LCD Soundsystem: 45:33

Label: DFA

On your mark, get set, go . . . James Murphy’s latest release is an exercise soundtrack! After being commissioned by Nike and only being available on iTunes, 45:33 is finally available to the general public on CD and vinyl. Jogging aside, Murphy admitted that he just wanted to create a long piece of music similar to Manuel Göttsching’s E2-E4 (cue accusations of plagiarism in British magazine The Wire). Divided in six sections, the track mimics the way the body warms up and cools down during a running session, and ranges from mid-tempo house to Kraftwerk-influenced Teutonic techno before bursting out with some intense electro-punk and finally slowing down with an ethereal beatless soundscape. Sure, Murphy has ripped off Göttsching’s original cover and concept, but no one is making electronica this alive and vital these days – and I dare anyone to run for that long by the way! (Morgane)