Mürmur Explained

mürmur.
Hosting:Uluç Ülgen
Language:English
Length:75 minutes
Genre:Comedy
Num Episodes:294

mürmur. is a New York City-based podcast hosted by Uluç Ülgen. The show revolves around impromptu conversations that take place between Ülgen and the various strangers who spontaneously show up to his apartment. In late 2016, the project began receiving international press, including articles in The New York Post,[1] and The Paris Review.[2]

Background

mürmur. was launched in 2014 following a hitchhiking trip to the Middle East that Ülgen describes as rekindling his faith in humanity.[3] After returning to New York City, he sold off his entire music gear in order to finance the space required for the project to help strangers through the medium of conversation.

Guests began discovering the podcast through the street flyers that Ülgen frequently posts in the Greenwich Village and East Village neighborhoods of Manhattan. Ülgen expresses that the abundance of strangers coming on the show, while overwhelming, has enabled him to dramatically improve his social skills.[4] He now uses the experience harnessed on the podcast by giving advice to others who suffer from social anxiety and shyness.[5]

In August 2017, the show's studio was forced to relocate after a liability dispute with the landlord of the building.[6] As of October 2017, mürmur. operates from an undisclosed, private location in the East Village.[7]

In November 2017, mürmur. was picked up for the Fall edition of Radio Free Brooklyn.

Ülgen often makes pleas in interviews to nab his idol Kid Rock for a mürmur at his apartment.[8]

As of 2019, over 900 strangers have appeared on the podcast.[9]

Notes and References

  1. News: McClear . Sheila . This Guy Invites Strangers Into His Apartment For Fun. . February 15, 2016 . September 23, 2016.
  2. News: Pomoroski . Chris . Mürmurings. . January 6, 2011 . January 5, 2017.
  3. News: How are you? A year of having conversations with complete strangers in an east 5th street apartment. . December 23, 2015 . . Grieve, East.
  4. News: American Voices . February 9, 2017 . . . Bradley, Bill.
  5. News: An introvert's guide to surviving the holidays . December 1, 2016 . . Leung, Wency.
  6. News: Sandoval . Edgar . Tenant's podcast interviews with scores of strangers led to eviction threat. . September 17, 2017 . September 23, 2017.
  7. News: Alonzo . Levar . mürmur podcast is making some noise again in its new digs. . October 19, 2017 . October 26, 2017.
  8. News: Hobbs . Allegra . Podcaster Who Invited 'Everyone' Into His Home Moving After Landlord Spat . . October 12, 2017 . October 31, 2017 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171104162918/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20171012/east-village/murmur-podcast-moves-to-undisclosed-location-after-landlord-complains-about-guests . November 4, 2017 .
  9. Web site: mürmur. . iTunes . February 15, 2017.