I never used to think about music and food as a connected sense. But after going to the Ja Ja Ja festival last year, an experience that made music taste like sounds, I realised this wasn’t a novel pursuit and that music and food play a big part in the associations we have with our favourite albums. Like how my love of the Pigeon Detectives and kebabs are now inseparable, or Elliott Smith and a bucket of red wine.

When I heard that chef Kyle Hanley had been making food that represented one of Radiohead’s most polarising albums, Kid A, my palate was pretty excited. The menu, which included “Everything In Its Right Place” (pan seared scallop) and “How to Disappear Completely” (poached monk fish), was available for one night only. After the event, I called Kyle up and we spoke about his love for Radiohead, impressionistic food, and how music themed meals can bring people together, even uptight food critics and white people with dreadlocks.

YNTHT: How long have you been a chef?

Kyle: I’ve been a chef for about 10 years, I always like to try new things with food.

When did you first get into Radiohead?

I got into Radiohead during my sophomore year of music school. I guess I like Radiohead because it’s one of those bands you can just have on and actually listen to, rather than have music playing while you do something else. You don’t have to be driving, you don’t have to be reading or doing work. You can come home at the end of the day and actually just sit and listen and that’s more than enough. I think that’s something missing in much of the mainstream modern music scene.

When did the idea come to you to combine the two?

The idea came to me when I was working in kitchens to pay for music school about 7 or 8 years ago.

What’s your favourite album of the band’s?

My favourite albums from them are their more impressionist and heavy, like Amnesiac and Kid A and Hail to the Thief, which is the lighter of the three.

What was your favourite dish?

Favourite dish was “Tree Fingers” which consisted of the tomato granita because it was fun or the “In Limbo” bouillabaisse because it drove my cats nuts and my loft still smells like lobster.

What other food and music combinations do you see happening?

I really want to do combinations for everything but the more impressionistic the music is, the better I think it would work because Impressionist styled music seems to paint a picture of its own.

How did the night go?

The night went better than I expected. The only issue is that we essentially had to build our own kitchen because the theatre had nothing restaurant related in the least. They also don’t have an elevator so we had to carry very heavy bins of plates, silverware, portable butane burners, coolers, and a freezer up and then down a fire escape in the middle of winter.

What sort of people came?

There was a very wide demographic of people. The owner of Detroit’s kresge mansion I believe was sitting next to a hipster with dreadlocks.

Finally, what have you got planned next?

Despite what a lot of what the critics have said about me and the idea, I’m just doing this because it’s fun and I’m not actually making money off of it after food and staff are paid for.

My next project I’m thinking of is collaborating with the Detroit symphony to do a selection of Debussy next to the awesome fountain in Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit. I’d like that one to be a fundraiser for either the DSO or a local music program.

Thanks Kyle!

Follow Dan on Twitter: @KeenDang