Thom Yorke surprise-released a new album exclusively through Bittorrent. ‘A Brain in a Bottle’ is the first track on the album ‘Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes’. It’s offered as a free download via Bittorrent here: https://bundles.bittorrent.com/bundles/tomorrowsmodernboxes

Further explained via this statement released by Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich:

As an experiment we are using a new version of BitTorrent to distribute a new Thom Yorke record.

The new Torrent files have a pay gate to access a bundle of files..

The files can be anything, but in this case is an ‘album’.

It’s an experiment to see if the mechanics of the system are something that the general public can get its head around …

If it works well it could be an effective way of handing some control of internet commerce back to people who are creating the work.

Enabling those people who make either music, video or any other kind of digital content to sell it themselves.

Bypassing the self elected gate-keepers.

If it works anyone can do this exactly as we have done.

The torrent mechanism does not require any server uploading or hosting costs or ‘cloud’ malarkey.

It’s a self-contained embeddable shop front…

The network not only carries the traffic, it also hosts the file. The file is in the network.

Oh yes and it’s called

Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes.

Thom Yorke & Nigel Godrich

I downloaded the free single. ‘Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes.”

It starts weird, then a typically Radiohead beat comes in. Then the synth almost comes in slightly dubsteppy. Thom’s trademark voice crooning. Layered. Breathy. Very cool.

Minimalist drums, minimalist everything really. Thom’s voice is in the forefront on the mixes. Embryonic almost. Spacey. The delay on the vocal also emblematic of the dub sound.

Electronic, glitchy, dancey, dub.

Kindof reminiscent in some ways of Amnesiac and Kid A. You could almost imagine Phil Selway playing this drum beat. It’s missing the sonic weirdness of Johnny Greenwood. Instead a focus on a smooth aesthetic.

Almost some of the same effects I’m hearing on certain EDM tracks I’m currently into. Gold Panda.

It goes on for a good while, I think almost paying service to the fans who’ll inevitable imbibe some form of substance (Or not) and just zone out to the vibe, meditate, write, or whatever it is they do.

The songs over, and the silence permeates. I’d much rather listen to this track again.

5/5

Consider buying the album. The teaser track is very promising. This is grade A Thom Yorke material. If you’re a fan, you’ll be a fan of this.