Category: Radiohead

At Ease scored some more information about Jonny and Thom’s upcoming performance at the Ether Festival, courtesey of the South Bank Festival Hall Magazine.
Right at the core of Ether are the collaborations between the London Sinfonietta, the UK’s prime contemporary chamber orchestra, and electronic musicians from the underbelly of pop. This time Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood is the main collaborator. Jonny has recently demonstrated his compositional chops by penning a soundtrack for the film Bodysong, which steers a path between romantic minimalism, free jazz and electronic soundscapes. Here he will present Smear, a piece originally composed for the Sinfonietta as part of last year’s Fuse festival in Leeds, along with new arrangements of Radiohead songs.
Middle Eastern music has had an enormous impact on Jonny, as is clear from the twisting harmonic structures of Radiohead; intriguingly he has also invited the Nazareth Orchestra, which is formed from Arab and Israeli musicians, to participate in the event. They will perform compositions associated with the singer Oum Kolthoum, who was known as the almost mythical voice of the Arab world of the 1930s and ’40s.
A key idea behind these collaborations with the Sinfonietta is the insertion into the programme of relevant classics from the 20th century classical repertoire. Past events have included works by Cage, Nancarrow, Stockhausen, Antheil and Ligeti, and the juxtaposition of genres has worked brilliantly, forging new alliances and drawing out the connections between the two worlds. The audience response to these innovations has been ecstatic, and this year’s collaboration has had to anticipate demand by occupying two nights. It will feature works by Messiaen, Ligeti and Penderecki, extending a line of thought right back to the heart of the last century. The Messiaen work will be a performance of a movement from his Quartet for the End Of Time, in an arrangement for six ondes martenots.”

In a move that should surprise pretty much nobody, the Poughkeepsie Journal says that promoters have scrapped plans for the two day/three night festival. Citing opposition from the locals (who objected to the “rampant drug and alcohol use” at a previous festival called Gathering of the Vibes), as well as the challenges of meeting the state permit guidelines, promoter Andrew Dreskin and the owner of the farm where the event was to take place have said they’d like to make it happen in 2006. Perhaps the locals will have moved by then?
Either way, better now than, you know, TWO DAYS BEFORE THE DAMN CONCERT.

Christopher O’Riley’s book of Radiohead piano transcriptions is due to ship on March 31. You can preorder it here for roughly $60. It’s 208 pages, and features artwork on nearly every page. Not 100% on what songs are transcribed, but we’ll let you know when we do.
(Thanks to Daniel.)

Lucy sends us in the press release…
ABBEY ROAD FILM FESTIVAL
Sat 19 March – Sun 3 April 2005
For the first time ever, Abbey Road Studios, legendary home of the Beatles recording sessions, opens to the public to present a two week season of films scored at Abbey Road.
Studio 1 – the world’s largest purpose built recording studio, will be transformed into a fully functioning cinema, screening a selection from amongst the over one hundred and fifty major feature films scored at Abbey Road during the last 25 years.
Studio 2 – Ticket holders will be able to visit the famed Studio 2 where some of the greatest rock and pop recordings of all time have been made, from The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and beyond. There will be a photographic exhibition which will contain treasures from the world of film and music.
Film goers will be allowed into Studio 2 one hour prior to the start of the film.
Tickets – Daytime £15 +bkg fee / Evening £20 +bkg fee
Full film programme www.abbeyroad.com
Tickets from www.ticketmaster.co.uk or +44 (0)870 606 3433
(Thanks to Lucy.)

The startlingly excellent recording of Radiohead’s Eurockeennes concert is being reaired on Showtime Next all this month. It’s an entire performance off the HTTT tour, and a wonderful 90 minutes to be using your VCR/TiVo/DVR/recording device of choice.
It’ll reair on February 11th, 14th, and 20th at multiple times throughout the day. Highly recommended.
(Thanks to Hines.)

The fine people at Pitchfork Media (who still can’t sell me on The Strokes, sorry guys) have gone a bit list-happy, and their latest is “The Top 100 Albums of 2000-2004”.
All three of Radiohead’s 90s albums made the cut, with HTTT at 39, Amnesiac at 21, and Kid A at a well-deserved #1.
The day when Radiohead news is about things that Radiohead actually does will be a great day indeed- but not for a bit.
(Thanks to Alex.)