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Radiohead officially releases stolen OK Computer studio sessions to avoid ransom

Radiohead officially releases stolen OK Computer studio sessions to avoid ransom

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18 hours of the album’s studio sessions are now available to all

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Radiohead has released the 18 hours of OK Computer studio sessions that leaked last week, making the tracks officially available to fans who can now enjoy the deep, behind-the-scenes look at the making of the album while still supporting the band.

In an email posted to Twitter announcing the release, lead guitarist and keyboardist Jonny Greenwood elaborated on the situation: “We got hacked last week - someone stole Thom’s minidisk archive from around the time of OK Computer, and reportedly demanded $150,000 on threat of releasing it.”

Instead of caving to the demands, the band decided that it would officially release the 18 tracks for £18 on Bandcamp, with the proceeds going towards Extinction Rebellion, an environmental protest group. The session recordings will only be available for 18 days, though, so if you’re interested, you’ll probably want to download them soon.

Despite the announcement from the band, it’s not totally clear what exactly happened here. Was Thom Yorke’s computer hacked? Were physical MiniDiscs stolen and then uploaded? What’s the deal with the ransom, which Greenwood weirdly says was “reportedly” demanding $150,000, as if the band itself was unsure of what they were being shaken down for.

Plus, given that the tracks had already made their way online and been extensively catalogued by Redditors last week, both asking for a ransom or officially releasing the tracks was largely a moot point. Anyone who really wanted them already had them, and if Radiohead was concerned that they were making their way out into the world, that genie was already out of the bottle.

Still, if you’re a die-hard Radiohead fan who really, really likes OK Computer, there’s probably plenty in these 18 hours of recordings to keep you happy. And if nothing else, it’s a good reminder for everyone out there to always make sure that you keep your MiniDisc archives properly secured.