LCD Soundsystem
Biography
LCD Soundsystem's 2010 masterpiece "This Is Happening" stands as a towering achievement in electronic music, a perfect synthesis of dance-punk urgency and introspective melancholy that captures both the euphoria and exhaustion of nightlife culture. The album's nine tracks flow like a DJ set designed for both the dancefloor and the contemplative walk home afterward, with James Murphy's neurotic observations about aging, authenticity, and artistic integrity wrapped in some of the most compelling grooves of the 21st century. From the Bowie-channeling epic "Dance Yrself Clean" to the vulnerable confession of "Home," the record represents the culmination of everything LCD Soundsystem had been building toward since their inception.
The project began in the late 1990s when James Murphy, a former member of indie bands Pony and Speedking, found himself working as a sound engineer and DJ in New York's underground music scene. Murphy co-founded DFA Records with Tim Goldsworthy and later Jonathan Galkin, initially focusing on remixing and producing other artists. The LCD Soundsystem concept emerged from Murphy's desire to create his own music that bridged the gap between the indie rock he'd grown up with and the electronic music that dominated his DJ sets. The name itself was borrowed from a friend's band that never materialized, and Murphy adopted it for what he initially conceived as a studio project rather than a live act.
LCD Soundsystem's 2002 debut single "Losing My Edge" announced the arrival of a singular voice in music. The track's eight-minute runtime consisted largely of Murphy's deadpan recitation of his musical credentials and cultural anxieties, set against a hypnotic electronic backdrop. It was simultaneously a parody of music snobbery and a genuine expression of insecurity about relevance and authenticity. This tension between irony and sincerity would become a hallmark of Murphy's songwriting.
The band's 2005 self-titled debut album expanded on this formula, combining Murphy's conversational vocals with Nancy Whang's ethereal backing vocals and a sound that drew equally from Kraftwerk, Talking Heads, and LCD's punk contemporaries. Tracks like "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House" and "Movement" established LCD as masters of the dance-punk genre that was flourishing in mid-2000s New York alongside bands like The Rapture and !!! (Chk Chk Chk).
2007's "Sound of Silver" marked a creative leap forward, featuring more sophisticated arrangements and Murphy's most emotionally direct songwriting. The album's centerpiece, "Someone Great," transformed personal grief into a euphoric celebration of memory, while "All My Friends" became an anthem of millennial anxiety about friendship and mortality. The record earned widespread critical acclaim and established LCD Soundsystem as one of the most important bands of their generation.
Following "This Is Happening," Murphy made the surprising decision to disband LCD Soundsystem, citing his desire to avoid becoming a nostalgia act. The farewell show at Madison Square Garden in April 2011 was documented in the film "Shut Up and Play the Hits," capturing both the euphoria of the performance and Murphy's ambivalence about ending the project at its creative peak.
Murphy's "retirement" proved temporary. After spending several years working on film scores and other projects, he reunited LCD Soundsystem in 2015, initially for a series of festival performances. The comeback culminated in 2017's "American Dream," an album that grappled explicitly with the band's return and Murphy's feelings about aging and artistic legacy. Despite initial skepticism about the reunion, the album proved that LCD Soundsystem could still create vital, relevant music.
LCD Soundsystem's influence extends far beyond their direct musical descendants. Murphy's integration of electronic production with live instrumentation helped establish a template that countless indie and electronic artists have followed. His neurotic, self-aware lyricism provided a blueprint for expressing millennial anxiety through dance music, while his production work helped define the sound of 2000s indie rock.
The band continues to tour and record, with Murphy having seemingly made peace with LCD Soundsystem's ongoing existence. Their legacy rests not just on their individual songs, but on their role in bridging multiple musical worlds and creating a space where intellectual indie rock and physical dance music could coexist. In an era of increasing musical fragmentation, LCD Soundsystem proved that the most meaningful art often emerges from the spaces between genres, scenes, and expectations.
