LCD Soundsystem reach end of road
By Georgie Rogers
6 Music news reporter

Al Doyle, who plays guitar for US dance act LCD Soundsystem, believes the band has ended in its current form.

Recent reports suggested the disco punk group were on a break but Doyle says the project is "on permanent hold".

Instead of creating new LCD material, they would like to work with 70s disco singers from their native New York.

For that, Doyle - who also plays with Hot Chip - said frontman James Murphy would take more of a back seat, rather than fronting the band as a whole.

Speaking to BBC 6 Music about Murphy's plans, Doyle said: "I don't think James is going to do anything more under that name. I think he'd like to do something with the same personnel possibly next year."

He listed the band members that would be involved in future projects as himself, James Murphy, drummer Pat Mahoney, bassist and guitarist Tyler Pope and Nancy Whang on keyboards.

Doyle went on to explain one possibility: "We were thinking of doing something where we find a lot of the old disco singers in New York that might still be around from the 70s, and get them in as guest vocalists with LCD as a backing band, and tour around as a disco heroes style show.

It's just an idea that we had. God knows if we'll make it happen."

As for their band name, Doyle said the title LCD Soundsystem might not live on either.

"We'd probably call ourselves something different but James is quite keen to do the disco thing," said Doyle.

"Or he's also quite keen to do something that's more of a collaborative project between all of us, without him taking so much of a lead.

"Although I'm not sure if he'd be capable of doing that or not, he's not the kind of guy that really sits back."

Inside Murphy's mind

Speaking about his LCD Soundsystem cohort, Doyle said: "I've definitely learnt a lot from him but I think that we're very different people. I think that, by his own admission, he's a quite borderline obsessive compulsive in the way that he works.

"He's very strict and finds it difficult to play outside of what he considers to be the set structure of a song or the way in which it sounds. Whereas, the way that I work, and the rest of the boys in Hot Chip, we're very free about what we do onstage and it changes all the time."

However, Doyle added that their contradictory approaches compliment the way he and Murphy make music together, saying: "There's an improvisatory aspect to what Hot Chip do, which I don't think is part of LCD, but I think that's good for both of us.

"There's some things that I do that James wouldn't normally have somebody in the band doing, so I think he quite enjoys that and I like the discipline. It's like going to boot camp or something."

Hot Chip released their third album Made In The Dark in February. Doyle said they plan to make a fourth record in the latter part of 2009.
[Edited 11/20/08 5:35am]

LCD Soundsystem albums always play like a full-on James Murphy headtrip. So I can understand what Doyle was saying when he felt that LCD as a creative unit didn't gerrymander as much as he would've liked. I like Hot Chip's albums more because they're varied with a rabbit-out-the-hat type of aesthetic to the production, concepts and style.

I kinda felt that LCD was nearing its close when I heard "I Love You New York, But..." that just seemed like throw in the towel material to me.

No more 'LCD Soundsystem'
But this sounds great: "Instead of creating new LCD material, they would like to work with 70s disco singers from their native New York"

contrapposto said:

But we get disco back!
It's all good, mr.

He's never really seemed all that confident as a front-man. I saw them in Miami once and he was all twitchy and nervous. He did seem better when they opened for Arcade Fire, but it may have been because I was so far back!

MendesCity said:

Interesting. He does come off to me as an awkward in the spotlight type. Seems like behind the scenes/production work would more be his bag. In his music videos he just doesn't have a presence to carry them. Couldn't imagine a live show with him to be kick ass.

Mara said:

I really didn't like him after that first show. LCD was so hyped up and I was like, "uh, this is it?"

But Sound of Silver was a definite keeper

This sucks. I absolutely love everything about Sound of Silver (and Mara, "New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down" is one of the big reasons why!) and I was eagerly anticipating the follow-up. The disco thing does sound interesting, but it seemed like James made such a giant leap forward with Sound of Silver, and I feel like I'll be missing out on the rest of the journey.

Mara said:

I saw them earlier this year (January), and they TOTALLY kicked ass! The entire place was in love, and I was caught up in it!

Moonbeam said:

Maybe he loves Australia more?

Mara said:

I think maybe he believed in the music more with Sound of Silver.

UPDATE!

Hot Chip's Al Doyle, who has played as part of James Murphy's band LCD Soundsystem, has made a clarification about an interview he recently gave, suggesting that the collective may have disbanded.

In the clarification Doyle confirmed that the band were not winding down, referring to a recent NME.COM article in which James Murphy confirmed a new LCD Soundsystem album was on the way.

Writing on Hot Chip's website, Hotchip.co.uk, Doyle wrote, "A news article has appeared, quoting me as saying that LCD Soundsystem is over, or that they have split up.

"I would like to clarify that LCD have not disbanded, nor could the entity be disbanded in the sense that it has always had a revolving cast of players – it would be like saying that The Fall had disbanded, or Prince has split up.

"LCD Soundsystem is James Murphy, and he's allowed to take time off, do other things, and come back, or not come back. And he doesn't have to tell you or anyone else about it.

"I didn't know if anything was going on with LCD next year, which is the truth, and that's all I should have said, but I gabbled on a bit because that's the way I am...

"Anyway, I should probably stop doing interviews after this, which is already my second chance. But the main point to take away is that more LCD music is in the pipeline, which is surely good news for everybody."

Thanks for the uodate.