Cool Hunting celebrates Michael Stipe and Beatie Wolfe world first eco record

The world’s first commercially available sustainable bioplastic record will be a split single, featuring songs by Michael Stipe and Beatie Wolfe. Limited to 500 copies, and made by Evolution Music in collaboration with climate emergency organization EARTH/PERCENT, the album (available for pre-order today) comprises Stipe’s debut solo track “Future, If Future” and Wolfe’s “Oh My Heart.”

Founded by Brian Eno, EARTH/PERCENT focuses on five key issues: “greening music, energy transition, climate justice, legal and policy change, and protecting nature.” All proceeds from sales of the record will go to the organization’s grantmaking fund.

Wolfe tells COOL HUNTING that her involvement in the project was organic, and began when she gave a talk at SXSW with Eno earlier this year. The talk was about “our environmental work and how art and nature are core to our humanity.” Next, Wolfe worked with EARTH/PERCENT on their Earth Day initiative, “which evolved into this very special limited edition bioplastic 12-inch release with Michael Stipe and myself, pioneered by Evolution Music. This project felt like the perfect fit as it was records that first imprinted on me as a kid and made me want to reimagine the vinyl for the digital age which led to a series of new formats for music. So this release really combines two of my greatest loves: the environment and records.”

She tells us that she selected the track because its theme is apt for the project, and for the overall mission. “I felt like ‘Oh My Heart’ was the right song for this eco release as it’s a cry for the planet and humanity at this point in time. EARTH/PERCENT had released the live version of the song (which I performed at the Nobel Prize Summit) for their Earth Day campaign so it was great to have this unreleased studio version available for the first time. And it was wonderful to hear the two songs side-by-side, as they felt like the perfect complement to one another.”

Images courtesy of EARTH/PERCENT

UPROXX features Michael Stipe x Beatie Wolfe's Bioplastic record for EarthPercent

Michael Stipe’s Single Released On A New Type Of Vinyl Record Is The First Of Its Kind

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

Michael Stipe is changing the game this Friday (September 2) on both the music front and the environmental front. His new, double-sided single “Future If Future” (a song originally released in 2018) will be the world’s first commercially available bioplastic 12″ vinyl record, coupled with Beatie Wolfe’s “Oh My Heart.”

MICHAEL STIPE

This release is part of a larger Bandcamp project in collaboration with “Future If Future” producer Brian Eno’s environmental charity EarthPercent that will include over 100 other songs. The bioplastic vinyl, designed by British music sustainability organization Evolution Music, is said to be “a genuinely revolutionary moment for both the music industry and record collectors, offering a non-fossil fuel future for vinyl recordings that globally amount to around 180 million LPs — or 30,000 tons of PVC — a year. The solution uses circular economy principles to replace the harmful production and use of single use plastics and minimize waste in the music industry.”

BEATIE WOLFE

The goal is to replace polyvinyl chloride, a plastic labeled “the most environmentally damaging” according to Greenpeace, with a more viable alternative. The single will be limited to 500 copies pressed on fossil-fuel-free vinyl. Stipe says, “Simply showing that this type of solution-based project is possible opens pathways to a brighter future.”

Check out images of the vinyl and Wolfe holding a test pressing above.

Pitchfork features Michael Stipe x Beatie Wolfe's Bioplastic record for EarthPercent

Michael Stipe Single Announced as First Commercially Available Bioplastic Record

The 12" split single will include his Brian-Eno produced track “Future If Future” as well as a song by Beatie Wolfe

By Madison Bloom

August 31, 2022

R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe is gearing up to release his long-teased solo song “Future If Future.” The track will be issued on a split 12" single with singer-songwriter Beatie Wolfe, however the disc will not be pressed on traditional polyvinyl chloride. Instead, the record will be the world’s first commercially available 12" made from sustainable bioplastic. The split is being released on Bandcamp via the Brian Eno co-founded environmental charity EarthPercent and Evolution Music. It will be available for pre-order on Friday (September 2), in a limited run of 500 copies. Find images of the bioplastic 12" below.

Stipe teased the Eno-produced “Future If Future” back in 2018 in support of the March For Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C. The flip side of the new 12" will include Wolfe’s track “Oh My Heart.” Both cuts were originally available to download as part of EarthPercent’s Earth Day campaign, which included music from Hot Chip, Nile Rodgers, Big  Thief, Peter Gabriel, and many others.

The bioplastic record was developed by Evolution Music—a British music sustainability organization that wants to provide non-fossil fuel solutions for vinyl. All funds from the sale of the new 12" will go toward EarthPercent’s five core areas of work: greening music, energy transition, climate justice, legal and policy change, and protecting nature.

“I’m thrilled to be working with EarthPercent and Evolution Music on this release, imagining positive innovation through action,” Stipe said in a press release. “Simply showing that this type of solution-based project is possible opens pathways to a brighter future.”

Beatie Wolfe added: “It’s been fantastic to join forces with EarthPercent on the environmental front and for this very special release with Michael Stipe. I’m constantly thinking about how we can take the best of the old and best of the new, bridge the tangible and digital, and reclaim as much as we innovate and this new eco 12" feels like a perfect embodiment of this. I wrote ‘Oh My Heart’ as a cry for the planet and humanity and it was recently encoded in glass and included in the Global Music Vault in Svalbard to be preserved for 10,000 years. So I couldn’t think of a better way to have it tangibly out in the world now.”

“We’re honored to have been given these amazing tracks from an incredible array of artists to raise money for our planet,” a representative for EarthPercent wrote in press materials. “The fact this has also led to a historical world first commercial release on the BioPlastic 12" with Evolution Music is beyond exciting. A huge thanks to all the artists taking part, and to Michael Stipe and Beatie Wolfe for being a part of this groundbreaking release. #nomusiconadeadplanet.”

WIMN features Michael Stipe x Beatie Wolfe's Bioplastic record for EarthPercent

Michael Stipe And Beatie Wolfe To Release World’s First Commercially Available Bioplastic 12”

By Myki Angeline

The 12” vinyl will be limited to 500 copies in support of EarthPercent

The world’s first commercially available release on bioplastic record will feature “Future If Future” by Michael Stipe and “Oh My Heart” by Beatie Wolfe.

Former R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, along with pioneering artist and musician Beatie Wolfe have teamed up to create the world’s first ever eco-friendly 12″ record. An environmental design solution by Evolution Music, it is a genuinely revolutionary moment for both the music industry and record collectors, offering a non-fossil fuel future for vinyl recordings that globally is c180 million LPs (or 30,000 tonnes of PVC) a year.

The solution uses circular economy principles to replace the harmful production and use of single use plastics and minimise waste in the music industry. Making it easy to make the change by producing bioplastic LPs (instead of PVC) using the record pressing plants’ existing machinery and production processes.

Michael Stipe said, “I’m thrilled to be working with EarthPercent and Evolution Music on this release, imagining positive innovation through action.  Simply showing that this type of solution-based project is possible opens pathways to a brighter future.”

Beatie Wolfe said, “It’s been fantastic to join forces with EarthPercent on the environmental front and for this very special release with Michael Stipe. I’m constantly thinking about how we can take the best of the old and best of the new, bridge the tangible and digital, and reclaim as much as we innovate and this new eco vinyl feels like a perfect embodiment of this.”

Visionary Artist Beatie Wolfe To Preview Her Environmental Piece ‘From Green To Red’ At The Nobel Prize Summit

She continues, “I wrote “Oh My Heart” as a cry for the planet and humanity and it was recently encoded in glass and included in the Global Music Vault in Svalbard to be preserved for 10,000 years. So, I couldn’t think of a better way to have it tangibly out in the world now.”

12” will be limited to 500 copies and be the first commercially available release on bioplastic vinyl. The release forms part of EarthPercent Bandcamp project of over 100 tracks featuring Hot Chip, Nile Rogers, Big Thief, Anna Calvi, Peter Gabriel and many more to be simultaneously available as a single download collection. The entire collection will be available September 2, 2022 at: Music | EarthPercent.

All funds raised will be focused on EarthPercent’s five core areas of work, which are greening music, energy transition, climate justice, legal and policy change, and protecting nature. To find out more about how EarthPercent is using working with the music industry to create a better future, visit EarthPercent.

Rolling Stone Magazine features Michael Stipe x Beatie Wolfe's Bioplastic record

REM's Michael Stipe to release single on eco-friendly vinyl

It is the first commercially available 12” vinyl made from bioplastics.

By   ROLLING STONE

IN SPANISH

ADAM BERRY/GETTY IMAGES

Michael Stipe has confirmed that he will release a single on environmentally friendly vinyl, in support of the EarthPercent Foundation.

The record, which will also include a single by Anglo-American Beatie Wolfe, is the first commercially available 12” vinyl made from bioplastics. The titles available on the disc will be 'Future, If Future', with which Stipe debuted as a solo artist in 2018, and Wolfe's 'Oh My Heart'.

EarthPercent, which this time collaborates with Evolution Music, was founded by Brian Eno, and has previously collaborated with Coldplay, Anna Calvi, JARV IS..., and Eno and Stipe themselves. In April, the foundation released singles donated by these artists through Bandcamp with proceeds to support their cause.

Regarding the vinyl, the former REM vocalist commented: “I am very excited to be working with EarthPercent and Evolution Music on this release, envisioning positive innovation through action. Simply showing that this type of solution-based projects is possible paves the way for a better future.”

For his part, Wolfe said he wrote 'Oh My Heart' as a "cry for the planet and humanity," adding that he "couldn't think of a better way to make it available in a tangible way."

Pre-orders for the double single start on September 2 and are limited to 500 units.

the Vinyl Factory features Michael Stipe x Beatie Wolfe's Bioplastic record for EarthPercent

Michael Stipe releasing first commercially available bioplastic record

Written by Lazlo Rugoff

The future’s looking green.

R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe is releasing the world’s first commercially available bioplastic 12” this September.

Unlike traditional records which are pressed on polyvinyl chloride, the 12” has been pressed on bioplastic developed by Evolution Music, which seeks to make the music industry more sustainable.

The record features Stipe’s new Brian Eno-produced track ‘Future if Future’, and Beatie Wolfe’s ‘Oh My Heart’ on the flip.

Limited to 500 copies, it marks the first commercially available bioplastic record.

Previously, the same material – reportedly made from “sugars and starches” – had been used for a split EP released by Music Declares Emergency.

Pre-orders for the Stipe/Wolfe record will launch on Friday 2nd September.

Check out the artwork below, and head over to Evolution Music’s website for more info.

NME features Michael Stipe x Beatie Wolfe's Bioplastic record for EarthPercent

Michael Stipe to release new climate-friendly vinyl in aid of EarthPercent

The split single, also featuring Beatie Wolfe, will come on the world's first commercially available bioplastic 12" record

By Tom Skinner

31st August 2022

Michael Stipe has announced a special split single with Beatie Wolfe in aid of climate emergency charity EarthPercent.

Founded by Brian Eno in 2021, EarthPercent aims “to offer simple and innovative ways for businesses and artists to donate to the most impactful organisations addressing the climate emergency”.

The organisation marked EarthDay this April by releasing numerous exclusive tracks that had been donated by such artists as Stipe, Coldplay, Eno, Anna Calvi and Jarvis Cocker‘s JARV IS… via Bandcamp.

Proceeds from sales of those songs went towards funding EarthPercent’s five core areas of work: “greening music, energy transition, climate justice, legal and policy change, and protecting nature”.

Today (August 31), it’s been confirmed that the former R.E.M. frontman will release ‘Future, If Future’ – his debut solo track, which originally arrived in 2018 – on the world’s first commercially available bioplastic 12″ vinyl.

The record also features ‘Oh My Heart’ by Beatie Wolfe, and will be available to pre-order here from this Friday (September 2). It’ll be limited to 500 copies.

EarthPercent has teamed up with Evolution Music for the release, marking a “genuinely revolutionary moment for both the music industry and record collectors, offering a non-fossil fuel future for vinyl recordings”.

In a statement, Stipe said: “I’m thrilled to be working with EarthPercent and Evolution Music on this release, imagining positive innovation through action. Simply showing that this type of solution-based project is possible opens pathways to a brighter future.”

Wolfe added: “I’m constantly thinking about how we can take the best of the old and best of the new, bridge the tangible and digital, and reclaim as much as we innovate and this new eco vinyl feels like a perfect embodiment of this.

“I wrote ‘Oh My Heart’ as a cry for the planet and humanity and it was recently encoded in glass and included in the Global Music Vault in Svalbard to be preserved for 10,000 years. So I couldn’t think of a better way to have it tangibly out in the world now.”

Michael Stipe collaborated with Brian Eno on ‘Future, If Future’. Speaking about the song earlier this year, the latter musician explained: “I’m very pleased with the way it’s gone. It’s a very good song, a very Stipe song. Beautiful lyrics, extraordinary piece.”

Last month saw Eno deliver another climate warning with his single ‘There Were Bells’. It’ll appear on his 22nd studio album, ‘FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE’, which is out on October 14.

Boing Boing features Michael Stipe x Beatie Wolfe's Bioplastic record for EarthPercent

Greener records are here: Michael Stipe and Beatie Wolfe featured on first bioplastic vinyl

RUSTY BLAZENHOFF 4:55 AM FRI SEP 2, 2022

Musicians have a greener way to make their records now that Evolution Music is offering non-PVC, bioplastic pressings. Michael Stipe and Beatie Wolfe are the first two artists to release music on this non-fossil fuel vinyl option. The 12" record features two tracks: Stipe's "Future If Future" (which Brian Eno produced) and Wolfe's (absolutely lovely) "Oh My Heart." Sales are limited to 500 copies and support EarthPercent.

Beatie Wolfe awaits the first pressings / image: Ross Harris

Michael Stipe: "I'm thrilled to be working with EarthPercent and Evolution Music on this release, imagining positive innovation through action.  Simply showing that this type of solution-based project is possible opens pathways to a brighter future."

Beatie Wolfe: "It's been fantastic to join forces with EarthPercent on the environmental front and for this very special release with Michael Stipe. I'm constantly thinking about how we can take the best of the old and best of the new, bridge the tangible and digital, and reclaim as much as we innovate and this new eco vinyl feels like a perfect embodiment of this. I wrote "Oh My Heart" as a cry for the planet and humanity and it was recently encoded in glass and included in the Global Music Vault in Svalbard to be preserved for 10,000 years. So I couldn't think of a better way to have it tangibly out in the world now."

Photos: Beatie Wolfe and Ross Harris (used with permission)

Digital Music News features Michael Stipe x Beatie Wolfe's Bioplastic record

Michael Stipe Releases First Commercially Available ‘BioPlastic Vinyl’

Ashley King

September 5, 2022

Will bioplastic vinyl albums become the future? R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe releases the first commercially available alternative this year.

Traditional vinyl records are pressed on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which is considered one of the most environmentally damaging plastics. It’s a highly versatile and relatively inexpensive material, but the process to create the material uses chlorine. The music industry is seeking alternatives to vinyl for a more sustainable future and bioplastic vinyl may be the answer.

Michael Stipe’s new bioplastic 12″ was part of Bandcamp Friday promotion, limited to 500 copies. The record features two tracks, including “Future if Future” and Beatie Wolfe’s “Oh My Heart” on the flip side. The release was made possible by Evolution Music.

“I’m thrilled to be working with EarthPercent and Evolution Music on this release, imagining positive innovation through action,” says Michael Stipe about the initiative. “Simply showing that this type of solution-based project is possible opens pathways to a brighter future.”

Evolution Music says the bioplastic vinyl is made from a combination of “sugars and starches.” They previously partnered with UK-based environmental group Music Declares Emergency to debut new bioplastic vinyls in that country. That special edition release was only available to people who donated to the crowdfunding campaign, while Stipe’s record was commercially available on Bandcamp Friday.

Curious to know more about Evolution Music and the bioplastic vinyl records they’re creating? NPR’s Rachel Martin spoke with the company to discuss how the company is seeking to change the impact of vinyl now that it’s experiencing a resurgence in popularity. “I want sustainable products in a 21st century environment,” Marc Carey, CEO of Evolution Music says. “So I had to form a new company and do it myself.”

The big question here is how much does bioplastic sound like the vinyl made from PVC? Evolution Music says the sound quality is extremely high. “We believe the quality is extremely high, just about as high as vinyl. Maybe 95%,” Producer Rob Cass told CBS News about the new technology.

Blood Records Founder Craig Evans says he couldn’t believe the sound quality from the bioplastic vinyl. “The first time I heard one of those test pressings, I couldn’t believe what I was listening to was basically made of bioplastic and plant waste.”

Vinyl sales in the United States alone topped $1 billion in 2021. That’s the first time they’ve achieved that number since the 1980s before CDs made vinyl old-fashioned. Evolution Music says once it has its bioplastic production is in full swing, these albums will cost much the same as current PVC vinyl records.