https://www.spin.com/2020/01/radiohead-launch-public-library-online-archive-add-rarities-to-streaming-services/

Radiohead.com

NEWS \

Radiohead Launch “Public Library” Online Archive, Add Rarities to Streaming Services

Rob Arcand // January 20, 2020

CREDIT: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Radiohead have relaunched their website as a new public archive of their musical catalog. Radiohead.com has been rebranded as the Radiohead Public Library, and includes a vast collection of photos, music videos, out-of-print t-shirts, and other historical documentation for the band, with links to buy or stream each of their nine studio albums.

“The internet as a whole has never been a reliable resource for detailed or even accurate information re: Radiohead,” the band shared in a statement. “Many sites that attempted to provide some measure of service have long since gone dark as well. The overall effect has been ‘Radiohead’ search results that yield random and/or abbreviated shards: songs and album titles unaccompanied by detailed artwork or any additional context, low quality videos preceded by advertisements and shuffled via algorithms, and so on.”


As a corrective gesture, the band has brought nearly the entirety of their catalog to one place, which doesn’t contain ads and doesn’t use algorithms or obtrusive design gestures that could encourage myopic listening. Instead, fans are encouraged to create their own library cards, which grant them access to exclusive artwork, live footage, B-sides, HD TV performances, and more. For the library’s first week, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Philip Selway, and Colin Greenwood will be acting as resident librarians, sharing “office chart” playlists from their In Rainbows, King of Limbs, and A Moon Shape Pool recording sessions.

If that weren’t enough, the band has also made a few early rarities finally available on streaming platforms to celebrate the launch of their library effort. The drop includes the band’s 1992 debut EP, Drill, their 2011 King of Limbs remix EP TKOL RMX 8 (not to be confused with their King of Limbs remix album TKOL RMX 1234567), and their 2005 track “I Want None of This” for the war relief benefit compilation Help!: A Day in the Life.

See the library for yourself over at Radiohead.com and check out the new additions to their streaming catalog below.

I think I like Radiohead's approach to their music, their brand and their control of it in the digital space more than the actual music itself (which I also like).