Hear R.E.M.’s Previously Unreleased Demo “Uptempo Mo Distortion”

Hear R.E.M.’s Previously Unreleased Demo “Uptempo Mo Distortion”

R.E.M. are reissuing their misunderstood grunge-era curiosity Monster for its 25th anniversary. The Monster 25 box set drops next Friday, and so far we’ve heard remixed versions of signature single “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth” and the Kurt Cobain tribute “Let Me In” plus an unreleased demo called “Revolution.”

They’re sharing one more demo today called “Uptempo Mo Distortion.” This one’s an instrumental, putting a spotlight on the non-Michael-Stipe members of R.E.M. doing that jangly, fuzzy thing they did so well. Hear it below, and if the absence of Stipe’s vocals bothers you, just imagine him singing his debut solo single “Your Capricious Soul” over it.

Monster 25 is out 11/1 on Craft Recordings. Pre-order it here.

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