Thom Yorkes lyrics reveal an inner science fiction philosopher who contemplates lifes mysteries and converses with his imagination.

After feeling like they were becoming an extension of this Coca-Cola thing, they dramatically shuffled up their sound for the first time with The Bends.

The Bends takes the rock sound they established in Pablo Honey and twists it using samples, obscure guitar tones, and unconventional song structures.

They broke away from traditional rock songwriting against their record labels wishes and instead, developed more complex foundations for their music, including more electronic experimentation.

These sounds sparked Yorke to pen more introspective and potent lyrics, dealing with depression and trying to get to grips with their success.

Melody Maker actually suggested Yorke could potentially be a suicide victim after reading into the albums lyrical content.

Listen: Colleen Cosmo Murphy on Radiohead OK Computer on Classic Album Sundays on Worldwide FM After touring The Bends, the band took a break to reevaluate themselves and their music.

What resulted was an urge to reinvent their recording process and create a beautiful album of unconventional sounds and topics.

The Bends was literal in the sense that Radiohead felt dizzy after extensive touring and media attention.

They saw the world like never before while touring with huge acts like REM and Alanis Morissette, which although it was successful, it was also frustrating.

The album is commonly discussed as a futuristic art-rock record reminiscent of the worlds of Aldous Huxleys Brave New World and George Orwells 1984.

The settings of these novels are stripped of organic life, run by machines, and controlled by a malicious government.

The people are manipulated by what technology tells them to believe, and, as a result, are completely invisible to many of lifes joys and freedoms.

After touring the world and interacting with other cultures, the band believed the modern world was doomed to a similar demise.

Radiohead wanted to produce the new album themselves, but brought in Nigel Godrich as an someone outside the group to lend perspective and bounce ideas off.

Godrich ended up co-producing the album and has since produced every Radiohead album since that time (he is considered the sixth member of the band).

Similar to the director of a post-apocalyptic movie, Godrich helps the listener imagine the dark, barren world conceived by the band whilst writing the record.

Before working on the album, his primary musical focus was electronic dance music, and you can tell after hearing the turntable scratching on Airbag, computerized vocals in a few tracks, and the samples that give life to the album.

Listen: Radiohead OK Computer Musical Lead-Up Playlist OK Computer seamlessly infuses electronic instrumentation into the initial Britrock sound without overwhelming it and the result is a spacey soundscape.

Catherines Court, an unoccupied mansion owned by Jane Seymour.

At the time, the band were listening to Can, DJ Shadow, Miles Davis, Ennio Morricane, REM, and The Beatles White Album for inspiration.

They incorporated new instruments such as the glockenspiel and Mellotron and created string arrangements.

They used the recording studio like a science lab, recording vocals and instruments in different rooms and hallways throughout the night.

Being isolated in the mansion allowed them to record at any hour and without having to stress about a schedule, they could create a new larger-than-life character.

Listen To Radiohead Ok Computer