James Murphy & Pat Mahoney :: Fabriclive 36

Reviewed on Monday, December 03, 2007 by Dani Deahl

While the rest of us have a “Finally!” moment with the release of LCD Soundsystem’s installment to the Fabriclive series, it seems the band themselves had major reservations about completing a mix CD. “We find doing mix CDs horrifying to a certain degree,” say James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, “because there’s nobody there, so it’s just like, ‘What are we doing!’ It’s like you’re just yelling into the air.”

One would never guess hesitancy was an issue judging by the care put into the project. With an awe-inspiring track list that should leave even seasoned audiophiles scratching their heads, the duo smartly decided to use a Bozak mixer to lend additional depth and warmth. The result is an hour of discovery for the listener as the mix flows between all that the fringes of disco, electro and funk have to offer.

Murphy and Mahoney are amusingly self-aware of their whimsical tendencies, though they call it by a slightly different name. As Mahoney puts it, “We both have a love for some pretty gay-ass disco.” However, One man’s “gay-ass disco” seems to be another’s undiscovered treasure as the mix bumps along from Lenny Williams’ funky bass-plucked “You Got Me Running” to the thumpy minimal loopiness of Gichy Dan’s “Cowboys And Gangsters.” The boys even make a nod to their day job, nestling their “Hippie Priest Burn Out” between the warm notes of Punkin’ Machine and electro-techy Junior Bryon.

In the end, despite all the oohing and aahing over the obscure selections, the duo’s mindset towards their own project is charmingly lighthearted. Simply put, say Murphy and Mahoney, “We’d like for it to be fun.” Amen.