Climbing Up the Walls: A Look at Radiohead’s Digital Existence
For my “Web Evolution — History of the Web” assignment, I traveled back in time through the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine in order to examine the digital evolution of the world’s greatest digital music wizards, Radiohead. 2017 marks their 32nd anniversary since their formation in Abingdon, United Kingdom. The fearless and adventurous sound of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Colin Greenwood, and Phil Selway evolved with the explosion of our technological world. Early on, they proved to be something much more than any other rock band. The world saw them as music scientists experimenting with the fixtures of electronica and prog rock. Radiohead became a game changer in the light of rock music with the introduction of the digital sphere.
The release of Radiohead’s third studio album, Ok Computer, in 1997 is made up of “abstract lyrics, densely layered sound and eclectic range of influences [that] laid the groundwork for [their] later, more experimental work.” In that same year, the band became one of the first bands in the world to have an online website through a minimalist appearance (see below).
The Internet Archive’s earliest recording of Radiohead’s website history begins on September 24th, 2005, even though their website went live in 1997. The data during those eight years may have not been easily accessible for the people behind IA due to the complexity of the mechanics of the early Internet as well as the lack of tools to save website content during that time.
It appears that the band used their website as a sort of diary/blog, capturing their studio album process for In Rainbows. These entries truly fascinate me as they found a way to connect with fans in the digital world. Fans like I die for this kind of content from bands we love. It makes us feel closer to people with just a click away.
Fast forward to 2011, Radiohead releases their eighth studio album, The King of Limbs. “Songwriter Thom Yorke described the album as “an expression of wildness and mutation”. No singles were released from the album, but a viral meme circulated the digital world with the release of their music video for “Lotus Flower.”
The picture above is a screenshot of how Radiohead’s website looked like on February 18, 2011 — the release date of The King of Limbs. There is still a distinct minimalist feature to its structure and appearance, yet it displays the growth of our digital world. The band still features “diary entries” for their fans to read, and they have also included links to websites featuring their topics of interest. In my opinion, I believe this album echoes a level of optimism about the dangers human society is inducing on our beloved planet. Yorke gracefully voices his poetic justice about the ongoing crisis of our earth deteriorating as we carelessly move on with our personal lives. In truth, we do not think of others as we think of the goods and methods that will solely move us — the individual — to our visioned dream.
Radiohead’s sound is a work in progress, evolving as the world increasingly cries for help. Humans must go on and experience the world in full. Break free and see through set limitations. Do the Thom Yorke.
