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Archive: Thom Yorke

Sæglópur delayed (+advert music, ITV’s F1 title sequence)

8 July 2006 23:59

Categories: Current affairs, Entertainment, Formula 1, Music, Sport, Television

The new Sigur Rós EP, ‘Sæglópur’, has been delayed yet again. Which is a bit annoying.

It was originally meant to be coming out some time in spring, but was delayed because of the belated success of ‘Hoppípolla’, with the single having to be re-issued after it was used on trailers for ‘Planet Earth’ until everybody was well and truly sick of it and we were all practically held at gunpoint and made to buy the single until they promised to stop using it.

Now it has been delayed for a second time because of “a delay with the artwork”. This isn’t the first time this has happened to Sigur Rós. The thing is, because of this delay they have completely missed out on the opportunity to capitalise on the fact that the BBC have been using the A-side in every. single. trailer to do with Wimbledon. Ho-hum.

(At least there is still ‘The Eraser’ to look forward to on Monday…)

(Update: Seems as though the delay is affecting the USA only…)

Check out Leyton’s post on advert music.

I always feel quite chuffed when I recognise a piece of music in an advert, especially if it’s from somebody more obscure. Saab are, I think, using one of Aphex Twin’s tracks (”Shiney Metal Rods”, from Selected Ambient Works Vol 2)

He also talks about ITV’s Formula 1 theme tune. This current Moby one is rubbish — it sounds nothing like F1. Infact, ITV’s entire F1 title sequence this year is absolutely ridiculous. Snakes? Scary oriental women? David Coulthard in a tuxedo playing roulette? An owl?? What is it all about? And as for the stings at the break — an F1 car being dramatically launched from a giant helmet? What kind of drugs were they on?!

Previous efforts for ITV’s F1 theme tune from Jamiroquai and Apollo 440 just didn’t hit the mark. Personally, I was hoping that they would keep using that cool remix of ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ forever. That had the potential, in my view, to become as famous as the BBC’s use of Fleetwood Mac.

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The true star of Radiohead

5 July 2006 18:09

Categories: Entertainment, Film, Music, Radio

Thom Yorke’s new solo album is getting a lot of attention, which probably shouldn’t be surprising. I don’t know how good the album is. I haven’t heard it yet, because I’m waiting for its release on Monday.

But I want to know, why has Jonny Greenwood’s solo material never even received a fraction of the attention? His film soundtrack, ‘Bodysong’, is much better than Radiohead’s last album, ‘Hail to the Thief’, which was worryingly mediocre.

A lot of critics of Radiohead’s post-OK Computer direction mistakenly laid the blame squarely at Thom Yorke’s door. But Greenwood was surely every bit as instrumental in determining Radiohead’s more mature new sound.

On ‘Bodysong’, Jonny Greenwood sounds more than comfortable in the many musical directions he takes. The album is eclectic, but it’s all very cleverly held together. You can still hear a good interview about the making of the album here (you have to scroll down a bit). I can’t imagine ‘The Eraser’ quite achieving the same thing.

Greenwood’s work as a pseudo-classical composer (he is Radio 3′s ‘composer in residence’) is also brilliant. ‘Smear’, a piece for the Ondes Martenot, is simply brilliant. ‘Piano for Children’ was a slow burner — it reveals real beauty over repeated listens. Download them via your favourite highly legal method.

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