Around the time as he was collaborating with Stipe, and while still a member of Oh-OK, Sweet began writing songs for another project, the Buzz of Delight, which consisted of Sweet and former Oh-OK drummer David Pierce. In October 1983, they recorded a six-song EP, "Soundcastles", released in the spring of 1984 on DB Records, and performed in New York, Florida and Georgia State to promote it. In the summer and November 1984, the Buzz of Delight recorded more songs, none of which were immediately released. (In 1990, one previously unreleased Buzz of Delight track appeared on the DB Records compilation "Squares Blot out the Sun", and, in 2002, three others on "To Understand".) Meanwhile, Stipe continued his work with R.E.M., who were getting acclaim and success with their album "Murmur". In 1983, it was named album of the year by "Rolling Stone" and "Trouser Press", and by the middle of 1984, it had sold 200,000 copies. In November 1983, R.E.M. began recording their follow-up, "Reckoning".