Read more here: http://thewiremag.tumblr.com/post/8000157688/feature-james-blake
Tags: dubstep, james blake
FEATURE: Pnau
25 Jul
Read more here: http://thewiremag.tumblr.com/post/8002274965/feature-pnau
Tags: Empire of the Sun, Luke Steele, Nick Littlemore, Peter Mayes, Pnau, soft universe
LCD Soundsystem: Yes this is happening
17 Dec
Observing people from afar, by reading or watching interviews about them or through enjoying or thinking about their artistic work, you start to form a (usually inaccurate) view of what they’re like as a person.
But strangely enough, James Murphy, the man behind New York’s successful LCD Soundsystem project and co-founder of DFA Records is, as I expected – direct, mostly serious, intelligent, and articulate. Well, that’s what I got from a 15-minute phone conversation anyway, which for him took place on a Saturday morning in Dublin.
He sounded tired. The night prior, LCD Soundsystem had played a sold-out show in Dublin and they had another that night. The band has been on a world tour since April. “I love being on the road but I’m tired immediately. It’s pretty gruelling stuff,” he says.
There’s a little chitchat about Ireland itself. Despite his Irish surname, he wasn’t attempting to connect with his roots instead, “just eating and playing”. He states the weather is “cold but not punishing” and reveals a few of his thoughts about Dublin: “It’s a gloomy dark place in some ways, but that’s one of its charms.”
We delve into more pressing matters such as – ‘is this, or is this not, LCD Soundsystem’s last ever tour?’
When they visited Australia for the Big Day Out in 2008 on the back of their hugely successful second album, Sound of Silver, their was speculation it was to be the last, but in May this year, a brilliant third album was released called, This Is Happening, followed by some east coast dates in Australia last August and an official announcement by Murphy that it was their last ever tour.
Not too long after LCD Soundsystem were announced on the Big Day Out for 2011.
“The first time round I was starting to feel like I needed it to be ending soon,” he explains. “But this time, I’ve basically said point blank that I’m going to end the touring side of things at the end of this tour and that’s not a rumour.
“At the end of the day, it’s not really the end of the band; it’s the end of us professionally touring. We’re just going to get back to making 12 inches and being a bit like normal people again.”
Right at the moment, the band is in Mexico, they take a little break for Christmas, and then it’s Australia and New Zealand followed by a few more dates to be announced soon.
“Next year is a mystery. I’m not sure what it’s going to be like,” he says.
For most bands, touring is how they survive these days, but Murphy says that making money is not the primary goal. He isn’t sure if he will continue to release albums either.
“The music industry is changing a lot and it doesn’t make sense as to what to do any more. I’m just going to see what I want to do after this. I’m excited to go home and not know.”
After writing the score to the film Greenberg by director, Noah Baumbach, which he wrote at the same time as writing, This Is Happening, he says writing soundtracks isn’t a direction he wants to head in either.
“No, it’s not really my… I really like Noah – I’d do a soundtrack with Noah anytime but I don’t like the movie industry that much. If you think the record industry is crazy try dealing with the movie industry,” he laughs.
Even though it is foolish to predict what Murphy will do next, perhaps he could move into writing literature given the enjoyably witty lyrics on This Is Happening. Possibly something satirical or postmodern.
According to Wikipedia, he was offered a job writing for the TV sitcom Seinfeld at its inception.
“There are a few things that are weird to talk about unless you are doing them – one is fighting and one is writing,” he says. “These are two things people talk a lot about and then don’t do.
“It’s a goal of mine. I don’t really want to die having not tried to write a book – it’s what I went to school for and what I was planning on doing and then I detoured into music.
“I’ve been doing music all my life but I have done it for a while and it’s something I’d like to do, but planning to write a novel is thoroughly meaningless, so we’ll see what happens.”
THE PLUG LCD Soundsystem plays the Big Day Out at Claremont Showgrounds on February 6. Tickets on sale from Ticketmaster and the usual outlets.
[Edited version published in The Wire, The West Australian, Issue 81, 09.12.10]
Tags: Big Day Out, DFA Records, Greenberg, James Murphy, LCD Soundsystem, Noah Baumbach, Seinfeld, sound of silver, this is happening
