James Murphy has a musical plan for NYC subways

James Murphy’s post-LCD Soundsystem life has been more befitting a Victorian renaissance man than a former rock star.

He’s dabbled in outside productions, yes, but he’s also perfected his own coffee blend, lobbied for MMA fighting and is now looking to reform one of New York’s least sonorous spaces -- the subway turnstiles.

“I started noticing that the subway sounds quite brutal,” Murphy told the Wall Street Journal in a video clip discussing the potential project. “Given that all that information is already at the turnstile, why don’t we just make it a nice sound? Just make it pleasant.”

His goal is create a specific ambient tone that rings when you swipe your subway pass, one that would have pleasant harmonic effect as traffic through the turnstiles increased.

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But Murphy might have yet another reason to claim that New York is bringing him down. MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said the current, clangy turnstile sound is a “natural technical variation, and we don’t really care.” He added that Murphy is far from the first NYC artist to try something like this and would require resources better spent elsewhere.

Murphy has started a petition to get the project funded here. Watch him stroll the subway and discuss his plans in this video from the WSJ. Maybe New Yorkers still have a shot at a Brian Eno-style “Music for Subways” from Murphy one day.

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