
Thom Yorke
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Hear Two New Songs By Radiohead's Thom Yorke
Radiohead's Thom Yorke debuted two new songs on BBC Radio 3's "Unclassified" show. The new original songs, “Don’t Fear the Light” and “Gawpers,” were commissioned by the Philarmonie de Paris, according to a post by Yorke, and performed as part of Yorke's "Minimalist Dream House" show in Paris earlier this month.
ladies and gentlemen, a live recording of the piano pieces i was recently commissioned to write by the Philarmonie de Paris for Katia & Marielle Labeque will be broadcast on Unclassified BBC R3 as part of ‘Minimalist Dream House’ this Sunday 28th April. https://t.co/VFcUuppEZm
— Thom Yorke (@thomyorke) April 25, 2019
You can hear the new Yorke tunes here. "Don't Fear the Light" comes on around the 27:30 mark and is a three-part work for two pianos, electronics and modular synthesizer at the request of sisters Katia and Marielle Labeque, who also perform the song with Yorke. In a special note written about the song, Yorke talked about collaborating with the French piano duo.
"The best part for me was watching the basics of what I'd written being brought to life by the [Labeque] sisters and their interpretation, making the notes their's," said Yorke, adding, "I can only take part responsibility for the results. It's been fascinating."
The other new song, the drone- and piano-based "Gawpers," can be heard starting around 47:20. While Yorke had performed this song on tour in the past, his "Minimal Dream House" performance, also featuring Katia and Marielle Labeque, stands as the first time the song is available in full.
Yorke recently composed music for the recent remake of Suspiria, considered his foray into classical composition. The Radiohead frontman has also promised a new solo album this year.