escape Artists - The full interview @ The Word]
via [ateaseweb.com]
[radiohead.com] [radiohead.com/deadairspace] [youtube.com/radiohead]
wasix - 11. Mai, 22:27 - [2008 Xtras]