661 LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening (2010)

 661 LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening (2010)

Studio Album - Electronica



About the Act:

LCD Soundsystem are an American Dance-Punk band from Brooklyn, who have existed from 2002, with a gap between 2011-2015. They are led by James Murphy, who is also the co-founder of the DFA Records label.

About the Album:

This was their third studio album

My History with this Album:

None

Review:

I'm not going to be able to describe them without referencing other bands, sorry. They are kind of a mix of electronic dancy stuff with 80s retro dance electronic, and a bit of indie and more modern sounds. When he sings, Mr Murphy can sound like a turn-of-the-80s robotic kind of person, like David Bowie, Gary Numan or The Human League. A lot of the backing sounds are kind of 80s too, with some drum machines and analog-style synths. When he talks, it sounds more like Talking Heads. One song really reminds me of Eurythmics. 

Musically, it's pretty simple, using a lot of repetition. Why use 50 notes when one will do over and over, so that it becomes a texture rather than a tune. Most of the tracks are kind of a mix of the 80s stuff, but using some more modern sounds too, and production. The whole thing is arty and dancy, and textures and long mixes. It's like the child of Trevor Horn and David Byrne has grown up and wants to follow in their footsteps.

And brilliant. I love it.

The words are fairly enigmatic, in a very Talking Heads kind of way, except when they are not, for example in Drunk Girls. I love One Touch, but I'm not sure what it's about. I love You Wanted a Hit, which sounds like a response to a publishing company. I love Pow Pow. For me it hits the same spot as Yello and The Art of Noise and other good electronica. It's infectious. In a good way. For me it just hits a sweet spot. It's made even better in that some of the instruments are "real". The drummer is superb.

8.8/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4hnqM0JK4CM1phwfq1Ldyz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMxy067kbpQjcU09fbi8qVHNSc3wdA0Gg

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Happening



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