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    Thom Yorke discovers empathy for people under military assault Archived Message

    Posted by Ian M on July 3, 2022, 10:28 pm

    https://consequence.net/2022/04/thom-yorke-seventh-sonos-radio-mix-stream/

    Thom Yorke is back with the seventh installment of his Sonos radio show, “In the Absence Thereof.” Listen to the playlist below.

    Yorke’s latest mixtape ranges from Miles Davis and Sun Ra to IDLES and IC3PEAK. Despite their musical differences, however, the artists are united by their influence on the Radiohead frontman, who shared a very on-brand message about how their art helps him through our planet’s constant barrage of bad news.

    “Mix 7 is my latest mix or compilation of music and sound that has moved me deeply by other artists I respect and who inspire me,” Yorke said. “Listening to music has changed for me recently, I find myself asking what is music or any art in such a time of death, violence and horror? I guess it can only try to bear witness somehow.”

    Yorke continued: “There are no words to express seeing war Ukraine, in Europe in the 21st century. Normal life has been diminished, there is a sense of wanton absurdity and futility. The clowns have run out of jokes, their faces have twisted into grimaces, no longer able to hide the malignant shadows standing behind them. Families just like ours, innocent children, pulled apart. We can only pray to wake up from this nightmare and never allow it to happen again. Soon.”

    *****

    'Families just like ours' - he's just as unthinkingly racist as those media buffoons shocked at seeing war in a 'relatively civilised' Ukraine. No similar empathy for nonwhite people in Palestine, whose pleas he ignored to play a gig in Tel Aviv: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/whose-freedom-does-radiohead-support Don't remember any deep soul searching about the role of music after wars in Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq etc (though he was at least outspoken in opposition to the latter). 'Normal life' wasn't apparently 'diminished' for him because of those events. Why would that be, I wonder?

    jeers,
    I

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