In Rainbows

In Rainbows
source
Name	In Rainbows
Type	studio
Artist	Radiohead
Released	2007
Recorded	2005–2007
Studio	Various (including Oxford, Bath, Los Angeles)
Length	42:39
Label	Self-released, XL Recordings
Producer	Nigel Godrich, Radiohead

In Rainbows is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. The album followed the global profiles of The Bends (album), OK Computer, Kid A, Amnesiac (album), Hail to the Thief and was produced during sessions associated with artists and engineers from Abbey Road Studios, Ridge Farm Studios, Ether Studios, and Ocean Way Recording. Its emergence intersected with digital distribution debates involving companies and figures such as Apple Inc., Steve Jobs, Amazon (company), Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and independent labels like XL Recordings and Domino Recording Company.

Background and recording

Radiohead recorded material for the album across multiple locations, collaborating with producer Nigel Godrich and drawing on previous relationships with members of the UK art rock and electronic scenes, including influences linked to Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Thom Yorke's solo work, and the experimental production techniques used by Jonny Greenwood in orchestral projects with BBC Concert Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra. Sessions involved engineers associated with Steve Albini's methods, and arrangements that referenced string players who had worked with Adele, Bjork, and David Bowie. The band rehearsed material during tours with promoters like Live Nation and at venues used by R.E.M. and U2 on international circuits, later refining tracks in studios owned by figures connected to Rick Rubin and Brian Eno. Tracking blended analogue consoles similar to those in Sun Studio and digital editing workflows used by producers on projects for Coldplay, Beck, and PJ Harvey.

Release and distribution

The band chose an unconventional release strategy that bypassed traditional label windows, engaging with digital platforms and public discourse involving RIAA, British Phonographic Industry, IFPI, and commentators from outlets like The Guardian, The New York Times, Rolling Stone (magazine), Pitchfork, and NME (magazine). Simultaneous negotiations involved managers and executives from EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and independent distributors such as XL Recordings. The album was offered through the band's website and examined in legal and economic analyses alongside case studies from Napster, BitTorrent, Berkman Klein Center, Oxford Internet Institute, Harvard Business School, and think tanks including IFPI and Creative Commons. Discussions referenced innovators in digital media distribution such as Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails, Amanda Palmer, and platforms run by Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Williams.

Music and lyrics

Musically the album fused elements associated with progressive rock pioneers like Pink Floyd, chamber textures evoking collaborations between Jonny Greenwood and the London Contemporary Orchestra, and rhythmic approaches recalling James Brown-influenced grooves heard in work by Stephen Morris and New Order. Lyrical themes align with Thom Yorke's previous motifs touched upon in solo releases referenced alongside Atoms for Peace and his soundtrack work for Suspiria. Songs employed harmonic ideas similar to compositions by Radiohead contemporaries such as Elbow, Interpol, The National, and production textures used by Flood and Gareth Jones. The record’s arrangement choices invoked strings and brass techniques used in sessions with Ennio Morricone, Jonny Greenwood's scoring peers, and ambient coloration reminiscent of Brian Eno and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Reception and legacy

Critical response from publications including The Guardian, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Observer, Slate, and The Atlantic framed the release within debates about artistic autonomy and digital markets analyzed by academics at Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, and Columbia University. The album won awards and nominations registered by institutions like the Mercury Prize, the Grammy Awards, and influenced artists across scenes encompassing indie rock, electronic music, and contemporary classical musicians such as Max Richter and Olafur Arnalds. Retrospectives in Pitchfork, BBC Music, and NME (magazine) positioned the record in Radiohead’s canon alongside landmark albums referenced by critics covering The Beatles, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Kraftwerk, and Miles Davis.

Commercial performance

Commercially the album prompted analysis by market researchers at IFPI, Nielsen SoundScan, Billboard, and chart authorities including Official Charts Company and resulted in chart placements comparable to releases by Coldplay, U2, Adele, Kanye West, and Beyoncé. Sales and streaming metrics were studied in economic reports by Harvard Business School, RAND Corporation, and OECD researchers, and discussed during panels at industry events hosted by SXSW, MIDEM, MusicBiz Conference, and IFPI conferences. The release model influenced distribution experiments by artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Beck, and Nirvana’s catalog reissues managed by Universal Music Group.

Artwork and packaging

Artwork for the album employed visual strategies that drew comparisons to sleeves from Peter Saville, Storm Thorgerson, Hipgnosis, and collaborators who worked with Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, and Radiohead’s earlier designs. Graphic elements evoked palette and typographic choices familiar from projects by Paul Smith, designers at Warp Records, and art directors associated with XL Recordings and Domino Recording Company. Packaging options and collector editions prompted commentary in design forums connected to D&AD, AIGA, Design Museum, and auction houses such as Sotheby's and Christie's when special editions entered secondary markets.

Category:2007 albums