The music world at large drew a collective tear on 21st September 2011 when R.E.M. decided they were “calling it a day as a band” and while there’s been a wave of rare and unreleased material released recently, drawn from 31 years’ worth of archival material, what we’d give to hear some brand new music.
While that’s a wish that will go seemingly unfulfilled, frontman Michael Stipe has just unveiled his first new music since R.E.M.’s demise, in the shape of soundtrack work for The Cold Lands, a film by the frontman’s friend and collaborator Tom Gilroy.
The new piece, premiering over at Salon, is an instrumental, and though it lacks Stipe’s trademark vocal melancholy and enigmatic wordplay, instead features a sensuous array of synths and drums accompanied by footage from the movie.
Not bad for a man who admits “I can’t play an instrument to save my life,” laying down keys and electronic rhythms for the track while producer Andy LeMaster played bass and arranged the track. “I wrote melodies and I tend to write along to other people’s music. That’s what I’ve done most of my career as a musician,” says Stipe. “I went to Andy knowing that if I painted myself into a corner, he’d pull me out.”
Hear/watch Stipe’s work for The Cold Lands below and read the full interview over at Salon.
