Professor Murder Rides the Subway is a concise EP that captures a specific moment in mid-2000s New York City indie music, when the dance punk revival encouraged crowds to loosen up and have fun on the floor. The New York dance punk band packed its energy into a release that runs just 16 minutes.
During the mid-aughts, the NYC scene was full of acts pushing danceable, high-energy sounds. LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture were the biggest names of the movement, but the landscape also included Rahim, Liars, Dan Deacon, and numerous lesser-known groups on the DFA label playing venues across the city on any given weekend.
What the EP Sounds Like
Professor Murder built its identity on a distinctive mix of cheap synth blasts, shouted vocal chants, busy syncopated percussion, and throbbing bass. That combination reflects the sound of the NYC music scene around 2006. At their core, the tracks rely on a simple disco stomp, with the brief a cappella of “Pedigree” as the exception.
The arrangements add cowbell and other tuned percussion for complexity, yet those elements never break the groove. Where contemporaries like LCD Soundsystem reached for bigger, more melodic textures, Professor Murder favored stripped-back arrangements in which the drums often function as the lead instrument. Hooks and melodies are present, such as the fuzzy bass on “Camron’s New Color (Part 3),” but they sit lower in the mix.
Standout Tracks and Where to Listen
The EP is bookended by two songs that exemplify 2000s dance punk: “Champion” and “Free Stress Test.” The latter stands out as a track that had the potential to lift the band toward the success of peers like The Rapture. Both are built to get listeners moving to the beat.
Professor Murder Rides the Subway is available on Bandcamp and most major streaming services, including Apple Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, Deezer, and Qobuz.
Source
Image: theverge.com
