LCD Soundsystem Live Punk Electronica

LCD Soundsystem is the musical project of producer James Murphy, co-founder of dance-punk label DFA Records. The music of LCD Soundsystem is a mix of dance music and punk, along with elements of disco and other styles. LCD Soundsystem is particularly popular in Britain, with two albums reaching the top 40 of the UK Albums Chart..

On December 8, 2005 the group received nominations for two Grammy awards in the Electronica category for their self-titled album and in the Dance category for “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House”.

However LCD Soundsystem are a live band, a live band that play dance music, the type that we are now very used to being played by one man and a laptop. Leader and founder James Murphy has more to do with the punk and new wave acts of the 70’s and 80’s than any of the usual white label fodder.
Referencing acts like Public Image Ltd ,Brian Eno, The Fall, The Velvet Underground, Richard McGuire from Liquid Liquid and Holger Czukay from Can as some of his primary influences. “I thought dance music was all about C+C Music Factory,” he says, “and when I heard a piano stab or a 909, I immediately tuned out and stopped listening to it. Although, I do like old disco, Chicago house and that classic stuff from Detroit — you know, something seminal.”

Murphy grew up on punk rock a played in rock bands his entire life.

A quick scan over his microphone list is like who’s who of classic ribbon microphones, in fact the whole equipment list is a purist’s wildest aspiration.

Murphy also had a friend modify his Fun Machine (an old organ with a filter setting in it) to help him figure out a way to play a live version of the track “Disco Infiltrator” from the last album and for use on Sound of Silver track “Us V. Them.” “We have knobs that have been modified all over this light-up home organ from the ’70s,” he says. “You can tap into time where it can receive a pulse and stay in time, and you can also attack the filters. It sounds amazing, and we now use it on a lot of stuff.

Allot of this equipment is sadly now not in manufacture ( particularly the synthesizers ) so how do WE get the same sounds from today’s available equipment?

LCD Soundsystem Equipment Round -Up

Computer, DAW, recording hardware
Apple Mac G5 running Logic Pro 7
Apogee AD-8000 A/D converter

Console

Purple Audio console with custom-designed moving-fader automation

Samplers, drum machines

Roland MC-909 Sampling
Groovebox, SP-606 Sampling Workstation, TR-33 and TR-808 drum machines
Simmons SD8, SDSV drum machines
Various organ beat boxes

Synths, software, instruments, amps

Ampeg Portaflex B-15N bass amp
Baldwin Fun Machine organ
Bradley Jazz Guitar
Congas and percussion
Custom modular synth
EML Electrocomp 100 synth
EMS Synthi A synth
Epiphone P-Bass copy bass guitar
Farfisa Professional Duo organ
Fender 1961 Jazzmaster guitar
Hohner Clavinet D6 piano
Korg SQ-10 analog sequencer
Moog CDX organ, Rogue synth, Taurus II pedal synth
Propellerhead Reason soft synth
Roland Juno-60, SH-101 synths
Sequential Circuits Prophet-600 synth
Silvertone guitar, practice amp
Squier Telecaster guitar
Vox AC30 guitar amp
Wurlitzer 200A electric piano, Spinet piano
Yamaha CP-60 electric grand piano, CS-50 synth

Misc

AKG BX 10 Reverberation Unit
Akai MFC42 analog filter
Altec Salt Shaker mics, Tube Mixer rackmount mixer
Beyer M160, M201 ribbon mics
Coles 4033 ribbon mic
dbx 161, 162SL, 165A compressor/limiters
Electro-Voice RE2000 condenser mic
Lexicon Prime Time, Prime Time II and Super Prime Time delay processors
Manley Reference Cardioid mic
Neumann TLM 193 condenser mic
Pendulum Tube Limiter
RCA BK5 ribbon mic
Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A leveling amplifier
Ursa Major Space Station effects unit
Various Tape Delays

Monitors

Radio Shack Minimus 7s
SA M44s
Yamaha NS10

Sources:

http://remixmag.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCD_Soundsystem

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