This past weekend, DFA Records celebrated its 12th Anniversary with a party at Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn with label artists James Murphy (co-founder/LCD Soundsystem), The Rapture, The Juan Maclean, Pat Mahoney, The Crystal Ark, YACHT, and several others.  The celebration, which was one of the events associated with Red Bull Music Academy‘s month long stay in New York City, went off without a hitch and was the talk of many local music heads that were lucky enough to be in attendance.

James Murphy performed a particularly memorable set full of disco funk tracks that had everybody getting down.  Aside from his DJ set, Murphy also took part in a 90-minute interview as part of the Red Bull Music Academy New York 2013, in which he discussed everything from LCD Soundsystem, DFA, Yes (the band) and his affinity for them, how he would like to work with Fred Schneider of  The B-52′s to recreate the Public Enemy catalog, and growing up in a fairly strict household, among other things.

He also discusses meeting David Bowie at Electric Ladyland (where he recorded “Fame”) and being in awe, and making sure not to ask too many questions.  It’s funny to watch Murphy’s facial expressions and body language while listening to “Fame” in the video and still being blown away by the track.  His take on punk rock is also pretty poignant, as he explains, “Punk rock to me was always outsiderness….When I first saw large-group, scene punk rock, I was repelled by it, because there were way too many people who agreed with each other.”

Murphy also explains why finding success at a later age, and going through the tough times was “the best thing to ever happen to me,” as “if you get all the things that you’re supposed to look forward to, and that make you feel great, really early….you might not work out a lot of other stuff….some things that are more fundamental than people liking you.”

It’s a very insightful interview that gives you an inside look into the brain of James Murphy and what influenced him growing up, which in turn made his music what it has become.  Definitely worth a watch/listen.

To find out more about the Red Bull Music Academy, click here.

You can listen to James Murphy’s Red Bull Music Academy’s 12 Years of DFA Set here:

Check out the full 90-minute interview here: