Adam and Steve chat with Ethan Kaplan to discuss the founding of Murmurs.com, collaborating with the band, and the nature of online fandom.

They talk to Ethan about his musical journey to R.E.M., the nascent days of internet fandom, and how a chance meeting with Michael Stipe led to the creation of the primary R.E.M. fansite.

Ethan talks about how that fansite led to him becoming a collaborator and friend of the band, and the difficulty of maintaining a fan community in those circumstances.

We also talk about Ethan's work in the music industry and look to the future of music with the recent advent of more complex and intricate AI!

Our next episode is out on Monday September 30th and will see us wrap up the second act of the band!

Join the conversation on:
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

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Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

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The Big Mates combat audio issues to provide serene and chaotic audio commentary for New Adventures in Hi-Fi - Stereophonic on Film by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the electronic press kit, as produced in 1996 and also answer questions sent in by the listeners!

Head to this link to watch along:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD3Br2GZnpY&ab
Or don't - the episode works fine either way!

Our next episode comes out Monday September 23rd!

Join the conversation on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

Check out our merch!
https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com
Donate to our podcast!
https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic

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Support the show

The Big Mates discuss heart, fatigue, goodbyes, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by concluding their analysis of the band's tenth studio album, released in 1996. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They pick up their discussion towards the end of the album and complete their track-by-track analysis. They then sum up their feelings on the sprawling record, including scores and highlights.

They then explore the legacy of the album, how it has aged over time, and how that compares to the reception of the album when it was released in 1996.

What do we think of New Adventures in Hi-Fi? What is a desert? What DID Lucas do on his Bank Holiday? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday September 16th and will see us provide commentary for something, probably.

Join the conversation on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

Check out our merch!
https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com
Donate to our podcast!
https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic

http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/

Support the show