Karma Police

The foundation of *Karma Police* is built on a piano riff that, for many, recalls a familiar melody from *The Beatles*. But beyond that connection, the song unfolds at a moderate tempo, alternating between verses and choruses. The lyrics, which address themes such as dissatisfaction with the system and the feeling of being under scrutiny, originated from an inside joke within the band. The members of Radiohead used to threaten each other with calling the "karma police" if someone did something wrong. This idea became the song's title and driving force, conceived as a critique of authority figures, especially in corporate environments.

The recording of *Karma Police* took place in 1996 and early 1997, much of it in the band's rehearsal space in Oxfordshire and at the historic St Catherine's Court mansion in Bath, as part of the sessions for the album *OK Computer*. Producer Nigel Godrich and the band experimented with new techniques, especially at the song's conclusion. After initial dissatisfaction from Thom Yorke with the outcome, he and Godrich rebuilt that section using loops and samples. This process marked a milestone, being the first time they had approached something like this, and it became a precursor to methods they would employ in later works. The distinctive sound of the ending, where Ed O'Brien's guitar distorts until it "melts" through a self-oscillating delay effect, is an example of that sonic exploration. The song was released as a single on August 25, 1997, and reached number one in Iceland, as well as charting prominently in the UK and the United States.