Thom Yorke has released a new track in collaboration with Greenpeace, supporting their entreaty to the Antarctic Ocean Commission to create an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary. Entitled “Hands Off the Antarctic,” the song is a throbbing, hypnotic instrumental track driven by muffled electronic drums, and therefore situated in a somewhat different style that the Suspiria soundtrack music the Radiohead singer has been releasing recently. The song was released along with a black-and-white clip featuring footage of Antarctica taken from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise.
According to the Irish Examiner, Yorke said in a statement that his music was meant to evoke the “relentless march” of our “footprint” on Antarctica. “There are some places on this planet that are meant to stay raw and wild and not destroyed by humanity’s footprint,” Yorke said. “This track is about stopping the relentless march of those heavy footsteps. The Antarctic is a true wilderness and what happens there affects us all. That’s why we should protect it.”
Earlier this month, Yorke released two new tracks from his soundtrack album to Suspiria, which is due out on October 26 (the day of the film’s release). Yorke will embark on a North American tour beginning in late November. Listen to “Hands Off the Antarctic” below.
