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Wooden Elephant’s version of Radiohead's Kid A owes more to Radiohead than just source material: as part of the London Contemporary Orchestra, Wooden Elephant’s composer/violist Ian Anderson worked with Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood on his contemporary string chamber music, culminating in a European tour, and playing on Radiohead’s latest album, A Moon Shaped Pool. These experiences went on to inspire the formation of Wooden Elephant: in their acoustic versions of electronic albums, Wooden Elephant use many of the ideas and techniques that Jonny explored with the LCO, along with many more that they have developed theirselves.
Every sound on this album has been produced completely acoustically by the five Wooden Elephant players. The album was recorded ‘as live’ with only a few select overdubs for the noisier instrument changes.
Releases June 4, 2021
WOODEN ELEPHANT
AOIFE NÍ BHRIAIN violin, jaw harp, flexitone, party blower, wine glass, milk frother with tissue, ebows on ukuleles strung with guitar strings, kalimba, bowed toy handbells, plectrum, milk frother with elastic bands, toy archery bow, paper, harmonicas.
HULDA JÓNSDÓTTIR violin, paper, bowed toy handbells, party blower, vibrator, ankle bells, plectrum, pacay shaker, wah-wah tube, harmonicas, music box.
IAN ANDERSON viola, arrangements, whirly tube, bathroom sink plug chain, plectrum, party blower, handheld fan with feathers, wine glasses, toy archery bow, bowed toy handbells, squeaky pig dog toy, power drill with cable ties, handheld fan with tights.
STEFAN HADJIEV cello, paper, bathroom sink plug chain, party blower, toy archery bow, bowed toy handbells.
NIKOLAI MATTHEWS double bass, blu tack, kalimba, paper, bathroom sink plug chain, party blower, whirly tube, wine glasses, bowed toy handbell, timpani beater, harmonicas.
All music by Radiohead: Colin Charles Greenwood, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Edward John O’Brien, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke. Published by Warner Chappell Music Ltd. All rights reserved.
Produced, recorded, edited, mixed and mastered by Johann Günther.
Assisted by Mads Haiduga.
Recorded at RecPublica Studios, Poland, 14-18 January 2020.
Artwork by Dan Abbott and Daniel Schnatterer.
Supported by the fellowship program #bebeethoven (a PODIUM Esslingen project funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation) and by the generosity of our crowdfunding backers. Many thanks to you all.