LCD Soundsystem — Music Videos

About

LCD Soundsystem is an American band and recording project founded by James Murphy, closely connected with New York’s independent dance music scene. The music brings live-band physicality into contact with the repetitive structures of disco, house and electronic production. Bass lines, drums, percussion and keyboards often establish a pattern before guitars and Murphy’s voice add new layers of tension. The songs can be funny, anxious, affectionate and self-questioning within the same performance.

Sound and recordings

Daft Punk Is Playing at My House, released in 2005, gives a concise introduction to that approach. Its tightly wound rhythm and repeated idea create the feeling of a party that is both real and imagined. All My Friends followed in 2007 on Sound of Silver, building an expansive song from a persistent piano figure. As the arrangement grows, the repetition changes from a rhythmic device into part of the song’s emotional argument.

Listening guide

The relationship between the studio project and the performing band is important to LCD Soundsystem’s identity. Carefully designed sounds become something more flexible when played by an ensemble, while the influence of dance music keeps the structure focused on movement and gradual development. Their recordings suit listeners who enjoy both detailed production and the pressure of a band working together. The two early singles offer contrasting routes into that combination of rhythmic discipline, cultural curiosity and unusually candid songwriting.