Last week, rumours surfaced in the Radiohead subreddit that a group of fans had come across 18 hours of rare recording material.
After Radiohead declined the group’s request for a ransom “upwards of $150,000”, the entire session was leaked online.
An 18-hour long goldmine of Radiohead’s 1997 OK Computer recording sessions has been leaked online.
In 2017, Radiohead rocked fans with their expanded 20th-anniversary reissue of the landmark OK Computer. The remastered album included three additional tracks and a collection of B-sides.
Fans were ecstatic then, but after the entire session was leaked this week, they have an additional 17 hours of bootleg content to relish in (after some ethical reflection).
The recording material leaked includes live soundcheck versions, unreleased songs, early studio versions, bedroom sessions, chatter, and unstructured jamming.
Highlights include early versions of Lift, Karma Police, Paranoid Android, and No Surprises. The recordings contain verbal direction from Thom Yorke and discussions about lyrical improvements as each song develops.
Reddit users have even set up a document to act as a key for the 18 minidisc sessions, with all recording details colour-coded and annotated.
Whether you’re keen to listen or to boycott the leak, it’s an unprecedented insight into the creation of one of the world’s most well-loved albums.
