The turn of the millennium was the time of terms like Glitch, Clicks & Cuts and Gefrickel, rockers listened to Autechre and Aphex Twin, and Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood praised the Berlin label Morr Music as groundbreaking. However, Radiohead would be the only band to achieve global success with the sound dubbed Indietronic: “Kid A” made it to number one on the “Billboard” charts in 2000, although guitars could only be heard 15 minutes into the album, in the fourth Song. It counts from the overwhelmed self in the uncontrolled internet sphere, the desire for order in one’s mental life (“Everything In Its Right Place”) and the desire to dissolve (“How To Disappear Completely”). The surprise about the electronic record by a rock band was so great that the phrase “to do a Kid A” quickly spread – applicable to any artist who breaks supposed boundaries.
“Amnesiac” was released eight months later, in May 2001, and enjoyed an eerie performance at the Berlin concert on September 11th. 9/11 severed connections between the twin albums. “Amnesiac” is not more successful, but it is braver. It sounds like a singles collection including experimental B-sides and remains connected to the terrorist attacks and the fear of a third world war. The cover features a crying Minotaur. Thom Yorke attacked his favorite enemies George W. Bush and Tony Blair in “You And Whose Army?”, the song describes a politics in which oil determines the so-called preventive wars – with the outbreak of the Third Gulf War in 2003, it received a place of honor in the concerts , in the encore block. The instrumental “Hunting Bears” sounds as meditative as it is disturbing, the guitar moves like a blade slowly cutting through the air. When Radiohead performed “Hunting Bears” as the second piece at their 9/11 gig, it was a showstopper that defied setlist rules – and precisely because of that reflected the madness that reigned in the world from then on.
“Amnesiac” cemented the “Kid A” concept, according to which Radiohead would only make rock music if no other studio idea sparked. It debuted at number 2 in the US, one behind “Kid A”, but sold even better than its predecessor. Dared, won. From then on, however, Radiohead had to be measured against this album.
Both records are among their best, but the double edition is a bit disappointing with few extras. For years, Radiohead flirted with an unreleased ten-minute version of “Treefingers,” but instead they now deliver twelve outtakes that offer little insight into their most exciting studio period. “Knives Out” is considered a prime example of their perfectionism; the band said there are a hundred versions of this Smiths homage. Not one of them can be found here. Instead, one-minute snippets with atmospheric sounds as well as the version of “Like Spinning Plates” that is no longer played backwards but plays correctly, turning the experiment into a tame piano ballad.
Only the isolated strings of “How To Disappear Completely” document the meticulousness with which Radiohead wanted to change. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood arranged the avant-garde classical music that made him a sought-after, later Oscar-nominated soundtrack composer. The biggest omission: a concert video. Radiohead recorded a lot and later put it on YouTube, their live attempts with loops are legendary – and Thom Yorke’s struggle with it is fun to watch.