Radiohead has always been a bit of a nightmare for completionists. Just when you think you’ve mapped out the OK Computer sessions or the Kid A era, you stumble into a dusty corner of their discography that makes zero sense on paper. That brings us to the Radiohead Com Lag EP. Released in 2004, mostly as a Japanese import at first, this collection is basically a scrapbook of the Hail to the Thief years. It’s messy. It’s inconsistent. Honestly, it’s probably the most "human" the band has ever sounded because it feels like a total lack of curation.
While the 2003 album Hail to the Thief was criticized by some—including Thom Yorke himself later on—for being too long and unfocused, the Com Lag (2plus2isfive) EP doubles down on that sprawl. It’s a 25-minute grab bag of remixes, live cuts, and B-sides that were floating around on various singles like 2 + 2 = 5 and Go to Sleep. If you weren't hunting down expensive CD singles in the early 2000s, this was your one-stop shop for the weird stuff.
What is the Radiohead Com Lag EP actually trying to be?
Defining this release is tricky. Is it a mini-album? An EP? A glorified single? Officially, it’s a compilation EP. The cover art features a character that looks like a mutated version of the Hail to the Thief map, created by Stanley Donwood. The text on the cover is a mix of English and Japanese, which makes sense given its origins as a Toshiba-EMI release meant to satisfy the Japanese market's hunger for bonus tracks.
The tracklist is a rollercoaster. You start with "2 + 2 = 5," but it’s the live version from Earls Court. It’s loud, aggressive, and reminds you why Radiohead was considered the biggest live band on the planet at the time. But then, things get glitchy. You get remixes from Four Tet and Cristian Vogel that strip the "rock" out of the band and replace it with IDM textures. It’s a jarring transition. One minute you’re in a mosh pit, the next you’re in a cold, digital basement.
The B-Sides that outshine the album
For many fans, the real reason the Radiohead Com Lag EP exists is the B-sides. Specifically, tracks like "Paperbag Writer" and "Gagging Order." These aren't just leftovers; they are glimpses into the two different souls of the band.
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"Paperbag Writer" is all about the groove. It’s got this thick, dub-heavy bassline and jagged strings that feel like a direct bridge to what Thom Yorke would eventually do with The Eraser and Atoms for Peace. It sounds nothing like the "alternative rock" label people were still trying to pin on them in 2003. It’s cool, detached, and genuinely funky in a way Radiohead rarely attempts.
Then you have "Gagging Order."
If you ask a hardcore fan to name the most underrated Radiohead song, this one comes up a lot. It’s just Thom and an acoustic guitar. No glitches. No political screaming. Just a quiet, devastating melody. It feels like a ghost from the The Bends era that somehow survived into the 21st century. Putting these two songs on the same EP is chaotic, but it works because it mirrors the paranoid, fragmented energy of the mid-2000s.
Remix culture and the "Com Lag" identity
The "Com Lag" title itself—styled often as COM LAG (2plus2isfive)—is a play on "communication lag." It fits. This was an era where the internet was changing how people consumed music, and Radiohead was right in the middle of it. They were already experimenting with webcasts and digital "dead air."
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The remixes on this EP are... divisive. The Four Tet remix of "Skttrbrain" is generally beloved because Kieran Hebden actually understands the source material. He takes the jittery paranoia of the original and turns it into something oddly beautiful and organic. On the flip side, the Cristian Vogel remix of "Remyxomatosis" is a tough listen. It’s harsh. It’s abrasive. It’s the kind of track that makes your non-Radiohead-fan friends ask you to turn the music off.
But that’s the point of the Radiohead Com Lag EP. It isn't trying to be In Rainbows. It isn't a cohesive masterpiece. It’s a document of a band that was exhausted from a massive world tour and a stressful recording process in Los Angeles. They were dumping their notebooks out onto the floor.
Breaking down the tracklist:
- 2 + 2 = 5 (Live at Earls Court): Pure energy. It’s better than the studio version if you like the "the raindrops" climax.
- Remyxomatosis (Cristian Vogel Remix): Abrasive, industrial, and definitely not for everyone.
- I Will (Los Angeles Version): A stripped-back, more "regular" version of the track that appeared on Hail to the Thief. It’s interesting to hear it without the backwards-masking vibes.
- Paperbag Writer: The standout groove track.
- I Am a Wicked Child: A bluesy, harmonica-driven stomp that feels like it belongs in a dark Western movie.
- I Am Citizen Insane: A bright, electronic instrumental that sounds like a sunny day viewed through a broken computer screen.
- Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix): Subtle, melodic, and essential.
- Gagging Order: The acoustic heart of the EP.
- Fog (Again) (Live): A beautiful piano-led reimagining of an Amnesiac B-side.
- Where Bluebirds Fly: Creepy, cinematic, and used as the intro music for their live shows during that tour.
Is it worth tracking down in 2026?
In the age of streaming, the Radiohead Com Lag EP is easier to find than it used to be. You don't have to pay $40 for a Japanese import anymore. However, its place in the "canon" remains weird. It’s tucked away in the "EPs" section of Spotify or Apple Music, often ignored by casual listeners who just want to hear "Creep" or "No Surprises."
If you want to understand the transition from the "Rock Radiohead" of the 90s to the "Art-Electronic Radiohead" of the 2010s, this EP is the missing link. You can hear them getting bored with standard song structures. You can hear them falling in love with the laptop as an instrument. It’s messy, sure, but it’s also brave. Most bands at their level of fame in 2004 would have just released a "Live in London" CD and called it a day. Radiohead gave us a harmonica-led blues song and an IDM nightmare instead.
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Actionable insights for the Radiohead collector
If you're looking to dive into this specific era of the band, don't just stop at the digital stream.
Check the physical media. The original Japanese pressings of Com Lag came in a high-quality jewel case with distinct artwork that looks great on a shelf. More importantly, it contains the "Fog (Again)" live performance which is arguably superior to the original "Fog" released during the Amnesiac cycle.
Listen for the "Los Angeles" influence. Hail to the Thief and its B-sides were recorded quickly at Ocean Way Studios. This was a reaction to the "soul-destroying" slow pace of the Kid A sessions. When you listen to "I Am a Wicked Child" or "Gagging Order," you’re hearing a band trying to be "quick" and "spontaneous," which are words rarely associated with Radiohead.
Compare the remixes. If you like the Four Tet remix on Com Lag, check out his other collaborations with Thom Yorke, like "Ego" or "Mirror." It shows a long-term creative partnership that started right here.
Hunt for the vinyl. While Com Lag was a CD staple for years, vinyl pressings exist but can be pricey. It was notably included in some of the larger box sets and re-pressings. Hearing the bass on "Paperbag Writer" on a decent turntable is a completely different experience than a low-bitrate stream.
Ultimately, the Radiohead Com Lag EP is a beautiful mess. It’s for the fans who want to see the stitches in the suit. It’s for the people who think the "perfect" albums are a bit too polished. It’s human, it’s flawed, and it’s essential listening for anyone who wants the full picture of what happened after the turn of the millennium.