The King of Limbs is the eighth studio album by English alternative rock band Radiohead, produced by Nigel Godrich. It will be released on 19 February 2011 as a download in MP3 and WAV formats, followed by a physical CD release in the UK on 28 March [1] and a special "newspaper" edition on 9 May 2011.[2] The "newspaper" edition will contain "two clear 10-inch vinyl records in a purpose-built record sleeve, many large sheets of artwork, 625 tiny pieces of artwork, a compact disc, and a full-colour piece of oxo-degradable plastic to hold it all together".[3]
The album was announced on Radiohead's website on 14 February 2011, five days before release.[4] The name of the album possibly refers to an oak tree in Wiltshire's Savernake Forest, thought to be 1,000 years old.[4] The tree is a pollarded oak, referring to an ancient technique for harvesting timber for fencing and firewood. Though it does not feature on maps, the tree is said to be 3 miles (4.8 km) from Tottenham Court House, where Radiohead recorded part of their previous album In Rainbows.[5]