Of Kemet: Last News

Best known for his work with Sons Of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming, Shabaka Hutchings – now professionally known as just Shabaka – has announced a new solo mini-album, titled ‘Afrikan Culture’.“’Afrikan Culture’ was made around the idea of meditation and what it means for me to still my own mind and accept the music which comes to the surface”, he says.“It features various types of Shakuhachi [Japanese] flutes”, he adds, “and a new technique of creating that I’ve been experimenting with in layering many flutes together to create a forest of sound where melodies and rhythms float in space and emerge in glimpses”.The record is set for release on 20 May.

The Smile have announced their debut album, ‘A Light For Attracting Attention’, alongside the release of a brand new track called ‘Free In The Knowledge’.The band – comprising Thom Yorke, his Radiohead bandmate Jonny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – formed last year and have been sharing sporadic teasers of a debut album since.They’ve so far released ‘You Will Never Work In Television Again’, ‘The Smoke’,  ‘Skrting On The Surface’, and earlier this month they shared ‘Pana-vision’, a track taken from the Peaky Blinders soundtrack.Today (April 20), The Smile have confirmed the release of their much anticipated debut LP, ‘A Light For Attracting Attention’, which will arrive May 13 via XL Recordings.Produced and mixed by Nigel Godrich and mastered by Bob Ludwig, the 13-track album will feature strings by the London Contemporary Orchestra and a full brass section of contemporary UK jazz players including Byron Wallen, Theon and Nathaniel Cross, Chelsea Carmichael, Robert Stillman and Jason Yarde.The trio have also shared the latest preview of the album, ‘Free In The Knowledge’. The song was first previewed by Yorke as part of the Letters Live Royal Albert Hall event he performed at back in December.Watch the Leo Leigh-directed video for ‘Free In The Knowledge’ below:Last week, Yorke spoke on the process of writing the album.

Thom Yorke performed an acoustic set last night (April 9) at Zeltbühne in Zermatt, Switzerland – see clips from the show below.During the 23-track unplugged set, the singer-songwriter delivered solo renditions of Radiohead songs ‘Bodysnatchers’, ‘Daydreaming’, ‘Decks Dark’ and ‘Exit Music (For A Film)’ for the very first time.Elsewhere, other cuts Yorke played solo for the first time included ‘Rabbit In Your Headlights’, his 1998 collaboration with UNKLE, and ‘Pana-vision’, the most recent single by The Smile, the supergroup he’s in alongside Jonny Greenwood and Sons Of Kemet‘s Tom Skinner.Radiohead’s ‘These Are My Twisted Words’ and his own ‘The Eraser’ were also performed solo for the first time since 2010.You can check out footage from the show below:‘Has Ended’‘Free in the Knowledge’ (The Smile song)‘Bodysnatchers’ (Radiohead song)‘Everything In Its Right Place’ (Radiohead song)‘Suspirium’‘Pana-vision’ (The Smile song)‘Daydreaming’ (Radiohead song)‘Decks Dark’ (Radiohead song)‘I Might Be Wrong’ (Radiohead song)‘These Are My Twisted Words’ (Radiohead song)‘Bloom’ (Radiohead song)‘Unmade’‘Open Again’‘Present Tense’ (Radiohead song)‘The Clock’‘Videotape’ (Radiohead song)Encore:‘Idioteque’ (Radiohead song)‘Rabbit in Your Headlights’ (UNKLE cover)‘Exit Music (For A Film)’ (Radiohead song)‘Spectr’e (Radiohead song)Encore 2:‘The Eraser’‘House of Cards’ (Radiohead song)‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’ (Radiohead song)Meanwhile, an art exhibition showcasing the works of Thom Yorke and long-term friend and collaborator Stanley Donwood will open in London later this year.‘Test Specimens’ brings together 60 pieces of artwork that the pair created between 1999 and 2001, while they were also working on Radiohead records ‘Kid A’ and

Thom Yorke and long-term friend and collaborator Stanley Donwood will open in London later this year.‘Test Specimens’ brings together 60 pieces of artwork that the pair created between 1999 and 2001, while they were also working on Radiohead records ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac’.The exhibition will include workings of the Radiohead bear logo, lyrical drafts for songs like ‘Nude’ as well as a cartoon featuring a sperm monster menacing some witch monkeys, which can be seen below.The exhibition will be held at 8 Duke Street in London and will be open from May 25 to May 29.  Yorke recently released two new solo songs, written for the final season of Peaky Blinders.‘That’s How Horses Are’, a haunting and atmospheric cut driven by piano, was released yesterday (April 3) after ‘5.17‘ came in MarchYorke released his last solo album ‘ANIMA’ in 2019, and has since been sharing new music as part of various projects. Last year, he debuted a new outfit called The Smile with Jonny Greenwood and Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, with the trio performing for the first time at Glastonbury’s Live At Worthy Farm livestream.They’ve released four singles including ‘You Will Never Work In Television Again’, ‘The Smoke’ and ‘Skrting On The Surface’, the first two of which will be released as a one-time single vinyl pressing.The Smile recently-released ‘Pana-vision’ which was also featured in the Peaky Blinders finale and comes with a video, created by animator Sabrina Nichols and artist Stanley Donwood.

Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke has shared a new single titled ‘That’s How Horses Are’, written for the final season of Peaky Blinders.The song is a stunning piano-driven piece, that swells with the addition of strings about halfway through. A haunting and atmospheric cut, it joins Yorke’s March release ‘5.17’, which also features in the Peaky Blinders sixth season.Listen to ‘That’s How Horses Are’ below. Speaking to NME in February, Peaky Blinders director Anthony Byrne revealed that Yorke and Radiohead bandmate Jonny Greenwood had contributed some new and original music to the show’s final season.“I’m over the moon about all of that,” he told NME.

Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood have revealed that they once dissected Kraftwerk‘s 1981 album ‘Computer World’ in front of the band.The duo, who recently formed side project The Smile with Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, admitted they were big fans of the electro pioneers on Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes’ comedy podcast SmartLess.The pair admitted studying the album in detail and once sitting Kraftwerk down during a Radiohead tour in South America and dissecting the record over dinner.“We literally study ‘Computer World’ in terms of playing it to each other and discussing what is going on and why, it’s so good,” Greenwood said of the record.“We can pretty much list what every instrument was and how they did it [on that record],” said Yorke before he added: “They came on tour with us once to South America and we had a very long prolonged dinner with them where we basically dissected the whole record and asked which instrument and what was used on every single piece of that [record]. It was the ultimate geek out.”During the podcast, Yorke also discussed how Stanley Kubrick and Ennio Morricone influenced Radiohead’s landmark album ‘OK Computer’.“The Shining was a really massive one [influence],” Yorke said.

Radiohead side-project The Smile have shared a new track today (March 17) called ‘Skrting On The Surface’ – listen to it below.The band, which consists of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood as well as Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, announced the news on social media yesterday (March 16) along with a link to a new video that you can now watch below.The song was first performed by the band during Glastonbury’s Live At Worthy Farm livestream event in 2021, and more recently during a series of back-to-back gigs in London. The track began its life as a Radiohead song, but was never released.The Smile’s latest single follows on from the group’s two previously released songs, ‘The Smoke‘ and ‘You’ll Never Work In Television Again‘.The video for the new track, which you can watch below, was shot in 16mm black and white by BAFTA-winning writer and director Mark Jenkin in the depths of the disused Rosevale Tin Mine in Cornwall UK.

Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke has shared a new song written for the sixth season of Peaky Blinders – check out the haunting ‘5.17’ below.Last month, Peaky Blinders director Anthony Byrne revealed to NME that Yorke and  Radiohead bandmate Jonny Greenwood have contributed some new and original music to the upcoming sixth and final season of the show.“I’m over the moon about all of that,” Byrne said. “The music has always been really important historically, and I was really keen to bring a dramatic score into it.

Radiohead side-project The Smile have shared a mysterious new clip.The short video shows a slab of the band’s name being pressed on a Heidelberg Platen Press which was first introduced in the early 1900s for the printing press.It is unclear whether the clip, which you can watch below, is referring to the pressing of a forthcoming album by the band.The equipment in the clip could also be a reference to Peaky Blinders, which is also set in the 1900s.

Radiohead side-project The Smile have announced a UK and European tour for 2022 – see all the details below.The trio – comprising Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – released their debut single ‘You Will Never Work In Television Again’ and its follow-up ‘The Smoke’ earlier this month.The Smile then took to the stage for three gigs at the Magazine venue in London over the weekend (January 29/30), with each performance being live-streamed online.Today (February 1) it’s been confirmed that the band will hit the road this spring for a run of European headline shows. Kicking off in Zagreb on May 16, the tour also includes appearances in Vienna (May 17), Prague (19), Berlin (20), Stockholm (23), Oslo (24) and Amsterdam (27).Yorke and co.

Radiohead spin-off The Smile have performed their first trio of gigs and fans have been reacting to the performance.The group, made up of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, performed three gigs at Magazine, London at 8pm last night (January 29) and 1am and 8am this morning (January30).Each of the shows were live streamed to audiences around the world so fans across different time zones could enjoy the performance.Highlights of the gigs according to fans on social media included Greenwood playing both a harp and piano simultaneously, a new version of ‘Skating On The Surface’ and a rendition of new single ‘The Smoke’. Fans also reacted to Peaky Blinders star Cilian Murphy reading a pre-recorded rendition of William Blake’s ‘The Smile’ at the start of the show.The group also played several new songs in addition to ones they premiered at the Glastonbury live-stream last year.

Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner have returned with their second track as The Smile. The Radiohead singer and guitarist joined forces with the drummer of English jazz quartet Sons of Kemet in May 2021 for a surprise performance at Glastonbury, and shared their debut single, "You Will Never Work In Television Again" at the start of the year.

The Smile, the side project of Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Sons Of Kemet’s Tom Skinner, have released their new single ‘The Smoke’ – you can hear the track below.The song is the follow-up to the trio’s debut single ‘You Will Never Work In Television Again’, which arrived earlier this month.A lyric video for ‘The Smoke’ has been released today (January 27) to accompany the new track, with the clip being created by the BAFTA-winning writer and director Mark Jenkin.You can listen to The Smile’s ‘The Smoke’ below.The Smile’s three sold-out live shows in London this weekend (January 29-30) will be livestreamed online to a global audience.The livestreams, which will be directed by the award-winning Paul Dugdale and produced by Driift, will be available to watch at home and in select independent venues and cinemas across the UK, US and Europe.The Smoke (more on that later) at production rehearsals for this weekend… pic.twitter.com/WXJNhkLbsq— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) January 27, 2022You can find further information about the livestreams and screenings by heading here, and see this weekend’s broadcast schedule below.BROADCAST #1: London – 8pm Sat. / New York – 3pm Sat. / Los Angeles – 12pm Sat. / Sydney – 7am Sun. / Tokyo – 5am Sun.BROADCAST #2: London – 1am Sun. / New York – 8pm Sat. / Los Angeles – 5pm Sat. / Sydney – 12pm Sun. / Tokyo – 10am Sun.BROADCAST #3: London – 11am Sun. / New York – 6am Sun. / Los Angeles – 3am Sun. / Sydney – 10pm Sun. / Tokyo – 8pm Sun. Yorke performed The Smile’s ‘Free In The Knowledge’ at the Royal Albert Hall back in October as part of the Letters Live event, footage of which was released last month.

Radiohead side project The Smile have confirmed details of a ticket ballot for fans from around the world for their upcoming London shows at Magazine.The group – comprising Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, plus Sons Of Kemet’s Tom Skinner – announced the three live shows earlier this month (January 5), due to take place across January 29 and January 30.The trio said in a press release: “We have been overwhelmed with how quickly the three shows on 29th & 30th sold out. Thank you so much for the response.“We wanted to try to make this a global audience in the venue as well as online, so we’ve held back some venue tickets for sale – a pair for every country in the world across the three shows.

Little Simz won the award for Best Female Act and grime legend Ghetts won his first ever MOBO for Best Male Act. Dave won the Album of the Year award for ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’.The ceremony, which was held at Coventry Building Society Arena, saw performances from artists including Ghetts, Pa Salieu, Stefflon Don and Ms Banks, Bree Runway, Potter Payper, Tems, NSG and ENNY.You see the full list of winners here:ALBUM OF THE YEARDave, ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’BEST FEMALE ACTLittle SimzBEST MALE ACTGhettsBEST NEWCOMERCentral CeeSONG OF THE YEARTion Wayne and Russ Millions featuring Arrdee, Bugzy Malone, Buni, Darkoo, E1 (3X3), Fivio Foreign and ZT (3X3) – ‘Body (Remix)’VIDEO OF THE YEARM1llionz – ‘Lagga’BEST GRIME ACTSkepta

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, together with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner have been seen rehearsing for their new musical project, The Smile.The group, who were first unveiled at this year’s Glastonbury live-stream event in May, surprised fans with a practice session on social media on their Instagram Live yesterday (December 2).The footage showed all three members of the group rehearsing. New music from the group is expected in the near future.“The Smile came about from just wanting to work on music with Thom in lockdown,” Greenwood revealed in an interview with NME earlier this year.“We didn’t have much time, but we just wanted to finish some songs together.

Gorillaz, AJ Tracey and Girl In Red are among a host of new names added to next year’s Øya Festival in Norway.They join First Aid Kit, Nubya Garcia, Margo Price, Sons Of Kemet, Kamaal Williams, Arif, Signe Marie Rusad, Myra, Karama, and Skarbø Skulekorps in the freshest set of additions.The festival, which runs between August 9 and 13, is so far set to be headlined by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on the Thursday (11) and Aurora on the Saturday (13).Michael Kiwanuka, Pa Salieu, Bikini Kill and Beabadoobee were also previously confirmed to play the festival, which is held at Oslo’s Tøyenparken.Lørdag 13.

Sons Of Kemet have announced that they’ll be heading out on the road for a UK tour next year.The experimental jazz quartet, led by Shabaka Hutchings, will kick off the run of dates on February 19 at Gorilla in Manchester, followed by shows in Glasgow, Leeds, Bristol, and ending the tour with their biggest headline show to date at London’s Roundhouse on February 26.“UK/EU tickets on sale now!!!! We cannot wait to be back playing live for you after such a long pause,” the group wrote on Twitter.You can see the full list of Sons Of Kemet dates below – tickets are on sale now here.UK/EU tickets on sale now!!!! We cannot wait to be back playing live for you after such a long pause https://t.co/5xFVuGgzBt pic.twitter.com/fKuTghjvsq— Sons Of Kemet

Nigel Godrich and Thom Yorke have given a cryptic update about new project The Smile.Last month, the Radiohead side project – comprising Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – had reportedly completed an album.In a recent interview with The Coda Collection, longtime Radiohead producer Godrich revealed he has been working with the supergroup on a body of work. He didn’t give away any details about a release date or album title, but dropped hints as to how it will sound, saying “it’s not a rock record”.“It’s an interesting juxtaposition of things, but it does make sense.

Radiohead side project The Smile – comprising Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – have completed an album.In a recent interview with The Coda Collection, longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich revealed he has been working with the supergroup on a body of work. He didn’t give away any details about a release date or album title, but dropped hints as to how it will sound, saying “it’s not a rock record”.“It’s an interesting juxtaposition of things, but it does make sense.

Thom Yorke has officially released a remix of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ that he produced for a Japanese fashion show earlier this year.‘Creep (Very 2021 Rmx)’ sees Yorke slow down the acoustic version of the track significantly, stretching it out from just under four minutes to nine minutes, and add some eerie synths.The track arrives with a music video animated by Jun Takahashi. Listen to the remix below:The ‘Very 2021’ remix of ‘Creep’ was first premiered during Takahashi’s UNDERCOVER 2020-2021 autumn/winter collection ‘Creep Very’ back in March.Earlier this year, Yorke debuted a new project, The Smile, along with Jonny Greenwood and Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner.