"The album is commonly described as a futuristic art-rock record reminiscent of the worlds of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984. The settings of these novels are stripped of organic life, controlled by machines, and controlled by a malevolent government. Humans are manipulated by what technology would have them believe, and are therefore completely invisible to many of life's joys and freedoms. Having traveled the world and interacted with other cultures, the band believed that the modern world was doomed to a similar demise. On OK Computer, they acknowledge their concerns.

OK Computer seamlessly blends electronic instruments into the original Britrock sound without stifling it, and the result is a spacey soundscape. The album was recorded at St. Catherine's Court, an unoccupied mansion owned by Jane Seymour. At the time, the band drew inspiration from Can, DJ Shadow, Miles Davis, Ennio Morricane, REM and the Beatles' White Album.

They used new instruments like the glockenspiel and the mellotron and created string arrangements. They used the recording studio like a scientific laboratory, recording vocals and instruments throughout the night in different rooms and hallways. The seclusion of the mansion allowed them to record at any time without worrying about a schedule, creating a new, larger-than-life character."