Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood recently wrote a column for The Guardian in which he told readers the famed "Creep" and "Paranoid Android" rockers took a year off. During the hiatus, Greenwood changed his style a bit and started recording with the likes of the London Contemporary Orchestra and Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Seems to be a big leap from The King of Limbs, doesn't it?
As the column reads, the experience of performing alongside these ensembles has apparently forever changed Greenwood's attitude toward live performances.
He writes, "It's intended for concerts instead of recordings, which is a new way of thinking about music for me. It's led me to think differently about live music. And while I regret that there's an exclusivity to working like that, I don't regret the time spent hearing orchestras and small string groups up close."
It's been noted that Greenwood in the past has been a rather big proponent for the recording studio, but it seems as the guitarist surrounded himself with those holding similar tastes, he surprisingly ventured toward new directions. "Audiophile listeners start shedding dirtier favourites as soon as they start worrying about sound quality, replacing them with cleaner recordings and then cleaner music." Because of this, the musician's eyes completely opened up to the beauty of live music.
"Unlike recordings, it isn't identical to the previous performance or the next one. It can go slightly (or badly) wrong at any time. And all that is shared equally by everyone in the room."
Will the guitarist's new love for live performances change the recording of the next Radiohead album? We'll have to wait and see!
Check out Jonny Greenwood alongside the Australian Chamber Orchestra below. It's a rather wild watch!
