Radiohead's Ed O'Brien releases two new singles from debut solo album expected in 2020, tour dates out now
Fans of art-rock darlings Radiohead will be pleased as punch with guitarist Ed O'Brien debuting his first full-length album sometime in early 2020, as part of a new solo project that bears his initials—EOB.
O'Brien has been working on the album since late 2017, and after unveiling atmospheric snippets from the album last week, the cerebral Radiohead guitarist premiered two beautiful new singles—'Santa Teresa' and 'Brasil'—this week to rapturous approval from Radiohead fans worldwide.
The natural, organic feel of the music should come as no surprise. O'Brien has attributed the earthy vibes of the album to his spellbinding experiences at Brazil's Rio Carnival and to rediscovering his roots in England's lovely, idyllic countryside.
Elaborating on the birthing process of 'Santa Teresa', O'Brien told NME, "It's about being in the countryside and being inspired. Some of the recording happened in the countryside too. I know that one of the reasons it came about was going back to the country and having that clarity.”
Check out the ambient 'Santa Teresa' video.
The heady nine-minute track, 'Brazil,' features work by Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood, as well as drummer Omar Hakim and The Invisible's guitarist David Okumu.
Production duties were handled by Mark Ellis, better known by his professional pseudonym Flood.
The picturesque video for the track was directed by Andrew Donoho and features 3D fractal animation by Julius Horsthuis.
"'Brasil' is a state of mind, not a place or time," said O'Brien. "H.P. Lovecraft, Kubrick, and Junji Ito have created some of my favorite sci-fi narratives. But I've always wanted to reinterpret their horrific premises into a more poetic and optimistic notion. What if an alien or higher being were to come to Earth to help us achieve a greater existence, and not to destroy us? What would it look like if everyone on earth shared thoughts, experiences, and actions?" he says.
"The theory that humans, as a species, actually represent one large, singular organism has always fascinated me, and I wanted to explore that concept visually through a variety of different character perspectives, mediums, and impressionistic visual effects. All these layers and ideas culminated into our narrative for 'Brasil,'" he added.
Here's the breathtaking video for 'Brasil'.
These gorgeous new singles will certainly be whetting the appetite of Radiohead's global fanbase for the imminent release of the full-length album, although the release date and title are yet to be announced by Capitol Records.
To order tickets for EOB's upcoming tour, click here.
