Radiohead announced on Tuesday that it had released 18 hours of previously unheard material from the studio sessions for its landmark 1997 album, “OK Computer.” According to guitarist Jonny Greenwood, the English rock band decided to release the outtakes as a way to thwart ransom-demanding hackers. Greenwood wrote on the Radiohead Facebook page that someone had stolen a MiniDisc archive belonging to frontman Thom Yorke last week and demanded $150,000 while threatening to release the material. “MINIDISCS (HACKED),” as the digital album is called, costs 18 pounds and will benefit Extinction Rebellion, an environmental activist group. While Radiohead members insist in both the Bandcamp description and in Greenwood’s post that they might bore listeners — “Never intended for public consumption . You’ve hacked the hackers and did it with so much humility and humanity !”Greenwood was casual about the dramatic release.

Source: National Post June 12, 2019 15:22 UTC