It’s hard to believe that its already been over three and a half years since LCD Soundsystem performed their epic final concert at Madison Square Garden, forever immortalized by the film ‘Shut Up and Play The Hits’. While the first question most people ask upon hearing a major band breaks up is “when are they getting back together?”, it seems like former front man James Murphy really enjoys his new life away from the project.
Over the past few years, Murphy has produced an album for Arcade Fire, filmed a short film under the mentorship of Ron Howard, created a signature coffee line, and has lobbied to change the sound of the subway turnstiles in Manhattan. The man is clearly enjoying his free time.
But for many, the best way to enjoy Murphy’s creativity and knack for great music is by catching his DJ sets, which pop up sporadically between nightclubs and festivals. Last Thursday at Brooklyn’s Output, Murphy was joined by Tim Sweeney, a former intern at James Murphy’s Death From Above Records (and prolific DJ in his own right) who is perhaps best known for WNYU’s Tuesday Night dance music show ‘Beats In Space’.
For several hours, Murphy and Sweeney collaborated in the booth, creating a soundtrack of funk and big beat disco tracks that make you want to move. The music is a swift departure from Output’s usual style, which was a somewhat refreshing change of pace, with the venue feeling a bit ‘brighter’, and Output’s incredible sound system doing the music perfect justice.
While many DJs specializing in funk and disco get the crowd involved by going for the heavy hitting classics, Murphy does almost the exact opposite, opting for deeper cuts, amusing his audience with new and unique melodies they aren’t familiar with (although I did once hear him loop Thelma Houston’s ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ for what felt like 15 minutes’. The guy has a way for finding great music – he’s essentially made a career out of it with his record label. And at the end of the day, I think that’s what people come out to see – what James Murphy, one of Brooklyn’s ultimate taste makers, is spinning these days.