You're listening to Radiotopia Presents, from PRX's Radiotopia.

Hi, this is Damon Krukowski. I'm hosting a six-part podcast from Radiotopia's showcase called Ways of Hearing.

It explores the nature of listening in our digital world.

This week, we're pausing our series to bring you a special collaboration between Ways of Hearing

and one of my favorite podcasts, Song Exploder by Rishikesh Herway.

Each episode of Song Exploder is a look into the studio process of a musician working today, and those musicians

all work with one exception, as we'll hear, in a digital medium. In fact, the premise of Song

Exploder breaking a song down into its isolated individual parts or stems depends on digital tools.

Back in analog days, bands like the one I was in, Galaxy 500, didn't have the materials or means to archive the individual parts to songs.

Multitrack tape was so expensive, Galaxy 500 actually rented it.

The equivalent of our stems were taped over by the next band that came into the studio where we recorded.

All we kept was the stereo master, the same mix you hear on our finished records.

I love listening to Song Exploder because I learned so much about how other musicians are working right now.

But one thing we hardly ever hear on the show is its creator's voice.

I wanted to turn the process around and ask how Song Exploder itself is put together.

Think of this as Song Exploder Exploder.

Okay, yeah.

My name is Rishi Kay Sherway.

I'm the host and creator of the podcast Song Exploder. Okay, yeah. My name is Rishi K. Shirwe. I'm the host and creator of the podcast Song Exploder. First of all, if you didn't mind talking a little bit about your own beginnings

and sound production. The podcast really started when I was on tour one time with my band. You get into

these conversations with other musicians. how did you make that thing?

I love that sound.

...