Radiohead - Idioteque - Amsterdam 8/28/06

ICE AGE COMING, ICE AGE COMING

"Idioteque" performed live at the Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, August 28, 2006. Synched with a better audio source.

"Idioteque" samples a four-chord progression from Paul Lansky's "mild und leise," one of the very first pieces of music created entirely by computer. When Lansky was composing electronic music in the 1970s, it required months of processing time on huge supercomputers just to "render" the final sound. The chord progression used by Radiohead was itself taken by Lansky from a leitmotif of the Wagner opera Tristan und Isolde.

Many people have interpreted the title "Idioteque" as a hybrid of "idiot" and "discothèque." Thom Yorke does not directly explain his lyrics, but "Idioteque" has been described by others as an "apocalyptic" song, with possible references to natural disaster, war and technological breakdown. Many interpret "Idioteque" as having something to do with climate change, an issue on which Yorke is outspoken and which he has admitted inspired subsequent songs, such as those on his 2006 solo album The Eraser. The song opens with the lines, "Who's in a bunker, who's in a bunker, women and children first." Yorke has not explained the reference, but has said other songs, such as 2003's "I Will" and "Sit Down. Stand Up." were about civilians killed in military conflict and genocide.

Yorke has shied away from describing his music as directly political, and sometimes denies any intended specific meaning to his work beyond what a listener hears in it. The "Idioteque" lyrics were said to be formed of cut up phrases drawn from a hat, a method that may have been inspired by the dada movement. The result is fragmented and frustrates listeners' attempts at interpretation, beyond pointing out general themes.


Thanks to ok4mymemory, MadMaster, and Relentless

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Radiohead
• Idioteque
• Amsterdam

[raffaelaarzt]

best song ever made

[10je10]

simply amazing! Radiohead is the best band in the universe!!!

thom yorke's moves make me want to dance like crazy!

[wmcguyer]

pioneers in "wanna-be" bands like coldplay and others copying their sound but will never top the best...

[Bobel775]

Dat je tijd hebt om dit te filmen. Ik zou helemaal uit mijn naad gaan!

[astyl120]

Great video quality.

This gig was the best birthday present i ever had

[OneManAndHisToaster]

\o/ ICE AGE COMING! ICE AGE COMING! \o/ This kicks ass! :D

[tfennimore]

@Ice9sFine

Oh, I hear that -- thanks for the explanation!

[Ice9sFine]

I don't think it's *the* Tristan chord. It's just four different inversions of an EbMaj7 voicing

[tfennimore]

Are the four chords played in the background supposed to be a Tristan chord progression? I don't hear how that's the Tristan chord. Am I missing something?

[Queryist]

so true ;)

[elisaadragna]

Thank you so much for the download!