Stuff Digital Edition

What’s new to listen to

Ximena Smith rounds up what podcasts we’re tuning into.

Crypto Island

This is the latest project from narrative podcast veteran PJ Vogt, who was one of the founding cohosts of the popular Gimlet podcast about the internet, Reply All (if you’re not familiar with Reply All, please go listen to The Case of the Missing Hit and Long Distance part 1 and 2 immediately). Vogt left

Reply All a year ago in somewhat confusing and mysterious circumstances; public details about it suggest that he was initially opposed to unionisation efforts at Gimlet, and, following public criticism, he stepped away from the show. I know I’m not the only one to have been missing his presence on Reply All, so I was delighted to hear that he was working on a new limited series audio project, Crypto Island, which, as the name suggests, is all about stories from the wild world of cryptocurrency. The short introductory episode tells us about a duo trying to set up a private island for the crypto elite; another tells the story about a group of crypto enthusiasts who pool millions of dollars worth of Ether (a type of cryptocurrency) to try to buy a rare copy of the US Constitution. More recently, Vogt released a special ‘‘breaking news’’ episode explaining the flow-on effects of the crash of the so-called stablecoin, Terra. The show is reminiscent of early Reply All episodes – curious, funny, and beautifully written. It’s a gratifying listen for those, like me, who have missed hearing Vogt’s voice through their headphones over the past year.

Will Be Wild

From Pineapple Street Studios and Wondery, this tells us the backstory of the January 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington, DC. Hosts Andrea Bernstein and Ilya Marritz have a surprising level of access to former government officials, who are all very frank about the absolute turmoil that existed within the various government departments in charge of national security in the lead up to January 6. The series also features thoughtful and compassionate interviews with some of those who attended the insurrection and their families; for example, one episode explores the story of a teenager who reported his own father to the FBI. So far I’ve listened to only episodes that are out for free, but if the numerous positive reviews are anything to go by, the remaining episodes should hopefully be just as good. Listen to Will Be Wild for free on your regular podcasting app (new episodes released weekly), or binge the whole thing now by signing up for Amazon Music or Wondery+.

Sympathy Pains

The host of the excellent Dr Death podcast series, Laura Beil, is back. While Dr Death told stories of horrific medical malpractice, Sympathy Pains pivots to the story of Sarah Delashmit, a serial medical fraudster who made up elaborate stories about having a variety of illnesses, including cancer and muscular dystrophy. Sympathy Pains is largely told from the point of view of Delashmit’s numerous victims that she accumulated over two decades, and their heartfelt recollections of their various ordeals with Delashmit makes for compelling listening. My one criticism of the show would be that it doesn’t really get to the bottom of Delashmit’s motivation – instead she appears mostly as a faceless villain throughout most of the series (to be fair to Beil, she did contact Delashmit a number of times for an interview, but each time was turned down). I wasn’t as captivated by Sympathy Pains as I was by the first season of Dr Death, but Beil’s new series nevertheless makes for an engaging listen.

SOUND & VISION

en-nz

2022-05-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282162179827318

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