If anyone had any doubt that LCD Soundsystem were still completely magical, they can rest in the knowledge that they have returned and they are still glittery as hell. The New York rockers finally made it to our shores for Splendour in the Grass and some sideshows this July. It’s their first time back since appearing at Big Day Out in 2011, after cancelling their reunion tour down under which was set for the end of last year.
The dance-punk group disbanded following their 2010 LP This Is Happening after throwing an enormous 3-hour farewell show at Madison Square Garden. Musically, they are universally acclaimed, in no small thanks to mastermind frontman James Murphy, and they are both revered by indie purists while becoming increasingly-known to the general masses. Their songs describe the emotional realities about becoming an adult and attempting to be a decent human being; they effortlessly express the fundamental and natural parts of being human.
In Sydney, the warehouse space of the Hordern Pavilion was jam-packed with die-hard fans, absolutely throbbing at the chance to see these oddball indie tastemakers work some pure magic right before their eyes.
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Stress no longer, LCD Soundsystem fans, frontman James Murphy has taken to the band’s Facebook page overnight to announce that their hugely anticipated sixth album has been completely recorded. According to Pitchfork, Murphy first made the announcement several days ago during their set at Sasquatch! Music Festival, but has now made it concrete. In a highly informative post, Murphy reports completion of the music and mixing with just ‘some art stuff’ to finalise. He reveals a rough timeframe of six weeks if everything goes to plan (though braced everyone for a likely longer wait than that) and apologised for the unexpected wait for new music. Read the full post below:
https://www.facebook.com/lcdsoundsystem/posts/10158816788330444
The new album will be the first LCD Soundsystem material since 2015’s Christmas Will Break Your Heart that was released shortly after the group reunited following their split in 2011 and their first longplayer since 2010’s third studio effort This Is Happening. As yet untitled, the record will be the last to come from the original DFA Studios in Manhattan, the birthplace of every prior LCD Soundsystem album. Murphy details that they’re closing it down after he has been there almost 20 years.
The dance punk superstars went off the grid for five years after their third album until early 2016, where their reunion was confirmed and saw them return to headlining mega-festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo among others. Amid fevered anticipation for a fourth studio album, LCD Soundsystem spent 2017 releasing a pair of singles in call the police and american dream and performing other new songs live that had their fans’ hopes sky-high. If what we’ve heard of this new record so far (assuming any of these songs make the final cut), album number four is going to be a triumphant return.
Australian fans should welcome this news with rapture, the band had initially cancelled their 2016 tour dates here to finish work on the album but are set to headline a monster Splendour In The Grass this year, a festival taking place oh, a little over six weeks from now.
Might Splendour be one of LCD Soundsystem’s first performances following the album’s released? Fingers crossed Murphy and co. get all their ducks in a row and have their catchers mitts on by then.
LCD Soundsystem Tour Dates
Monday July 24: Hordern Pavilion, Sydney (sold out)
Wednesday July 26: Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
Okay, yeah, Guns N Roses being announced on the Coachella lineup was a pretty big deal – I will not deny this. However, there was one other reunion on the bill that had myself and many, many others around the world even more excited, and that was one LCD Soundsystem.
It’s been five years since we’ve had any new material from the pioneering New York City group, who forged new and exciting paths in modern music. Helmed by James Murphy and flanked by Nancy Whang and Pat Mahoney (as well as a revolving door of many collaborators and co-performers), the band have gone onto become one of the biggest, most polarising and most influential acts in the entire world. So having them appear on this year’s Coachella bill, and having all the rumours confirmed – well, it’s a pretty big fucking deal.
However, some people weren’t as excited as others. In fact, some people got really angry at this news. Music, love of music and love of a band can do strange things to people, and this is what happened yesterday towards LCD Soundsystem. In response, Murphy has now released a (very) length statement addressing, affirming and acknowledging everyone’s feelings because that’s what he does.
In his statement, Murphy detailed the steps he went through before deciding to make more LCD Soundsystem music; how he suddenly found himself with a lot of new material, how he spoke with Nancy and Pat and they were in, how he finally felt ready to return to the studio. He also went onto address how blindsided he was by fans saying they were upset, or even feeling betrayed by this news. saying he was “seriously sorry”.
“[I]n my naiveté [I] hadn’t seen one thing coming: there are people who don’t hate us at all, in fact who feel very attached to the band, and have put a lot of themselves into their care of us, who feel betrayed by us coming back and playing…[I] saw some comments online a few days ago from people who felt that way, and it blindsided me, and made me incredibly sad,” he said.
“[I] was so clearly expecting the cynical cries of foul, that [I] hadn’t seen the heartfelt complaint coming. [W]e’ve always talked about how we’d never betray anyone who cares about us, but here we are now,” he said before pledging to make this record the best it can possibly be, especially for these fans.
“[T]he only thing we can do now is get back into the studio and finish this record, and make it as fucking good as we can possibly make it. [I]t needs to be better than anything we’ve done before, in my mind, because it won’t have the help of being the first time.”
Murphy also stated that this isn’t just “some reunion tour”, but they are “playing all over”. “[W]e’re releasing a record (sometime this year—still working on it, actually), so this isn’t a victory lap or anything, which wouldn’t be of much interest to us.
“[T]his is just the bus full of substitute teachers back from their coffee break with new music and the same weird gear—or as much of it as we still have…and rambling around trying to be louder than everyone else.”
So, whilst the rumour mill for where or when the rest of the tour dates will be (we’re looking at you, Splendour), it’s safe to say that 2016 is going to be all the better for having new LCD Soundsystem music in it. You can read the full statement here, and expect to have this new record in your ears (hopefully) very soon!
https://www.facebook.com/lcdsoundsystem/posts/10156426375825444
LCD Soundsystem have just released their very first new song since breaking up in 2011. Since the split, frontman James Murphy and co have worked hard to deny any and all rumours about a reformation, new music or a reunion tour. But perhaps that’s just changed.
Announced via Twitter, Murphy notes that he’s been singing the “depressing Christmas song”, titled Christmas Will Break Your Heart, to himself for eight years.
Here’s the full statement released alongside the single:
so, there’s been this depressing christmas song i’d been singing to myself for the past 8 years, and every year i wouldn’t remember that i wanted to make it until december, which is just too late to actually record and release a christmas song… but this year, al doyle had a short break between hot chip tours where he could be in nyc, and pat and nancy were home, and tyler agreed to fly out from berlin for a few days, so we all recorded this together, reserved a pressing plant slot, and our friend bob weston was available to master it quickly—so that means, less than 2 weeks after we recorded it, there is actually a christmas 7″, which feels like something that could only have happened a very, very long time ago.
anyway, for the holidays we give you the previous, very long run-on sentence, and this song: “christmas will break your heart”, which is another one of those songs which had about 75 lines of lyrics, though we’ve knocked down to 8 to keep the suicide rate in check.
have fun!
Listen below, and purchase the track here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3kPH2MJzlg
Every now and then a piece of news passes your way that’s so interesting and new you can’t help but gape. This is one of those times. After the end of the LCD Soundsystem moniker in 2011, frontman James Murphy has been playing around with a number of decidedly odd projects. These include opening a wine bar and a coffee brand, but the most exciting one is a mission to alleviate the cacophony of “unpleasant beeps” produced by the swiping of New York’s MetroCards – or what he calls “a dissonant rubbing-styrofoam-on-glass squeak in stations all around New York City”.
Murphy envisions melodic turnstiles, emitting sounds in harmony with each other to produce a sort of ‘Subway Symphony’ – the name of this ambitious project. NME recalls Murphy’s earlier plans: “I want to make every station in New York have a different set of dominant keys, so that people who grow up will later on in life hear a piece of music and say, ‘Oh, that’s like Union Square’,” he said in a previous interview. In an official release, Murphy states that he wants to “deliver a small sonic gift” to people on their way home, and he’s already garnered the support of Heineken, partnering with their “Project to Make Cities Better.”
Paste Magazine remains undecided on the project, calling it “half amazing and half annoying”. But we think it’s pretty bloody spectacular and innovative in its integration of music into everyday life.
In the meantime, however, the actual NYC government branch responsible for the Metro system has thrown a spanner into the works, denying Murphy’s idea firmly: “We have heard from him, and as we’ve told him many times, we cannot do it. The tones are an ADA element for the visually impaired, and we won’t mess with them – much less take turnstiles out of service and risk disabling them for an art project.”
We can’t say we’re not disappointed. But with some luck and divine intervention, Murphy just might make it happen in the future.