OK, computer: Radiohead create 3D underworld to herald Kid A Mnesia reissue

Billed as a physical celebration of the band's work, the virtual museum features artwork and music from Kid A and Amnesia and is available for free on PC, Mac and PlayStation5.

A physical celebration of the band’s work was turned into a one-of-a-kind virtual, fully explorable experience
A physical celebration of the band’s work was turned into a one-of-a-kind virtual, fully explorable experience

Ahead of their time as ever, Radiohead are heralding the release of Kid A Mnesia by venturing into the metaverse, with a virtual art museum created in partnership with Epic Games. 

Featuring artwork and music from Kid A and Amnesiac, the virtual project is billed as a "mutant re-engineering" of the two albums, released in 2000 and 2001, respectfully. 

Available for free on PC, Mac and PlayStation5, players can explore the digital show like a video game that is laden in recognisable motifs from the iconic albums. 

In a blog post signed by Thom Yorke and Radiohead's long-term artist-in-residence Stanley Donwood, they explain that their guiding principle visually was "no new work. Because there was loads of it already." 

The post details how Radiohead originally intended to build a physical exhibition in a central London location. 

After struggling to find a location, Covid came along and "delivered the final annihilation". "Our dream was dead. Until we realised... it would be way better if it didn't actually exist," explain Yorke and Donwood in the blog. 

Through the various lockdowns, they teamed up with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and Sean Evans, a video/computer artist who directed the project.

Theatre set designer Christine Jones and Game developers [namethemachine] and Arbitrarily Good Productions also collaborated on the project. 

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