James Murphy & Pat Mahoney

It’s rather fitting James Murphy has entered the musical pissing contest that is the DJ mix. After all, this is the guy who wrote LCD Soundsystem’s "Losing My Edge,” a song whose protagonist is a failing hipster justifying his existence by proclaiming that every band he knows is more relevant than every band you know. And with Fabriclive 36, the aging Murphy shows he still knows a thing or two about great tunes, even if they are of the retro variety. Along with fellow LCD Soundsystem beat maker Pat Mahoney, he’s assembled a tight, sweaty mix of disco, tech-y funk and obscure dance jams that would make the most diligent of crate-diggers jealous. There’s also one LCDS B-side, "Hippie Priest Bum-Out,” and, yes, even some cowbell. Few of these tracks are for the rock kids however, with ’70s and ’80s pop groups like Chic, Instant Funk and NYC Peech Boys dominating the live mix. Nevertheless, Fabriclive 36 does shed some welcomed light on the musical building blocks that have made LCD Soundsystem what they are today.