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Here’s What Michael Stipe Sounds Like on Digital Antidepressants


January 22, 2013 | Andy Cush

By some unknown digital wizardry (Melodyne? An Echo Nest API?) a relatively anonymous digital artist has changed R.E.M.’s colossal “Losing My Religion” from dark and impressionistic to sunny and Smiths-y. The secret? Taking every minor note in the song and raising it by a half step (putting the song in its parallel major key, for those nerds who are keeping score). This would have still been great had a band simply taken it upon themselves to recreate the song, but hearing Michael Stipe’s reedy voice singing the chiming melody only heightens the awesomely disorienting effect.

Bonus major-key Metallica jam below.