Radiohead: 1010101010
October 10th 2007 by Flick in Opinions
Ten years after OK Computer shocked the world, Radiohead released In Rainbows on October 10 (10/10). Though no one was expecting the album to be released until 2008, Radiohead announced In Rainbows just ten days in advance. In Rainbows, which consists of ten letters, has ten tracks, and would be downloadable from a rumored ten servers.
In September, Radiohead began to send nine cryptic messages to their fans. One image was titled Xendless Xurbia, with hundreds of white arrows pointing up, each with a black arrow pointing down. Coincidentally, one of Radiohead’s new songs is called Down Is The New Up. Interestingly enough, X is the Roman Numeral for ten. The tenth cryptic message will be posted today, October 10.
Piecing things together, one message was translated as meaning:
YES
WE ARE
STILL
ALIVE
BLINK YOUR EYES
ONE FOR YES
TWO FOR NO
CODE
CODE
CODEXENDLESS
What is with the emphasis of ten? Consider that it is in reference to binary code, 1010101010. ‘Endless urbia’ being stuck in binary code. With all the changes going on around us in this world, we are caught in binary code.
As fans huddled around their terminals waiting for their email code to download In Rainbows, 12am came without a link to the album. But then at 7am fans received the email with a link to download In Rainbows, listening and chatting with their friends online about the songs.
Note: The working title for OK Computer was Zeros and Ones.
Radiohead - All I Need
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October 10th, 2007 at 4:09 am
[…] which consists of ten letters, has ten tracks, and would be downloadable for a rumored ten servers.read more | digg story | Permanent Link to This Post […]
October 10th, 2007 at 4:12 am
[…] which consists of ten letters, has ten tracks, and would be downloadable for a rumored ten servers.read more | digg story | Permanent Link to This Post […]
October 10th, 2007 at 5:56 am
Wow, this review was very cool. 10 Our new favourite number
October 10th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
shame on you for posting MP3s from this album. it’s pathetic because you’re only doing it for hype machine hits. radiohead has set up a social experiment of sorts, and what you’re doing is fucking with it.
seriously, not cool.
October 10th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Very interesting, sorta a psychosocial analysis of their fans.
October 10th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
hmmm they set up a social experiment of sorts…..??
jeeze too bad experiments dont allow for variables and unknowns….
October 10th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
the album is pretty rad
October 10th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
to: thom yorke’s crying children
Really if you think it is a social social experiemnt, then he has done nothing wrong at all by seting up a mirror. he is part of socity, thus that is what to be expected.
October 10th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
And In Rainbows recieves a 10 out of 10.
October 10th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Well being that the album is not requiring you pay for it. A fan of the music or someone who would like to sample it has the ability now to download the album.
At the same time now you’re giving them free publicity by distributing this album, which may lead to people actually wanting to buy the boxed set deal as well and maybe even a hard copy of the disc at a later date if it does get published.
Mainly for nostalgia purposes who knows. Radiohead fans will pay money regardless.
I personally am not going to divulge how much I paid for the album but I think there is no harm in sharing the music or providing a preview “a taste” of what you can expect to hear.
I plan on putting up a jukebox on my page as soon as I get the album for my visitors to check out and then I’ll throw up a link to the website so they can download the album too.
It’s the least I think as a fan that I can do for one of my favorite bands…
Try not to be such a retard and elitist fan buddy.
(directed towards : thom yorke’s crying children)
October 10th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
How in the world can you say OK Computer shocked the world 10 years ago? You mean because music fans who actually like the song Creep were hoping for more, but instead were presented with an hour of experimental rubbish? OK, then I agree.
Furthermore that track you posted is a perfect example of more such dreck from the same group. Nonetheless I vehemently support their efforts to rid the world of the horrid big-name labels, I just wish I actually liked their music.
October 10th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
great fucking album
October 10th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Also, on the www.inrainbows.com website, there are 10 pictures. If you go to http://www.inrainbows.com/Content/Picture01.jpg, then http://www.inrainbows.com/Content/Picture02.jpg and so on, you can retrieve each picture. I’m using each picture as cover art in iTunes and on my iPod, each picture corresponding to one track.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Spectacular Album, well worth the wait. Interesting, social experiment. I hope people are actually paying them for their music as I did. Name your own price, isn’t it essentially an extension of the honor system?
October 10th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
[…] read more | digg story […]
October 10th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
the numerical value of “rainbows” = 101. Nicely Done
October 10th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
I paid a pound XD
October 10th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
ajasscientist is right! All the letters add up to 101, the anagram of 10. Maybe Thom will tell us…
This is a great opus.
October 10th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
im sure considering we dont have to pay anything for the album “if we choose to” any way to listen to this album is just fine…and with the extreme traffic inrainbows.com is recieving…we might not be able to listen to this album for a few days…luckely ive found an online radiostation streaming the album…and attempting to get into inrainbows.com all day…with no luck…i hope the rumors of this album being released in stores as planned next year is still true
October 10th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Maybe a stretch:
The album is 43 minutes, 38 seconds long (or 2,558 seconds). 8+10, 5+5 = 1010
October 10th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Correction: 2558 seconds; 8+2, 5+5 = 1010
October 10th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
This might be nothing at all or it might be something significant. I really don’t know. However when I woke up this morning Xfm radio said that the email link to the download was going to be released at 10am, although as with most other people it seems I got the email a little after 7am. Was this disinformation spread to the official media by Radiohead themselves?
October 10th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Regarding the social experiment… if you honestly think this is fucking with the social experiment, you clearly have no idea how social experiments are run.
If you’re running a social experiment, what you’re looking for is how society reacts to something. If 10 people download the album and mirror it, and then the mirrors overtake the main site immediately, you’ve got your answer to your social experiment. That’s your result. That, quite obviously, is not what’s happening.
In science - a lack of an answer is still an answer. It’s research 101.
In s
There
October 10th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
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October 10th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Dearest fred:
You probably made that comment specifically to get a rise out of someone, but here it is anyways:
OK Computer = an hour of experimental drivel? YOu are a retard. A full blown, down syndrome/autistic/quadrapelegic retard. That is all.
-Professor CoolGuy
October 10th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Re: Fred’s Comment:
Suck. Suck thine teenage thumb. For though ye may be toilet trained, thou still art dumb.
October 10th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
[…] which consists of ten letters, has ten tracks, and would be downloadable for a rumored ten servers.read more | digg […]
October 10th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
cant stop listening must stop cant stop must stop keep playing over and over and over and over oh so good
October 10th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
[…] Radiohead: 1010101010 Ten years after OK Computer shocked the world, Radiohead is releasing In Rainbows on October 10 (10/10), announced 10-days before release. Incidentally, RAINBOWS is 10 letters long. (tags: culture music radiohead) […]
October 10th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
IR was originally rumored to be released at 10am
October 10th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
This is about to be my 10th listen of the album by now. Thumbs up 10 times!
I’m probably one of the happiest people about this new album and the 1010101010 miracle, as it is also my birthday today, 10.10! This is the best present ever! 10 hails to Radiohead and oh Nigel Godrich!!!
October 10th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
You can not expect anything short of genius from Radiohead.
Radiohead is doing their part to make the world a better place.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Ghandi
October 10th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
huntingbearz, i agree. feel the good vibes emanating from the beautiful ‘Reckoner’. Man, what a track, what a record.
I beat my best time in a hike today by 3 minutes; and I will tell you it was because I was concurrently absorbing this record’s deep soulful energy.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Yes, they’re capable of producing crap, but name a great band that isn’t. I’ll happily wade though that crap to get to the brilliance that is Radiohead. And yeah, I’m willing to pay for it — I already did.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:59 pm
[…] which consists of ten letters, has ten tracks, and would be downloadable for a rumored ten servers.read more | digg […]
October 11th, 2007 at 12:06 am
The number 10, eh? I’m rather partial to the number, myself, for my own reasons. It really is a nice, round number.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:19 am
[…] up: mp3-blogs. Through some fine links such as here and here, I came to know of the service of music blog aggregator “elbo.ws”. On their radiohead […]
October 11th, 2007 at 3:29 am
such a good album, a real mix of all their past albums. if only it was their 10th album
October 11th, 2007 at 7:49 am
Obviously they were hinting to Pitchfork what kind of grade they would like.
They really are irritating attention seekers - Thom Yorke is the Sting de nos jours…
October 11th, 2007 at 8:36 am
I have to echo the sentiment that In Rainbows gets a 10 out of 10. From me, at least.
October 11th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Fred:
Note that while OK Computer has reached numerous “Top 10 albums of its decade” lists, as far as I am aware Pablo Honey has reached none.
Not that it isn’t a brilliant album as well, but anyone can play guitar, as they say.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
This number 10 thing is interesting. Maybe they are leaving secret notes and what they really trying to tell us is that Thom has died 10 years ago during the OK computer tour, but they had to go on, so they replaced him with a look-alike and sound-alike. And ever since Jonny writes all the songs. I don’t know… but maybe.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Dearest Prof Cool Guy,
You are entirely correct. I didn’t start out that way, I am pretty sure it was my endless attempts to understand Radiohead’s appeal by listening to their music over and over. Nonetheless, I am happy to see they attract open-minded fans such as yourself who can take a little criticism and respond with wit and charity.
October 11th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
[…] Perhaps there is more to the digital, Wednesday release than meets the eye. On Tuesday an article appeared on Digg that analyzed the significance of the number ten and how it related to the band. Ten years after OK Computer shocked the world, Radiohead released In Rainbows on October 10 (10/10). Though no one was expecting the album to be released until 2008, Radiohead announced In Rainbows just ten days in advance. In Rainbows, which consists of ten letters, has ten tracks, and would be downloadable from a rumored ten servers. link […]
October 12th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Freds a Dipshit
October 13th, 2007 at 3:48 am
The working title for OK Computer was Zeroes and Ones, which is another link to binary.
October 13th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
TY has plenty to say about 10 downing street.. maybe a link there?
October 16th, 2007 at 10:55 am
[…] Maar waarom de nadruk op het getal tien? Eenvoudig: het getal tien verwijst naar de binaire code, zijnde 101010. Zodoende kan ‘(X)endless (X)urbia’ dus opgevat worden als gevangen zitten in een binaire code. Aldus de complottheoristen van Puddelgum 2.0. […]
October 16th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Please, Radiohead guys, came to Portugal!!! I need to see a concert…
October 16th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
i spoke to thom about this. he said the meaning behind all of this is right in front of our faces, we’re just overlooking it. 01010111001010101110101010001010100101000010
October 17th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1490911788&size=o
Radiohead gives back hope to the universe
October 18th, 2007 at 12:37 am
OH yes does anyone know what an OK Computer is
Computer were to make our lives better and yet only more problems have been created since. It goes way further then this but in a nut shell its a good enough explanation.
October 20th, 2007 at 12:58 am
[…] first addressed the Binary Theory in Radiohead: 1010101010. Someone associated with Thom Yorke contacted Puddlegum, sharing Thom’s reaction to […]
October 22nd, 2007 at 10:30 am
hey, I just googled 0101010101001010101010, which is the sequence of ok computer/in rainbows. This site came up: http://www.industriassafor.net/logo.swf does anyone have any idea?
October 23rd, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Jason: OH GOD I GOOGLED THE BINARY FOR “JASON” AND SOMETHING CAME UP IT MUST BE RELATED TO YOUR SECRET LIFE :OOOOO
October 23rd, 2007 at 5:17 pm
[…] of this is right in front of our faces, we’re just overlooking it. [Thom] has been expecting an article much like this one for a couple of years, as have I. But I’m willing to wager he’ll have fun […]
October 28th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
[…] read more | digg story […]
October 28th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
HOLY THEORIES
If I were a chromosome X would indicate my sex – if I were a voter X would express my preference – If I were a lover X would send you a kiss – If I were an alphabet X would be my 24th letter – If I studied Geometry X would be the first coordinate - If I were a treasure hunter or a detective in a crime scene X would mark the spot – If I were a film censor I’d give your dirty, violent movie an X Rating – If I were an assassin X would have you in my sites - If I were a radiographer, I’d see right through you with me X-Rays – If I were a mathematician X would be the first unknown quantity - If I were illiterate X would mark my signature – If I were a teacher X would be the mark I’d give you for being wrong…..
This kind of limited thinking is so typical of earthling conspiracy theorists, in that the majority of their theories can be blown apart by simply applying some common sense to their outlandish claims, which have usually arisen from their exceedingly narrow, oft ill informed person centered view of the world. And whilst you are all caught up in the likes of this and are too busy to take a ‘real’ look around, you all completely fail to see the momentous conspiracy going on all the time, right under your noses…..
Take the ridiculous amount of store that was set in the ‘spooky’ way that all of the remaining metal girders from the fallen Twin Towers, were of the same length, pointing towards ‘explosions’ on each floor. These idiots have clearly never been on a building site in their lives – did they think that girders were hundreds of feet long, or notwithstanding that, surely they would realise that when any kind of structure comes under pressure, it’s most likely to break at the joints….. Anyway, I’m sure you catch my drift, and concede that your binary ‘theory’ is full of 0000000 wholes, and will now perhaps go and visit a lonely old person and make their day, instead of wasting anymore time on this matter – who knows what goes on inside the radioheads of popstars…..
JunoXL5 (ps – and just in case you were wondering, my name doesn’t mean juno65 or juno11 – the juno is after a Roland synthesiser, and the XL5 comes from the name of an American motor oil in the 1960’s, which was taken by filmmaker Gerry Anderson, and used in the title of his brilliant 60’s TV space puppet show, Fireball XL5 – there’s always at least 10 sides to every story)
October 29th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
In Rainbows is one end of a spectrum and Ok Computer is the other end; where one ends, the other begins. One could look at this spetrum as being cyclical. In ‘Videotape’ the narrator is dead “at the pearly gates” while in ‘Airbag’ the narrator is “born again.” The lyrics on “15 Step” can be read in this light:
“How come I end up where I started
How come I end up where I went wrong
Won’t take my eyes off the ball again
You reel me out then you cut the string”
October 29th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
In Rainbows is one end of a spectrum and Ok Computer is the other end; where one ends, the other begins. One could look at this spectrum as being cyclical. In ‘Videotape’ the narrator is dead “at the pearly gates” while in ‘Airbag’ the narrator is “born again.” The lyrics on “15 Step” can be read in this light:
“How come I end up where I started
How come I end up where I went wrong”–many people say that Bends is better and they “went wrong” with OK computer. Cutting the string, may be a reference to not using guitars. The subject of Track E/F in IR seems like the same subject of Track E/F in OC, but with a opposite/polar perspective. For instance, ‘Climbing up the Walls” talks about how living with someone can make one hate each other; the song is very dark and gloomy and is looking at living with someone through a bleak perspective. On the other hand, ‘House of Cards’ is bright and cheerful and happy, and the narrator is looking at the brighter side, saying “forget about” our flimsy notions and assumptions about each other, which are as weak as a house of cards, and as Tom would say it “shag.” ‘Fitter Happier’ and Faust Arp seem to compliment each other in a similar fashion.
–When you go to download “In Rainbows” from Radiohead’s web site, you are seeing rainbows—the design of the web page– inside your computer, literally if you have an I-MAC.
–Maybe they are also pointing out the irony of finding rainbows or looking for rainbows in “Ok Computer.” The album is dark and bleak and depressing. It is somewhat apocalyptic and shows the dearth of human-ity or the draining of humanity, and the void being filled by digital and phantom zeros and ones. This is the scene discribed in OC, but what we see are rainbows; we see the greatest album; we see something incredible; we keep asking for more of it. More OK Computer, more like Ok Computer. But, this time we get something completely different. We actually get rainbows—happy and bright and iridescent music—for a, click ok to proceed, computer.
Just my impression of what has been talked about, nothing more. However, I do not believe that the songs are suppose to be listened to in the manner described: OC Track 1, IR Track 1, OC Track 2,….and so on. Even though one can see that they can transition into one another, the overall mood and feel of the songs are completely different. If RH wanted us to listen to these albums in this manner, then the moods of the songs would flow with each other, or the moods would work with each other. Because, one would listen to an OC song and it will be so dark and then IN sounds so much more pleasing. Unless, they flow like a wave undilulating up and down (I know, wave of light, light is made up of rainbows, blah, blah,). I sure that there is a relationship between these two albums, a conceptual, lyrical, and musical. But I just don’t see or hear it being the splicing of the tracks. It just doesn’t work. Imagine RH listening to this splicing of track album. I think we try to find the easiest relationships and the moving tracks around is an easy thing to do. It’s not a bad start because it does highlight the fact that there is definitely
October 30th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
OMG- GET A REAL HOBBIE
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:39 am
@ post #60
i like what you are saying…especially concerning the whole up and down, polar opposites. Light, which is composed of a spectrum [rainbow], travels in waves going from top to bottom in a cycle. computers which are programmed with binary go from 1 to 0 back to 1 in a cycle that looks like rubbish but makes sense, somewhat weak now that ive written it, but it made sense in me head. I know coincidences are ‘chosen’ to be seen, but what we have here is a highly intelligent group who takes their work rather seriously. Im not saying because of their education there MUST be a connection, but i would not completely dismiss the possibility of a connection between the two albums. i personally beleieve it is completely there
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:42 am
the question is what are we trying to find? im not so sure that a 22 song album is the treasure at the end of this rainbow…i dunno. but they were working on this album for quite a while, they mustve put much thought into completing this connection…the clues and hints are there. again, the question is, what are we looking for?
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:50 am
[…] http://puddlegum.net/radiohead-1010101010/ […]
November 18th, 2007 at 6:53 am
COOL…
November 20th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
101010, of course, being binary for 42.
November 21st, 2007 at 11:35 am
Well, obiv
November 21st, 2007 at 11:46 am
Well, this is the sort of thing for which Thomas Pynchon and his novels are famous.
And obviously someone in the band is a fan of Pynchon’s work. After all, W.A.S.T.E. is the postal service in The Crying of Lot 49. And Radiohead’s online merchandise ordering system.
Recently, at the ZeroOne digital arts festival the San Jose Semaphore art piece was unveiled. It was a code not unlike those mysterious semaphore like messages put out by Radiohead before the release of In Rainbows. When the code was cracked it was revealed that the message was the entire text of The Crying of Lot 49.
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/08/17/san-jose-semaphore-c.html
Wasn’t some of OK Computer influenced by a visit to Palo Alto?
Also, of course, Pynchon’s other great and most famous work is the novel Gravity’s Rainbow.
More food for thought. Food for worms.
November 24th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
[…] uma teoria levantada pelo blog Puddlegum que, mais do que ser um disco obcecado com o número 10 (lançado 10 anos depois do OK Computer, com 10 canções, anunciado 10 dias depois de gravado e vend…), ele seria uma espécie de lado B do OK Computer. Na teoria do site, os dois discos podem ser […]
November 29th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
And the only time I’ve seen RH perform “Creep” in the 8 concerts I’ve attended: 10/10/03 at Madison Square Garden.
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Finally some educated thought about a modern piece of art. I’d like to thank each of you, even Fred, for having an opinion that doesn’t involve a sexual or visual based reference. I’m a little worn-out by the industry and its major supporters making a sonic experience more about the way someone looks than the way something sounds. Here’s to an intelligent group of people taking time to talk about the question at hand and not getting lost in their respective crotches.
As for sticking to the point, I think Thomas Pynchon does weigh heavily on Thom’s daily thinking so it makes sense to read into his works. After all, if you want to understand a serial killer what better place to start than “Catcher in the Rye”?
December 22nd, 2007 at 5:08 am
the last song on disc 2 of in rainbows (4 minute warning) is 4 minutes and 6 seconds long, 4+6=10…there are 8 songs on the cd, and it is disc two, 8+2=10, or possibly the tracks MK1 and MK2 add up to the 2
January 10th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Now, the inevitable question: if terrorists didn’t cause 9/11, who did?
Remember that there are in fact two towers. Two minus one is one; one one - eleven; and there are nine members on Silverstein’s board of directors. That’s nine-one-one. Nine-eleven. And take 2 - 1 + 9/11 and you get 12, which leads us all to the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Kyle!
Twelve contains the numbers one and two, just like the toilet yesterday where somebody went number two instead of number one! And one and two with 911 and you get 914! Drop the 4 and it’s 91! Exactly the score Kyle got on his spelling test twelve days after 9/11!
January 14th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Does anyone get reminded of “The Number 23″ by all this? You know, that shitty Jim Carrey movie that came out 2007.
February 8th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
The OK Computer/IN Rainbows playlist fits perfectly as another alternate soundtrack to Wizard of OZ(ten letters). Same deal as Dark Side, start playlist precisely the split second after the third lion roar before the credits.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:49 am
just to add a little more numerological bollocks to the mix… someone up there noted [correctly] that ‘rainbows’ adds up to 101. in binary, 101 = 5 ie 1×4 + 1×1. the word ‘in’ has a numerical value of 23 - i should have spotted that because i’ve been obsessed by this number ever since i first read William Burroughs at a terrifyingly formative age… 2+3 = 5. 5+5=10
in classic numerology, 10 is equated with god - the one. all the possible names of god in the jewish torah always add up to one. in A Love Supreme, the John Coltrane Quartet incant the words 19 times. 1+9=10, 1+0=1. When Coltrane’s mother realised this, she couldn’t stop crying, because she saw it as an auger that her son was about to meet his maker. he did 19 months later.
if any of this means anything, especially if it means any members of Radiohead are about to carc it, i’ll be fookin gutted… :oP
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
This album rocks. Great album