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The In Rainbows release
Raiohead’s release of In Rainbows was interesting as their record label contract had ended so no longer felt as though they had to produce records the label wanted but could produce something of their own.
EMI’s attempt to standardize
EMI had Radiohead on 6 album contract asking for a steady flow of albums. During negotiations EMI was purchased by Terra Firma who wanted to commercialize Radiohead more and wouldn’t agree to their terms. As a result of Terra Firma’sattempts Radiohead stopped negotiation and released their album on their own.
Authenticity
Radiohead are authentic in the fact that they know what their image is and make what they want to make but they do use group photos for the media and magazines. I do however think the group pictures do make them authentic as they’re not trying to be something they’re not but instead need something to put out to the public to show their image.
Attalian style
Radiohead’s innovative way of releasing their album In Rainbows through the use of a free-‐funding (the audience chooses the price they pay) represents hints of the final stage of Attlai’s ideas of music’s development; the composition stage. Where music is being made for the purpose of itself, for it generates its own worth. Radiohead’s idea of self image is almost thwarted by what Attali has to say about the modern musician: “Never before has that communication (music) been so deceiving”. This basically describes how the modern artist is creating a false image in a seemingly endless market of other images, Radiohead can never be genuine trendsetters as they still accept some form of payment for their creative outlet, they are still ultimately a commodity.
McLuhan’s favourite album
McLuhan’s ideas about the way technology forms the world we live in are reflective in Radiohead’s O K computer – with songs like Paranoid Android tackling the idea that modern technology has already integrated with the world and the fears it creates. Thom Yorke references the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy as it can be argued that he is speaking to God when he says “when I am king you will be first to be held up against the wall”. This describes the revolution against its creator; which in turn – is what he believes technology will do to the human race… scary stuff.With technology allowing humans to lead a more complacent life; especially with the rise of the information age, the song No surprises expresses the fears of modern life in that it can be suffocating (which is why in the video he is filling up with water but has no reaction to it). The invention of the internet and unlimited data has allowed us as a species to be consumed by what we created; this ideal of a perfect life with ”no surprises”.
Radiohead and Capitalism
Radiohead, being a highly political and outspoken group, have always gone against the pro-‐market, neo-‐liberalist, conservative views they were first born into in the late 1980’s. Opposition in this time to these views was considered fashionable under the alt-‐rock scene, and Radiohead have remained one of the most prominent groups to oppose these views, and have changed with it over the last 30 years.Radiohead’s opposition to capitalism is very much commonplace throughout most of their work, it can be seen in albums such as O.K Computer, and Hail The Thief and it’s artwork. Radiohead also used the Kid A Tour of 2000-‐2001 which was undergone without any corporate sponsorship as a statement against big business and capitalism.
Radiohead and Corporate / Creative Freedom
Radiohead first left EMI, the major record label they had been signed to since 1991, in early 2007, due to Terra Firma buying the company, and Radiohead stating that the new owner of EMI “didn’t understand the music industry”, and Ed O Brien stating that artists should not sign to labels, instead, try and release their music by themselves, guaranteeing more creative freedom and time to work on the projects they have in mind, and that artists should ALL get paid for their work, but we are up against the self-‐protecting interests of the industry.After leaving EMI, Radiohead released their 6th studio album, In Rainbows, putting a pay what you want price tag on the album, meaning fans could pay whatever they though the album was worth. Radiohead is now signed to XL Recordings since 2007, just before the release of In Rainbows.
Bibliography
• http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/thom-‐yorke-‐major-‐labels-‐are-‐a-‐sinking-‐ship-‐20100609• http://www.reuters.com/article/music-‐radiohead-‐dc/radiohead-‐frontman-‐takes-‐aim-‐at-‐emi-‐chief-‐idUSN0160443520080102• https://exclaim.ca/music/article/radiohead_explain_their_departure_from• http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1666973,00.html• https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1134-‐how-‐radiohead-‐became-‐for-‐a-‐time-‐the-‐worlds-‐biggest-‐political-‐band/
