Radiohead have started recording their forthcoming album, the follow-up to 1997's acclaimed 'OK Computer', at a stately home in Gloucestershire.

 The band are again working with producer Nigel Godrich for the album, which will be their fourth. Sessions begun on April 12.

 The band's management company sent a statement to NME which confirmed work was finally underway and said: "We don't know how many songs they're working on. I don't think it's that structured, it's still early days."

 It continued: "There's no time-scale, but I doubt we'll see a release this year. There are no live appearances scheduled for this year at present." A spokeswoman for the band said that as they had spent so much time demoing up songs beforehand, the recording of the new album should be relatively straightforward.

 "They've took their mobile studio to demo on the road when they were touring, and since then, they have been rehearsing new songs in France. "They're got tons of stuff written already, but they're in no hurry to get it done." As a result, she said a release date in early 2000 was more likely than later this year.

 Meanwhile, Radiohead's on-the-road documentary 'Meeting People Is Easy' is being premiered on UK television on Channel Four on May 5, 1.05am. The film, described by director Grant Gee as a "documentary and multi-media scrapbook" follows the band's hectic touring schedule over the past two years and features a star appearance by NME's Ted Kessler!