Thom Yorke Talks Radiohead, Climate and Solo Project on BBC
In the gaps between the jazz, dubstep and hip-hop tracks Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke played as guest DJ on the BBC Radio 1’s Gilles Peterson show that aired yesterday, he talked about Radiohead, his solo venture and the environment. As Rolling Stone reported earlier this week, when Yorke was announced as a Coachella performer, his name was accompanied by “????” On the radio, Yorke confirmed that the cryptic listing in fact refers to the band — featuring bassist Flea and producer Nigel Godrich — that accompanied him during his solo concerts in Los Angeles in late 2009.
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“The Eraser band that I got together, we’re going to do something, hopefully in April, but I think that’s just more gigs,” Yorke said, not outright mentioning Coachella as the BBC show was taped prior to the festival’s announcement. “And then maybe that’ll lead somewhere, as well. There’s lots of stuff going on, but not enough coming out yet.” Yorke also reiterated Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien’s statement that the band will reenter the studio this month. “Radiohead is still doing stuff. In fact, we’re starting another session for a month in two days,” Yorke said. “My biggest trouble at the moment is trying to keep up, but I prefer it that way.”
Yorke, an environmental crusader who dislikes flying because of its carbon footprint, mentioned that the band explored the possibility of touring by train but it was ultimately unfeasible. Yorke was originally supposed to join Peterson in December but, as Rolling Stone reported, he instead made a surprise journey to the climate summit in Copenhagen. “Being there was incredibly frustrating. I’m not surprised that nothing got done, given the circumstances and the place and the history of these sort of negotiations,” Yorke said. “I hope it will be a wake-up call.”
As for Yorke’s DJ set, the Radiohead frontman played Clinic, Can, Dam-Funk, MF Doom, Blaqstarr & Diplo, jazz greats like Charles Mingus and Sun Ra and a bunch of dubstep tracks. His playlist and a replay of the two-hour set are available on the BBC’s site.
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