Since putting LCD Soundsystem on the shelve, James Murphy has split his time between producing music and DJing. What he really wants to do, however, is soundtrack New York City’s subway system.
Murphy first announced a desire to install music into the city’s turnstiles back in 2011, though he’s apparently been working on the project for nearly 15 years. He explained to Sound Opinions recently, “I want to make every station in New York have a different set of dominant keys so that people who grow up will later on in life hear a piece of music and say, ‘Oh, that’s like Union Square.”
Now, The Wall Street Journal has shared a video interview with Murphy discussing the project and previewing some of the sounds he would install into the turnstiles. As Murphy notes, now is the perfect opportunity to launch the project, as New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority recently announced a $900,000-a-year project to renovate the turnstiles.
The MTA deemed Murphy’s proposal a “very cool idea,” but questioned its feasibility. MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg explained to The Wall Street Journal said the city wouldn’t want to temporarily disable each of the city’s 3,289 turnstiles “for an art project.” In response, Murphy has launched a petition to support his efforts.
Watch the video interview below:
