In the past, Thom Yorke has provided the BBC with sleepy bedtime music, as well as more experimental playlists. Lately, the Radiohead frontman has been lending his curatorial skills to Sonos Radio, where he’s in charge of a 24-hour station called “In the Absence Thereof”.
Last month, we got a taste of his first Sonos Radio mix, an expansive collection featuring everything from Iggy Pop and James Blake to Duke Ellington and Oneohtrix Point Never. A playlist for his second Sonos Radio mix has now arrived, and it promises a similar wide-ranging selection of material “that fascinates or moves” Yorke.
Among the highlights on Yorke’s latest list of “influences and obsessions” are Sonic Youth rocker Kim Gordon, elusive R&B connoisseur Jai Paul, Maryland rappers JPEGMAFIA and Rico Nasty, and even Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. The Radiohead leader also cherry-picked tracks from Girl Band, Kelly Moran, GILA, Ursula Bogner, and the late Theory of Everything composer Jóhann Jóhannsson.
Editors’ Picks
Stream the full playlist below.
Thom Yorke’s “In The Absence Thereof…v2” Playlist:
01. Jan Jelinek – “John Cage, I’ve Been Told to Ask You the Following Question: Where are You Going?”
02. Frank Sinatra – “Send in the Clowns”
03. Yoshio Ojima – “Esplanade (Live)”
04. Jóhann Jóhannsson – “The Navigators”
05. Fabrizio De André – “Primo intermezzo”
06. Kim Gordon – “Earthquake”
07. Girl Band – “De Bom Bom”
08. Halim El-Dabh – “Wire Recorder Piece”
09. Gaelic Psalm Singers – “Montrose. Psalm 9: 10-11- Live”
10. Ursula Bogner – “Modes”
11. Injury Reserve feat. Rico Nasty – “Jawbreaker”
12. Max de Wardener – “The Sky has a Film”
13. GILA – “Tuff Whisper”
14. Rrose feat. James Fei – “For Bass Clarinet 8.97”
15. Fabrizio De André – “Cantico dei drogati”
16. Jon Gibson – “Song I”
17. Jai Paul – “Zion Wolf Theme – Unfinished”
18. Bullion – “We Had a Good Time”
19. Kelly Moran – “Heliconia”
20. JPEGMAFIA – “Papi I Missed U”
