Thom Yorke Releases “Hands off the Arctic” – A Greenpeace Exclusive

Thom Yorke releases “Hands off the Arctic”, a song promoting the Greenpeace campaign to protect the Antarctic Ocean. Hear the track below.

The music video for the instrumental electronic track features footage shot by Greenpeace’s research ship Arctic Sunrise, debuting yesterday when it was projected on to London’s Marble Arch.

“There are some places on this planet that are meant to stay raw and wild and not destroyed by humanity’s footprint,” Yorke said. “This track is about stopping the relentless march of those heavy footsteps. The Antarctic is a true wilderness and what happens there affects us all. That’s why we should protect it.”

Greenpeace stated via twitter:

“There’s a way of repeating in music that can hypnotize,” he said at a film festival of the concept behind his work for the film. “I kept thinking to myself that it’s a form of making spells. So when I was working in my studio I was making spells. I know it sounds really stupid, but that’s how I was thinking about it. It was a sort of freedom I’ve not had before. I’ve not worked in the format of song arrangement. I’m just exploring.”