Listen to Thom Yorke’s new synth-pop song with Mark Pritchard, ‘Gangsters’

Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard have released a new song titled ‘Gangsters’, ahead of their collaborative album ‘Tall Tales’.

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The album, due for release on May 9 via Warp Records, will also be accompanied by a visual film directed by Australian visual artist Jonathan Zawada. ‘Gangsters’ is the latest look into the album following previous singles ‘Back In The Game’ – which Yorke performed on a Sydney stop during his 2024 solo world tour – and ‘This Conversation Is Missing Your Voice’.

‘Gangsters’ follows along a bit-crushed synth beat set to a driving quasi-motorik rhythm, while Yorke’s vocals are pitch-shifted and smeared to the point of unintelligibility. “One by one they arrive / Playing games / Chewing glass / Stay in best hotels,” Yorke croons.

Its music video – a snippet of the ‘Tall Tales’ visual film by Zawada – places viewers in the middle of the town square in a CGI village, with an assortment of masked and costumed characters forming a surreal circus procession. Watch it below.

The ‘Tall Tales’ film is described as a “fairy tale for the modern world; depicting rising tides, kings & queens, amazon logistics and robotic arms under iridescent skies”.

The duo will allow fans to listen to their record and watch an accompanying feature film on May 8, a day ahead of the LP’s official release. You can purchase tickets here.

Some fans that attend the screenings will also receive a zine compiled and designed by Zawada, which gives a unique insight into the concepts and inspirations running through the film and album.

The album has been described as a “multi-layered, richly textured record that channels both multiple narratives and multiple genres” and promises to showcase “Pritchard’s mastery of archaic machines unearthed in synthesizer archives, guiding the music down unexpected and experimental paths,” across the 12 songs that make it up.

The album will be available digitally as well as on a standard black vinyl 2LP gatefold edition and a limited edition black vinyl 2LP edition. The latter will include a 36-page booklet featuring a wealth of images from the project and lyrics to all the tracks, carefully designed by Zawada. A standard CD edition and a limited special CD accompanied by a 36-page booklet will also be available. You can pre-order ‘Tall Tales’ here.

The project marks the latest collaborative work from the Radiohead frontman and electronic producer Pritchard, after their track ‘Beautiful People’ in 2016.

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