OK Calculator is a demo collection from TV on the Radio which they self-released in 2002. The album's title alludes to Radiohead's album OK Computer.
In Magnet, Bryan Bierman listed the album as a hidden gem and wrote, âÂÂAdebimpeâÂÂs voice alone makes up most of the tracks, and though the albumâÂÂs rough sound takes some getting used to, this arrangement is surprisingly effective. Songs like âÂÂYr Godâ and âÂÂAim To Pleaseâ show off his soulful vocals, and you can hear some early signs of the later songwriting style the group would adapt. Sitek's recordings are a little more polished, using the atmospheric electronics that would later envelope a lot of TVOTR's music, like the slow ambience of âÂÂOn A Train,â or the Kraftwerk fever dream âÂÂPulse Of Pete.âÂÂâÂÂ
The tracks "Freeway" and "On a Train" later re-appeared on the 2004 7" and CD single for "Staring at the Sun".