Artist

LCD Soundsystem

Brooklyn, United States • Formed 2001

LCD Soundsystem is a music group from Brooklyn, United States, active since 2001. Their discography on Gatefold includes 24 records.

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Albums tracked

349

In collections

2001

Since

Biography

LCD Soundsystem is the musical project of American musician, DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer James Murphy, co-founder of dance-punk label DFA Records. Formed in 2001 in New York City, New York, United States, the music of LCD Soundsystem can also be described as a mix of alternative dance and post punk, along with elements of disco and other styles. During the band's final years, Murphy was accompanied by Al Doyle (guitar, percussion -- also of Hot Chip)

The Arc of LCD Soundsystem

The pivots — what forced LCD Soundsystem to reinvent.

The DFA Blueprint
Murphy and Goldsworthy spent the early 2000s turning a dirty basement into a production powerhouse, defined by the dry, compressed drum sound and the modular synth squelch of the debut double album. This era was about the 12-inch single culture, where 'Losing My Edge' served as a manifesto for every record store clerk who felt replaced by the internet. You can hear the hardware limitations in the repetitive, hypnotic loops that define tracks like 'Beat Connection.' It was a masterclass in using limited gear to create a maximalist club vibe.
The Mansard Shift
For Sound of Silver, the band moved into a farmhouse in Massachusetts and covered every square inch of the walls in silver foil to set a specific mood. This is where the songwriting caught up to the production, moving past irony and into genuine, heartbreaking sincerity on tracks like 'Someone Great.' The sound became denser and more orchestral, losing the sparse disco-punk jaggedness for a shimmering, high-fidelity sheen. It’s the sound of a producer realizing his band could actually be the greatest live act on the planet.
The Long Goodbye
The This Is Happening sessions at Rick Rubin’s Mansion were defined by Murphy’s self-imposed rule that everyone had to wear white and the realization that the end was in sight. The music leaned heavily into the 'Berlin' era of the 1970s, featuring sprawling ten-minute epics that felt like an intentional closing of the book. After the Madison Square Garden 'funeral' show, the project went dark for years, leaving a vacuum in the New York scene that nobody else could quite fill. The eventual return with American Dream stripped away the dance-floor humor entirely, replaced by a dark, analog synth-heavy meditation on death and distance.

Influences

The Fall — Murphy has explicitly cited Mark E. Smith as his primary vocal blueprint, specifically the rhythmic, speak-singing delivery. You hear it most clearly on the debut's 'Movement,' which is essentially a love letter to the scratchy, caustic post-punk of Hex Enduction Hour. The attitude of the grumpy, intellectual outsider comes straight from Smith.
Liquid Liquid — The 99 Records crew provided the DNA for the DFA drum sound, particularly the dry percussion and heavy bass grooves. LCD famously covered 'Optimo,' and the cowbell-heavy breakdown in 'Daft Punk Is Playing at My House' is a direct descendant of the New York No Wave scene. They took the basement funk of 1981 and polished it for 2005.
David Bowie — The 'Berlin Trilogy' is the holy text for Murphy, who even brought in Bowie’s long-time collaborator Tony Visconti for later work. The track 'All My Friends' steals its relentless, driving piano momentum from the spirit of 'Heroes.' It is the most transparent influence in their catalog, especially on the later, more atmospheric records.
Talking Heads — The influence is documented through the shared lineage of art-school neurosis and the transition from skeletal punk to polyrhythmic dance music. 'Home' is a massive nod to the Remain in Light era, mirroring David Byrne’s specific vocal cadences and the layered, interlocking percussion. It’s the sound of being too smart for the disco but going anyway.
PIL (Public Image Ltd) — The screeching guitar work and dub-heavy basslines on the early DFA singles are ripped directly from Metal Box. Murphy’s production style mimics the way Keith Levene’s guitar would cut through a thick, club-ready low end. It gave the early LCD records a jagged, dangerous edge that prevented them from being 'just' dance music.