Radiohead’s Thom Yorke releases surprise solo album via BitTorrent

LONDON - Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke released a surprise solo album on the internet on Friday, selling it directly to fans online through file-sharing technology BitTorrent.

 

"I am trying something new, don't know how it will go. but here it is :)" Yorke wrote on Twitter, followed by a link to the webpage.

 

Yorke's first solo album since 2006, the work was released through BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer mechanism for sending large amounts of data over the internet, long associated with the pirating of films and music.

 

"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," said Yorke and his producer Nigel Godrich in a statement.

 

"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."

 

Four tracks could be downloaded for free, while an eight-track album "Tomorrow's Modern Boxes", was on sale for $6. Fans could also purchase a vinyl record version was for £30 (38.43 euros, $48.73) through a separate website.

 

The artist has pioneered new sales techniques in the past, releasing 2007 Radiohead album "In Rainbows" online, inviting fans to pay whatever they wanted, or download it for free.

 

The launch comes two weeks after rock band U2 released their album "Songs of Innocence" for free to over 500 million Apple iTunes users during the launch event of the new iPhone 6 phone. — Agence France-Presse