Music
This 5-Minute Video Explains Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’
Pitchfork’s ‘Liner Notes’ explores the background behind the seminal ’90s album.
OK Computer, Radiohead‘s third studio album, was one of the defining releases of the late ’90s. The band channeled pre-millennial angst with a dizzying array of sonic textures, utilizing acoustic stringed instruments and DJ Shadow-style beats to create a sound that departed dramatically from their first two LPs. This sonic shift birthed hits such as “Paranoid Android” and “Karma Police”, tracks that embodied the sound of a generation and made Radiohead one of the biggest rock groups in the world.
To celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary—yes, this makes us feel old—Pitchfork has released a fascinating “Liner Notes” video that deconstructs the album’s origins. Did you know that the album was recorded in a mansion’s empty ballrooms and stone stairwells, or that “Fitter Happier” was made using Macintosh’s SimpleText application? Dive into early Radiohead and watch the full video below. You can find more Liner Notes videos here.
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Read more: Watch a rare video of Radiohead in the recording studio
