Duke Shin

You'll have to excuse James Murphy for sounding exhausted.

Calling from his Brooklyn home, the man from DFA Records and frontman of LCD Soundsystem is about to embark on a tour that will momentarily take him away from his duties as Disco Infiltrator #1--duties like, say, shooting a video for "All My Friends" (the forthcoming second single from LCD's sophomore effort "Sound of Silver"), or mixing a couple of Cut Copy tracks, or performing on "Late Show with David Letterman," or finishing up on a pair of B-sides, or petting Petunia, his French Bulldog Terrier. And that's to say nothing about the sixteen dates in twenty-one days during March's European leg of the tour.

"It's just been a little bit bonkers. Right now I'm just...I'm reclining," Murphy exhales. "I have my dog sitting in my lap. She's very happy so I don't want to disturb her."

Petunia is probably oblivious to the deluge of critical acclaim rained down upon LCD's latest long-player from Rolling Stone, Spin, NME, CMJ, URB, BPM, Pitchfork--hell, even Entertainment Weekly.

Signature sound is intact, yet further employed this time around are Tyler Pope's added funk (see !!! and Out Hud) and Nancy Whang's high-pitched vocal counterpoint stabs at Murphy's various howls, yelps, shouts and croons. Yet, perhaps unjustly overlooked are Murphy's adept skills as a lyricist. While his often-documented love of raw disco mutations and signature unholy trinity of tambourine/cowbell/handclap generally dominate name association, he's still best known as the snarky, cheeky humorist who lamented the loss of edge and brought Daft Punk to your house. Yet gentler sensibilities and honest sentiment shine in sublime soon-to-be favorites "Someone Great" and "All My Friends," and even a Lou Reed moment in a nostalgic dedication for New York's decadent yester-year (the funny-yet-poignant "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down"). Still, it's not covering new ground, as growing older, praising dawn (when staying up to reach it, of course) and other LCD motifs pogo their way back to the front.

"I think I spend a lot of time traveling so [New York City] occupies a big part of my brain...a big part of my head space."

So perhaps the crowning achievement for the New Yawkest of the über-producer/DJ-with-a-band set would be his recent return engagement to perform on Letterman's show. Had to feel good, right?

"[It feels] cold," Murphy monotones humorlessly. "Forty-seven degrees in there, that's what it feels like...It feels fine. I don't really notice that stuff. Y'know, all the little changes here and there don't really register with me...God, are you beeping?!"

Apparently, live network-television performances fronting a band (with Paul Schaffer and the CBS Orchestra providing extra hand-claps and horns, no less) doesn't register, yet to this audio-goldsmith's ears, the barely audible beep of a cell phone voice recorder does.

"I do like to DJ as much as I can," he says, "and when we're touring and I have a day off...like in Chicago, I believe I'm DJing downstairs [at Smart Bar]?"

Murphy is indeed a fine DJ in his own right, but given his impressive indie-cred pedigree and studio autuerism, it might be a surprise to some that his DJ sets are so danceable--an idea Murphy bristles at.

"I DJ dance music, so hopefully it would be," sniffs Murphy. "Unless you're just providing background music for a cocktail party...I like to play dance music so people dance. I like dance music a lot. I don't play rock--unless it's good to dance to."

Murphy pontificates further, professing his love of late-seventies and early eighties New York disco, which permeates nearly all of his work. But when discussion turns to the perceived oxymoronic label of disco-punk, specifically the refined image of disco versus the raw feel of punk, Murphy finally, and passionately, comes alive.

"That's so stupid people talk shit about disco. Disco is NOT refined. It's not polished music. The kind of moments that disco became internationally popular were very weird. It'd be sort of like defining punk only by [Nirvana's] `Nevermind,' which has multi-track guitar, and digital reverb which made it approachable. You know what I mean? Early New York disco is really raw...it's pretty punk, as far as I'm concerned...I really love it."

LCD Soundsystem performs at Metro, 3730 North Clark, (773)549-0337, on May 6, at 9pm. This show is sold out, but he DJs the afterparty downstairs at Smart Bar, alongside LCD & Hot Chip DJs, The End resident DJ James Lauer and special guest Timothy Heit, 10pm-4am. $5.

(2007-05-01)

Also by Duke Shin

Back to the Future
Since the formation of DJ collective Orchard Lounge in 2000, members Spencer Lokken, Bethany Lokken and Ben Silver have been active around Chicago, with past and current residencies at such music-minded destinations as Sound-Bar, Funky Buddha Lounge and Moonshine
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Spin Control
DJs Warp and Radiohiro are perhaps the most notable tech-ethnomusicologists in Chicago
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Spin Control
Former Peace Division member and current LOT49 co-owner Dylan Rhymes took time out to chat with us about the upcoming gig
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The Meat Offensive
In one corner, a DJ will attempt to spin his grandma's recipe into gold. In the other corner, a professional Strawberry Shortcake will try applying her considerable sweet-making abilities. The two contestants slave away in a cozy Bucktown kitchen as ten hungry judges sit in anticipation, attempting to ignore the savory smells wafting through the apartment by making up meatloaf lore and pounding wine
(2007-02-27)

Spin Control
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Spin Control
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Spin Control
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Spin Control
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Tip of the Week
(2006-12-22)

The New Days of Disco
(2006-11-28)

Mr. Bright Side
(2006-11-20)

Tip of the Week
(2006-11-20)

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