Stanley Donwood, one of the chief creative minds behind all of Radiohead’s artwork, has penned a column for the NME outlining the impetus behind the release of The Universal Sigh last week.
On newspapers in general:
The newspaper thing began some months previously, in the summer. I’d left a newspaper on a bench in the sun, and when I returned to get it a few hours later it had already begun its inevitable decay; the paper had rippled slightly, the whiteness was yellowing, and it was feeling more brittle and delicate than it had before. I thought that this constituted a wonderful medium.
On the relationship between newspapers and The King Of Limbs:
The last packaging that I’d produced for a record was the hefty chunk of cardboard and paper that accompanied ‘In Rainbows’, but something of that kind was entirely inappropriate for this new record, which was very much more a state-of-play document.
After a lengthy concatenation of ideas, the usual meetings, conversations, work, doubt, worry and fear of the unknown, we had produced a large-format 36-page full colour newspaper which was to be presented, along with various other articles with the record ‘The King of Limbs’.
Emphasis mine. I know we’ve heard similar comments before but once again The King Of Limbs is being described by someone close to the band as “state-of-play” rather than the definitive document of what the band have been up to the last couple years. Thoughts, anyone?
Stanley has a lot more to say about the release of The Universal Sigh, so head on over to the NME to read all about it.
Stanley also recently updated his blog where he stated, “since I last posted anything here on this stupid blog much has occurred, some planned, some unexpected. We gave out the newspapers, so one secret is out.”
One secret? More to come perhaps? Let the inevitable over-analysis begin.
Radiohead news on this day..
- Grizzly Bear to tour with Radiohead – 2008
- Videotape lyrics? – 2006
- Colin and Thom’s NME interview – 2006
- Thom Yorke responds to NME interview – 2006
- Talk Show Host animation video – 2005
- Com Lag gets a 4/10 from Pitchfork – 2004
- What is mastering all about – 2003
- Radiohead documentary on BBC Worldservice – 2003
- Hail to the Thief also on Philadelphia radio – 2003
- Annoucement of the NY/Long Island Festival – 2003
