How did Bloc Party manage to keep the swift release of new album Intimacy a secret?  The band gave just three days notice that the album was being released, which is a pretty major feat considering the group’s popularity. Kele Okereke, fresh from his brush with Sex Pistol John Lydon, has explained how they did it. “I don’t think more than 10 people knew about the idea until the last few days. It was totally hush-hush but we didn’t want to go the whole In Rainbows route and give away for free. We live in a capitalist world and I do want to get paid and I do want to eat.”

The release of Intimacy has been so quick that details of the CD copy of the album, which will be sent to fans who paid $20 for the download, haven’t been finalized yet. “The CD will have extra songs but we haven’t decided on what they will be yet,” says Okereke, who describes the whole campaign as “a bit of a giggle.” Digital copies of Intimacy are set to be released this Thursday, while fans of the physical format will have to wait until October 28 to get their CD fix. [Rock&RollDaily]