Radiohead Sparks New Release Speculation After Forming New Legal Entity

A new release from Radiohead could be on the way, if a historical trend of new legal entities is to be believed.

According to the British Government’s Companies House agency, the five members of Radiohead established a new limited liability partnership under the name RHEUK25 LLP on Monday (March 10). An LLP is a legal business entity which allows the band to exist and conduct their own dealings outside of the typical framework of a record label.

While the establishment of an LLP may mean nothing on face value, historical activities have indicated that a new release or tour usually follows after Radiohead or its members establish a new LLP. 

In 2007, the group prefaced the release of In Rainbows with the creation of Xurbia Xendless Ltd., which was followed by Ticker Tape Ltd. ahead of The King Of Limbs’ arrival in 2011, while 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool was rumored after the discovery of the Dawn Chorus LLP.

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It’s not just restricted to Radiohead’s movements as a whole, with frontman Thom Yorke having been a part of Unsustainabubble Ltd. in 2010 before Atoms for Peace released their solo album in 2013, with the partnership also being used for his later solo releases. In 2021, Self Help Tapes LLP was incorporated before the release of The Smile’s debut album, and has since been used for their subsequent releases.

The most recent partnership to be created with all five members of Radiohead was Spin With a Grin Ltd., which arrived ahead of their 2021 reissue of Kid A and Amnesiac, dubbed Kid A Mnesia. It should be noted though, the nascent establishment of RHEUK25 LLP also coincides with the anniversary of Radiohead’s second album, The Bends, which was released 30 years ago on Thursday (March 13). Currently, it’s unknown whether the new LLP could be related to new music or a potential reissue.

Radiohead haven’t released a new studio album since 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 at the time. Band members have remained active since, with Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood teaming with Tom Skinner to craft The Smile. On Tuesday (March 11), Yorke also announced a collaborative album with Mark Pritchard, with Tall Tales slated to arrive on May 9.

Speaking to Australian radio station Double J ahead of his Australian tour last year, Yorke noted his ignorance of online speculation regarding the band’s future. “I am not aware of it and don’t really give a flying f–k,” Yorke said. 

“No offence to anyone and err, thanks for caring. But I think we’ve earned the right to do what makes sense to us without having to explain ourselves or be answerable to anyone else’s historical idea of what we should be doing.”

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