Radiohead releases hacked recordings to benefit climate activists

June 11 (UPI) -- Radiohead responded to a hack of its recordings by releasing the music for the benefit of climate activists.

Guitarist Jonny Greenwood said on the group's website Tuesday that Radiohead shared the unreleased tracks from its OK Computer sessions after an unknown person hacked frontman Thom Yorke's MiniDisc archive.

"We got hacked last week - someone stole Thom's minidisk archive from around the time of OK Computer, and reportedly demanded $150,000 on threat of releasing it," Greenwood wrote.

"So instead of complaining - much - or ignoring it, we're releasing all 18 hours on Bandcamp in aid of Extinction Rebellion. Just for the next 18 days," he said.

The 18 hours of demos and outtakes were recorded between 1995 and 1998 as Radiohead worked on its 1997 album, OK Computer. The recordings are available on Bandcamp for £18, or $23.

Radiohead previously released a deluxe version of OK Computer featuring three unreleased songs and a cassette tape of select demos in 2017. Greenwood said the hacked demos and outtakes were "never intended for public consumption."

"It's only tangentially interesting. And very, very long," the musician said.

Yorke shared similar sentiments about the recordings in the Bandcamp description.

"It's not v interesting. There's a lot of it," the singer said. "As it's out there it may as well be out there until we all get bored and move on."

Extinction Rebellion thanked Radiohead for its "unprecedented support."

"The climate and ecological emergency demands courage, truth-telling and generosity like never before," the organization said.