James Murphy talks LCD Soundsystem and Disco Drums | Red Bull Music Academy

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In his 2013 Red Bull Music Academy lecture, James Murphy discussed everything from his favorite childhood records to LCD Soundsystem and disco drums.
James Murphy almost singlehandedly brought back the cultural exchange between indie and dance music with his LCD Soundsystem, the attached DFA label, and cult singles like “Losing My Edge” and The Rapture’s “House Of Jealous Lovers.”
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#JamesMurphy #LCDSoundsystem #RedBullMusicAcademy
As the leading man and lyricist of LCD Soundsystem, he has celebrated two Grammy nominations and received critical acclaim for the second LCD album, Sound Of Silver. With LCD’s third album This Is Happening, released in 2010, Murphy announced the band’s retirement. Prior to that, Murphy went into film scoring (Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg) and established a name for himself as a DJ.
TOPICS:
Yes - 01:09
Childhood 7-inches - 06:24
Rites of passage - 13:36
Defining punk - 24:53
Disco drums - 31:52
Voices - 46:42
MUSIC:
01:29 - Yes - "Heart of the Sunrise" • Heart of the Sunrise b...
06:29 - Gilbert O'Sullivan - "Alone Again, Naturally" • Gilbert O'Sullivan - A...
09:46 - David Bowie - "Fame" • DAVID BOWIE - FAME [HQ...
19:52 - Can - "I'm So Green" • Can - I'm So Green (Of...
25:07 - B52's - "Rock Lobster" • B-52's Rock Lobster
32:00 - Metro Area - "Atmosphrique" • Metro Area - Atmosphrique
39:45 - Heaven 17 - "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" • Heaven 17 - (We Don't ...
46:48 - Roberta Flack - "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" • Roberta Flack The Fir...
51:44 - The Fall - "Paintwork" • The Fall - Paintwork
55:48 - Beatles - "Tomorrow Never Knows" • Tomorrow Never Knows -...
1:00:02 - Harry Nilsson - "Jump Into The Fire" • Harry Nilsson ~ Jump I...
The Red Bull Music Academy is a global music institution committed to fostering creativity in music. We celebrate music, its culture, and the transformative minds behind it. Begun in 1998, the Academy has taken the core principles that underlie its annual workshop for selected participants and applied this curatorial approach to events, lectures, and city-wide festivals throughout the year.
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[@emilia1876]

i want james murphy talking about music to be a subtle background noise throughout my whole life

[@joefagot218]

that’s just schizophrenia

[@gabebellone1219]

I am doing that right now whilst editing

[@jackengdall]

@@gabebellone1219same lmao

[@Elevantband]

I love how every time they put a song on he looks like he's gone into a state of bliss.

[@michaelmccay123]

I met James in Austin once. Several DFA staples were DJing at Beauty Bar after the Stubb's LCD show. 2010ish. Hearing Pow Pow on Stubb's outdoor system was incredible, the Simmons tom hits was an auditory orgasm. I introduced myself while Juan was on the decks. I told him I was an aspiring audio engineer, and asked if he had any advice. He paused for a moment and then said "you gotta get in there and get dirty. Get dirty and stay nerdy". I knew exactly what he meant. Best advice I have ever received.

[@djstarsign]

why is it that this interviewer reminds me of indie nerds that would come up to me while I was djing and they'd never flat out ask "hey, what's the name of this song?", it was always, "what's this song again?", I'd tell them and they'd go "oh yeah, right", and just walk away. never "cool" or "thanks", just "oh yeah, right". perpetually afraid they might lose cool points if they, for the love of god, hear something they actually might not know. :-D

[@aano1370]

too close to home

[@--..__]

Because you're insecure and projecting. Just enjoy the interview dude jeaus

[@parker580]

Because they're exceptionally insecure about their ignorance.

[@mulefa1]

this is the best comment

[@Blank_Frank]

33:00 "hmmm...gnagnagneirk... *sighs* yeah, exactly, thanks"

[@juliusaugustino8409]

Here are the songs they talk about: Yes - Heart of the sunrise Gilbert O'Sullivan - Alone again, naturally David Bowie - Fame Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun Can - I'm So Green The B-52's - Rock Lobster Metro Area - Atmosphrique Heaven 17 - We Don't Need This (Fascist Groove Thang) Roberta Flack - The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face The Fall - Paint Work The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows Harry Nilsson - Jump Into The Fire and here are some other artists/bands James Murphy talks about or mentions: The Stooges, Captain Beefheart, P.I.L., Sly Stone, Suicide, Dvorak, The Surf Punks, Dead Kennedys, Nina Simone, Gang of Four, The Smiths, Joy Division, Public Enemy, Daft Punk, ELO, Kanye West, Funkadelic, James Brown, The Meters, Arthur Russell, Human League, James Chance, Nitzer Ebb, Black Dice and there were few more I guess

[@XxPepper17xX]

I'm surprised he doesn't mention Talking Heads considering how much he rips on them. I like LCDS's music but honestly, it's just electronic Talking Heads minus David Byrne.

[@waiflu]

^ ur the guy he talks about at 19:30

[@evanphillips2126]

severi saaristo someone wanna re-do Losing My Edge with these records listed at the end?

[@spencer9534]

God I love LCD Soundsystem and god I love CAN

[@viseberg8527]

kiitos tästä

[@mauanyyy]

When he talks about a certain age you find a band and it becomes your band, I definitely feel about that with LCD and the age of 25.

[@mathiasvoss8476]

Damn, i've known about LCD soundsystem for years but it's not untill recently that i've really started my obession with them. I'm 25...

[@jacaanthony]

@@mathiasvoss8476 welcome to the club 🙏

[@pantsonpyre]

I'm also 25 and falling in love with them, coincidence?

[@anthonyismyname1341]

Songs that they are listening to: 1:29 Yes - Heart of the sunrise 6:24 Gilbert O'Sullivan - Alone again, naturally 9:47 David Bowie - Fame 13:37 Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun 19:46 Can - I'm So Green 24:52 The B-52's - Rock Lobster 31:52 Metro Area - Atmosphrique 39:43 Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang 46:43 Roberta Flack - The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face 51:41 The Fall - Paintwork 55:43 The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows 59:54 Harry Nilsson - Jump Into The Fire

[@louisaddeo-weiss5690]

James Murphy has literally been my gateway into so much of my favorite music. I can listen him talk for hours on end.

[@jacobschreiber5288]

James Murphy meeting David Bowie would be me meeting James Murphy

[@becklanda.3642]

+Jacob Schreiber i second that notion

[@simonhdfifa1685]

Badda bing badda boom , he fuckin died ?!

[@jasssage507]

If you were James Murphy..

[@ToLWaM]

Nice to meet you, mr. bowie

[@viseberg8527]

The best single aspect of this interview is the James Brown noise at 29:41

[@rubenbraunschmid4368]

This, together with "James murphy on how to deal with failure", must be one of my favorite interviews ever. I've come back to it time and time again and it never fails to entertain me. It's such an animated conversation juggling between nerdy minutiae talk and the bigger picture, all balanced by James tongue-in-cheek commentary. Great job on the interviewers part, too!

[@benbudin]

He is the coolest and most down to earth guy, an endearing guy to be surrounded by the hippest people ...

[@xenongroup3703]

James Murphy is way to cool for this guy doing the interview.

[@arnand121]

Interviewer acts like he’s too cool for James. It’s like damn it man! Geek it out with a dude who obviously loves this stuff!

[@dazeofheaven]

dude definitely would be an excellent comedy writer... You could see why he was offered a job to write for Seinfeld before it got big...

[@50zezima]

Art P Yeah he would. Basically low key made fun of the whole mood of this shitty interview vibe in a couple sentences. He made them look retarded which they are it was great.

[@Adrianovaz2007]

wait what

[@BrasilianStormagedon]

Wait what

[@danielcropp8553]

Mr. Murphy seems to have an earnest passion for music. I really appreciate that.

[@peters5090]

of course he does lol

[@mosesramirez6330]

I didn't notice it until now, but after hearing Rock Lobster and hearing him say (25:57) that the guitar part was super influential, I now hear North American Scum totally differently. It's a lot like a slowed down RL, particularly in the chorus, complete with Kate Pierson-style vocal doubling.

[@rochfordsnrubbs6855]

Coming back to this again, I do every few months or so. Loads of his choices are amazing, and I love LCD Soundsystem. Personally, can never get enough of other musicians opinions on The Fall, and I know James is a massive fan. Long live LCD and The Fall

[@01digweed]

This was amazing. Listening to him talk makes me realise how shallow my appreciation of music is

[@estereo]

I just want to hug you, James.

[@lostrooms4914]

I’ve always been curious if James Murphy was really into Floyd (“set controls for heart of the sun”, “us and them over and over again”.) Also feel like Movement off the first record has a definite Mark E Smith influence

[@sebp400]

So, true about Violent Femmes, it's a right of passage. Or even The Pixies or Slint as seminal indie bands. Or as a young musician or music fiend, at one point, you get out of punk rock and discover funk with Funkadelic/Parliament/The Meters, oftentimes through The Beastie Boys or hiphop in general. If you go deeper ,you then hear your first Kraftwerk and the whole Kraut rock scene and then, go back to punk and discover legendary post-punk bands... and as you grow up, your tastes don't change that much.

[@BrasilianStormagedon]

I take it you're European, and me being South American and still relating makes me amazed

[@aloneso5925]

I've come back to this interview so many times

[@rivinish]

James "human-size ewok" Murphy

[@reedstoltz5112]

I would love to hear James talk about the track he made with Gorillaz and Andre 3000, Do Ya Thing

[@jamesdoctor8079]

“what’s the deal with black dice?” is the funniest question to ask james murphy

[@IElrekkaI]

this dude is funny as shit oh my god

[@mrdubcek6824]

Same about Bowie, love him now but the 'Life On Mars' video scared the shit out me when I was wee

[@gwinerreniwg]

8yo James Murphy doom-listening to "Alone Again Naturally" dressed as Darth Vader on Hallowe'en is something I would pay to see.

[@atree88]

32:15 - 32:48 great kick pattern too.

[@ngails]

Wow! Did not know another guy could have loved the exact same bands as I did, including the guitar at the end of Rock Lobster.

[@BarryWarne]

wonderfully articulate about the right kinds of things

[@solomanneil]

So many haters!!! What have you created and shared with the world? Thank you for uploading. I'm a J. Murphy fan boy so this was great.

[@RBMA]

If you want to know more about the man that gave us LCD Soundsystem... ► www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/james-murphy

[@daltonlunn1653]

A few months after this he started working on American Dream

[@chancestillman3360]

James Murphy is great, but the interviewer needs to learn how to really be present. He is nearly unresponsive the entire time... Seems downright rude, but perhaps he can't help it...

[@littlesquidward8117]

He seems wayyy pretentious but James carry's the interview so it's ok

[@billypilgrim1]

Is it wrong if this is the third time I listen to this lecture?

[@billypilgrim1]

DR Halll His music is amazing! are you kidding?

[@becklanda.3642]

we meet again

[@billypilgrim1]

Is it wrong if this is the Sixth time I listen to this lecture?

[@mastersoftoday]

@@billypilgrim1 yeah. a healthy amount is like 20-50 times i'd say

[@papitorincon3983]

9:50 he was feeling that. Such a great song R.I.P. to the legend. 😢

[@walrus7617]

hj

[@walrus7617]

nf

[@moliver_xxii]

42:43 great life lesson.

[@vaseTheMusic]

i was there. i interviewed james murphy. in 2015. we listened to some of his musical influences. but i was there. i am the edge. sorry this interviewer is awful but hey, thanks for trying but you're bringing me down

[@TheShadyPenguin]

People are hating on the interviewer but he’s not that bad. He’s just letting James talk!

[@TheShadyPenguin]

Nevermind he pretty fucking bad

[@ricomcpato5266]

the lone laugh at 1:00:01 is so good lmao

[@plazticbag]

Interviewer: let's play thi- James: AH! lemme finish

[@hazuinf]

Guy looks so uncomfortable when James Murphy starts joking about his parents beating him

[@donkeyshot8472]

james murphy. what. a. nice. guy.

[@BarryWarne]

I miss those record stores that he is talking about

[@marshw000]

Has James ever talked about beach house? Just curious if someone knows

[@tangerinapokabergamota]

i love james murphy

[@thetrickisirarelyrespond5945]

32:00 - 32:52 reminds me a lot of "Danger Zone" by Midnight Express.

[@matthewensign9683]

13:27 and guess who passed away that very year...

[@patxmcq]

man I'd love to be at one of those Yes parties

[@RyanFromUltrasound]

that man is incredible

[@Johncllctn]

james is so sweet, he looks like a hedgehog

[@nigelthornberry5375]

On the discussion of bands that kids come across at a certain age, regardless of how long the album's been out, n just connect with it; I'd say that a recent example is Mindless Self Indulgence. Every time I bring them up at a bar, everyone who's heard of them gravitates to an album and lements that "aww man, I wish they kept going with the sound that I came across as a teenager", myself included. They were always such a middle finger to whatever was considered edgy at the time -- for the late 90s early 2000s it was goth, for my generation it was the scene kids and emo kids. I never had MTV, never had MAD magazine, but I had MSI. N that wuz enuff

[@SicksentZ]

First. Murphy is that dude

[@billyparham630]

what the hell? James is one of the nicest people in music industry and this interviewer just sucks so badly i cant believe it. still not sure if it is supposed to be a joke or if he is genuinely so dull and arrogant

[@kawabungadad8945]

I thought he was great.

[@danielcropp8553]

He seems okay to me.

[@thetrickisirarelyrespond5945]

Nah, I think some people are just legit low energy anaemic apple core eaters, just existing in the truth of their narrow interests. There probably is a thin line between dull and disinterested and all this dudes energy seems to have gone into being into cool shit while not being so cool himself maybe

[@nocheknight8303]

this is like rewatching old episodes of entourage

[@Thesalamisquad]

i wish murph nerded out about how he makes live toms sound like 909 toms, the interviewer is so lame

[@arielgarza1415]

16:42 sums up exactly how I feel about the man and his music.

[@emd1405]

I'm gonna teach my kids this is George Lucas

[@lion-o6724]

Can somebody please please please tell me the brand name or even better the exact speaker they are using to play all of the musical clips through! Need to know! WANT THEM!

[@letthegalaxyburn]

My Man!

[@fraicheness]

Legend.

[@that1guytube]

Thank you for this

[@theactorjohnlarroquette]

45:27 is that lars ulrich

[@annereid8901]

james murphy is a god

[@Sonofanoob]

Seems like every musician he's mentioned has passed away since this interview.

[@mastersoftoday]

yeah, Mark E Smith just died and I returned here to see them talk about Paint Work by The Fall :(

[@Turfdeanthantrax]

We still have Damo!

[@bjoern_thun_dersteel]

Is that James Murphy From Death/Obituary/Testament?

[@mickleman52]

is there a list of the tracks they played? What is the band at 39:46? It sounds like Evan 17?

[@graah2]

+mickleman52 They said in the video that it was Evan 17.

[@MicrowaveDemon]

+mickleman52 Here's the full transcript of the lecture, with every songtitle and band: www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/james-murphy

[@Hygienist-]

"Fascist Groove Thing" - Heaven 17

[@conorlynch2879]

Thank god for this catholic surprise.

[@user-qh5ex5tl1g]

1:04:00

[@rjmilitante2787]

The 'SWITCH TOPICS HERE' message is bugging me.

[@cohenmedson1755]

I scrolled too far to find this comment

[@jakebee7205]

Dung Beetle is Sam Lypsites old band

[@dillonesque]

Yeah, that interviewer needs to be stopped...

[@alexkoch7521]

This interviewer is so bad wow

[@eainsf]

it'd be rad if someone could all the songs they played during this lecture! anyone??? :D

[@ishitvvats2044]

check top comments

[@theversatilehunter3651]

Interviewer seems like that pretentious jerk who never leaves my local coffee shop and spends the whole time on his macbook with 500 dollar headphones on. Still, really knows his shit.

[@henryharrison6024]

The logo in the background with the holes makes me feel so uncomfortable

[@dalesharpy9197]

Ha ha Gilbert O’Sullivan Alone Again Naturally... I had the single as a teen.

[@RoadheadRecords]

25:45 B-52s/punkrockweirdoism 30:00 Drums 33:00 ditch the reso head

[@joserobles8219]

43:00

[@christopherbrunton]

13:18 "hahaha yeah"

[@leo-wi9cn]

Reizinho lindo

[@cipsi123]

james is going way over this guys head

[@isabellastrong6725]

pylon?

[@emiliocontreras2841]

this guy reminds me of buzz osborne

[@Str8RecordsMusic]

Anyne know the song at 19:50?

[@georgebrooks3251]

+STR8 RECORDS im so green by can

[@kzrwngboi]

this guy has the thickest neckbeard i've ever seen i'm impressed

[@footer317]

damn what shoes are james wearing?

[@sannahuuhka5962]

They are Feiyue martial art sneakers.

[@josuezacahua8331]

Ofc he had to have a very sofisticad taste

[@leo-wi9cn]

This talk looks like a monologue

[@ELI8T]

"It's a police state."

[@axelusul]

Can became Can't🤔🙄

[@rufusdelux3222]

james is so interesting but the interviewer doesn't engage or interact in the conversations!

[@MichaelGallagher97]

This interviewer is a try hard indie kid. Everyone disliked that

[@--..__]

How? He's just quiet. Jess Christ you bitchy hipsters

[@station.station104]

interviewer is pretty much awful.

[@chirongodemperorof4127]

Creepy jew

[@poopistbaby]

Noticing during the LCD interview is insane 😭

[@Tom-os4hy]

Annoying hipster interviewer

[@nocheknight8303]

midnight cringe

[@zetetick395]

Who on Earth is this awkward / moody Allen Ginsberg looking dude?

[@pablomartinezmata9313]

Nerds.