A week after receiving a ransom request for $150,000, alternative-rock band Radiohead decided to go live with the 18 hours of stolen music that was never intended for public consumption.
On June 5, Consequence of Sound reported that 18 hours of Radiohead’s music was leaked online. The band announced on June 11 that it has officially released the leaked material through Bandcamp and is donating the proceeds to the climate activist group Extinction Rebellion.
Band member Jonny Greenwood tweeted that a hacker stole minidisk archives of the band’s OK Computer sessions.
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.
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. So for £18 you can find out if we should have paid that ransom.
Never intended for public consumption (though some clips did reach the cassette in the OK Computer reissue) it’s only tangentially interesting. And very, very long. Not a phone download. Rainy out, isn’t it though?
Jonny
“Hackers holding data hostage is a growing concern for businesses as hackers have found out that crime does pay and people are willing to pay to regain control of their own data," said Matan Or-El, CEO of Panorays. "In their efforts to stop the hacker’s booming business, the FBI and industry experts strongly recommend to never to pay the ransom.
"Radiohead has taken an additional route – a creative one – to defeat hackers. Their method levels the playing field by beating hackers in their own game and simply releasing their album to the public.”