‘Disco Infiltrator’: The LCD Soundsystem songs that pay homage to Kraftwerk
Referentiality has always been essential in James Murphy’s songwriting for LCD Soundsystem. On their debut single ‘Losing My Edge’, the DJ-turned-frontman littered his lyrics with the names of his favourite artists. “Joy Division, Lower 48, the Association, Sun Ra, Scientists, Royal Trux, 10cc…” he sings, desperately trying to keep up with the kids coming up from behind and carving out a niche for LCD Soundsystem in the process.
LCD Soundsystem are yet to unveil another tune that lists off niche band names like a misty-eyed man in a smoking area, but homages to the artists Murphy admires have remained an integral part of their sound. From ‘Daft Punk Are Playing At My House’ to the Talking Heads-esque ‘other voices’, the influence of his DJ days often spill into LCD Soundsystem’s sound, leading to weird but wonderful indie dance soundscapes.
One band who had a particularly palpable impact on LCD Soundsystem’s catalogue are German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk. The group may not have received a shout-out on ‘Losing My Edge’, but Murphy has often paid homage to their impact through sonic odes to the band, turning their futuristic style into newfound nostalgia.
In 2005, three years after the success of their debut single, LCD Soundsystem released their first full-length release. The self-titled LCD Soundsystem cemented the band as the new connoisseurs of indietronica and spawned one of their signature hits in ‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’. It also featured an ode to their German electronic predecessors.
For those who are familiar with Kraftwerk’s catalogue, the ascending, bleeping synth part at the opening of ‘Disco Infiltrator’ will sound familiar. It’s lifted from Kraftwerk’s 1981 track ‘Home Computer’, which featured on their iconic album, Computer World. While the original track focuses in on the synth line, accompanying it with muted drum beats, Murphy pushes it into new territory.
The slightly sped-up sample offsets the more indie stylings of the track, fading in and out around playful drums and harsher synths. “Bear in mind, we all fall behind from time to time,” Murphy sings around the Kraftwerk-style synths. It’s a subtle ode to Kraftwerk, which brings their sound into the modern, indie dance scene.
‘Disco Infiltrator’ isn’t the only time LCD Soundsystem have paid homage to Kraftwerk in their catalogue. On their sophomore record, Sound of Silver, they seemed to reference the electronic pioneers again on ‘Get Innocuous!’ The track builds from a bouncing synth and a subtle drum beat to danceable, synthy goodness over its seven-minute runtime.
The synth that bubbles beneath the surface at the half-a-minute mark seems to pay homage to one of Kraftwerk’s most well-known tracks, ‘The Robots’, which appeared on The Man-Machine in 1978. The stuttering synth part sounds notably similar to the Kraftwerk original, though it’s accompanied by layers of sound as the track goes on.
LCD Soundsystem’s sound is a true amalgamation of influences, a blend of styles and sounds Murphy discovered while DJing around the Big Apple, and Kraftwerk are one of many contributors. Their futuristic, synth-based style is blended with the weird new wave work of Talking Heads, with the indie dance scene of the 2000s, and with countless other influences.
The result is something simultaneously novel and nostalgic, a modern fusion of indie and dance music infused with all the genius of Murphy’s predecessors.
