Official Music Video for R.E.M.'s never-before-released 鈥淩adio Free Europe 2025" Remix by Jacknife Lee, honoring Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty! The new remix is part of a five-track EP, with proceeds from the vinyl pressing to benefit RFE/RL on its 75th anniversary & World Press Freedom Day.
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About the EP:
Four decades after igniting college-radio airwaves and launching R.E.M.鈥檚 remarkable career, their 1981 debut single 鈥淩adio Free Europe鈥 is broadcasting a new signal. R.E.M. proudly announces鈥疪adio Free Europe 2025, a five-track benefit EP led by a never-before-released 2025 remix by the band's longtime collaborator Jacknife Lee. The release celebrates the 75th anniversary of the 鈥淥G鈥 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and arrives just ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
A limited-edition 10-inch orange-vinyl pressing — available for pre-order now exclusively via the official R.E.M. store () and independent record stores () — lands September 12. Proceeds from all vinyl sales will go to RFE/RL, an editorially independent nonpartisan and nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was established by the United States 75 years ago and currently broadcasts news and information in 27 languages to 23 countries where a free press is either banned by the government or under threat. Throughout the Cold War and continuing today, RFE/RL is often the only lifeline to the outside world for people living under extreme censorship.
Members of R.E.M. say this mission of promoting free expression has always resonated with the band:
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 music or a free press 鈥 censorship anywhere is a threat to the truth everywhere. On World Press Freedom Day, I鈥檓 sending a shout-out to the brave journalists at Radio Free Europe,鈥 says Michael Stipe, lead singer and founding member of R.E.M.
鈥淩adio Free Europe鈥檚 journalists have been pissing off dictators for 75 years. You know you鈥檙e doing your job when you make the right enemies. Happy World Press Freedom Day to the 鈥極G鈥欌疪adio Free Europe,鈥 says鈥疢ike Mills, bassist and founding member of R.E.M.
鈥淭o me, R.E.M.鈥檚 music has always embodied a celebration of freedom: freedom of expression, lyrics that make us think, and melodies that inspire action. Those are the very aims of our journalists at Radio Free Europe鈥攖o inform, inspire, and uphold freedoms often elusive to our audiences. We hold dictators accountable. They go to great lengths to silence us鈥攂locking our websites, jamming our signals, and even imprisoning our colleagues,鈥 says鈥疪FE/RL President and CEO鈥疭tephen Capus.
Released through Craft Recordings, the Radio Free Europe 2025 EP was overseen by the band鈥檚 original producer Mitch Easter鈥攚ho first captured R.E.M. at his Drive-In Studio during their maiden road trip to a professional studio in April 1981. That seminal session yielded the band鈥檚 earliest recordings of 鈥淩adio Free Europe,鈥 鈥淪itting Still,鈥 and the instrumental 鈥淲h. Tornado,鈥 all collected here.
The set opens with the 2025 remix by GRAMMY庐-winner Jacknife Lee鈥(U2, Snow Patrol, Taylor Swift, The Killers), who also produced R.E.M.鈥檚 final two studio albums, Accelerate and Collapse Into Now. Lee gives the track a fresh take while staying true to its indie-rock DNA. Completing the package are Mitch Easter鈥檚 original 1981 recordings鈥攖he sought-after Hib-Tone single mix of 鈥淩adio Free Europe,鈥 its flip-side 鈥淪itting Still,鈥 the 鈥淲h. Tornado鈥 demo, and Easter鈥檚 long-rumored, never-before-released 1981 remix 鈥淩adio Free Dub.鈥
In 2009, 鈥淩adio Free Europe鈥 was inducted into the Library of Congress鈥檚 National Recording Registry for 鈥渟etting the pattern for later indie-rock releases.鈥
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