Radiohead are reportedly close to signing a record deal that will see their new album sold as a standard physical release.
The quintet surprised myriad observers earlier this week when they announced that their seventh full-length, 'In Rainbows', will be available for download on 10 October, with purchasers able to choose their own price.Managers Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge explained the decision to BBC Radio 4, with Hufford noting "Ultimately, the band feel that this record, which they are incredibly proud of, deserves to be brought into the mass marketplace. That's why we need a record company who have that infrastructure to deliver the CD. We've got about seven days to get it organised. It's just another way of doing things and hopefully it will initiate artists and record labels to think about things a lot more and not just accept the status quo."
Edge added, "We might come out looking very foolish. We're prepared to take a risk. If your music is great, people will then pay for it. One of the big mistake record companies have made is prosecuting students and kids for doing what we did years ago: taping music. It's nonsense."
The band's deal with EMI ended in 2003 with their 'Hail To The Thief' album.
Meanwhile, Radiohead's dotcom is back online after crashing earlier in the week when it was inundated by fans registering to download the album.
