Thom Yorke for Greenpeace: Hands Off the Antarctic17.10.2018

Thom Yorke has been making press rounds recently to promote his soundtrack for Luca Guadagnino’s remake of cult horror classic Suspiria. It turns out, however, that the soundtrack is not the only piece of new music the Radiohead frontman’s been busy with.

Yorke’s latest instrumental track is the product of the musician’s collaboration with Greenpeace. Hands Off the Antarctic was released to support the organization’s mission to designate the Antarctic a special sanctuary zone that serves as a refuge for many species of penguins, whales, and seals. Establishing such a zone would designate the Southern Ocean as off limits to commercial fishing fleets that routinely trawl the area in search of krill – the very foundation of marine life in the region.

The track is accompanied by a music video shot in the Antarctic by the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise. There are some places on this planet that are meant to stay raw and wild and not destroyed by humanity’s footprint. 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.
 

Thom Yorke in an interview with Irish Examiner.