Could there actually be a new Radiohead LP on the horizon? The ever-cryptic band gave fans reasons to believe at least something was coming when eagle-eyed enthusiasts spotted that all five members had formed a new limited liability partnership (LLP) this week. Per Pitchfork, the band—as well as Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner’s side project, The Smile—has frequently used this type of business entity to release albums and other projects outside of the standard record label model. In 2016, for example, they registered the now-defunct Dawn Chorus LLP, which went on to release that year’sA Moon Shaped Pool. The last LLP all five members registered together was 2021’s Spin With A Grin, six months before they announced their Kid A Mnesiareissue.
The band as a unit has been largely inactive since that release, with no clear direction regarding future performances or new work. Today, however, they showed an unexpected sign of life, although it came in the form of a throwback. Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of the band’s acclaimed sophomore album, The Bends. Even if you’re not a Radiohead-head, you’ve probably heard a few of its now-classic tracks like “High And Dry,” “Fake Plastic Trees,” and “Street Spirit (Fade Out).” If you are a die-hard, you can now experience them in a new way. Today, the band unearthed and uploaded a previously unseen “VHS tape” recording of Yorke performing an acoustic set of The Bends in Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern in 1995. It’s a pretty special video; Yorke has always been a captivating live performer, and it feels almost miraculous to re-experience these songs from a time when no one in the audience knew the lyrics enough to sing along.
Was this what the LLP was created to share? It feels a bit unlikely, considering previous entities led to major releases and the band just threw this one up on YouTube. If you’re in a speculative mood, the LLP was given the name RHEUK25. “RH” presumably stands for Radiohead while “UK25” could potentially allude to some kind of U.K. tour. The “E” is harder to pin down, or the whole thing could refer to something else entirely. Or nothing at all! It wouldn’t be a Radiohead update if it didn’t keep us guessing.
For now, check out Yorke’s full The Bends setbelow:
