Professor Murder Rides the Subway is a forgotten slice of dance punk perfection

《Professor Murder Rides the Subway》：被遗忘的舞曲朋克完美之作

It’s basically mid-aughts Brooklyn in audio form. 这基本上就是 2000 年代中期布鲁克林声音的缩影。

I recently dug out my CDs and started reripping them all. I’ve found a few forgotten gems in there, but few hit harder for me than the beautifully concise Professor Murder Rides the Subway EP. There was a period of time in the mid-aughts in NYC where it seemed like every indie band wanted you to let loose, dance like no one was watching, and just have some damn fun. Few embodied that as much as New York dance punk band Professor Murder. 最近我翻出了自己的 CD，开始重新抓轨。我在里面发现了一些被遗忘的瑰宝，但很少有作品能像《Professor Murder Rides the Subway》这张精悍的 EP 那样带给我如此强烈的冲击。在 2000 年代中期的纽约，似乎每一支独立乐队都想让你彻底释放，旁若无人地跳舞，尽情享受快乐。而纽约舞曲朋克乐队 Professor Murder 无疑是这种精神的最佳体现者。

LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture were the biggest names of the dance punk revival. But there were also bands like Rahim, Liars, Dan Deacon, and countless lesser-known acts on DFA that you could see on any given weekend around NYC. And I spent a lot of time in those venues, shamelessly dancing my ass off to all of them. LCD Soundsystem 和 The Rapture 是舞曲朋克复兴运动中最响亮的名字。但当时还有 Rahim、Liars、Dan Deacon 以及无数 DFA 厂牌旗下名气稍逊的乐队，你几乎每个周末都能在纽约的各个场地看到他们的演出。我曾在那里的现场度过了许多时光，毫无顾忌地随着他们的音乐疯狂起舞。

There’s something about Professor Murder’s specific blend of cheap synth blasts, shouted vocal chants, busy syncopated percussion, and throbbing bass that perfectly captures the vibe of the NYC music scene circa 2006. At their heart, the tracks on the 16-minute EP are built around a simple disco stomp (save for the brief a cappella of “Pedigree”). They’re dressed up with cowbell and other tuned percussion elements to add complexity. But they’re never allowed to disrupt the groove. Professor Murder 将廉价的合成器轰鸣、呐喊式的唱腔、忙碌的切分打击乐以及跳动的贝斯完美融合，精准地捕捉到了 2006 年左右纽约音乐圈的氛围。这张 16 分钟的 EP，其核心曲目大多围绕着简单的迪斯科节奏（除了《Pedigree》那段简短的阿卡贝拉）。他们用牛铃和其他调音打击乐元素进行装饰以增加复杂性，但这些元素从未喧宾夺主，破坏整体的律动感。

While some of their contemporaries like LCD Soundsystem were chasing bigger, more melodic textures, Professor Murder trafficked in stripped-back arrangements where, arguably, the drums are the lead instrument. While there are hooks and melodies to grab on to, like the fuzzy bass on “Camron’s New Color (Part 3)”, they’re always a little quieter in the mix. 当 LCD Soundsystem 等同辈乐队追求更宏大、更具旋律性的质感时，Professor Murder 则偏爱极简的编曲，甚至可以说，鼓点才是他们作品中的主奏乐器。虽然歌曲中也有抓耳的钩子和旋律，比如《Camron’s New Color (Part 3)》中那模糊的贝斯声，但它们在混音中总是显得稍微低调一些。

The EP is bookended with two songs that are basically the Platonic ideal of 2000’s dance punk: “Champion” and “Free Stress Test.” If there was any justice in the world, the latter would have catapulted the band to at least Rapture levels of success. I dare you to not at least nod your head along to the beat. 这张 EP 的首尾两首歌——《Champion》和《Free Stress Test》——堪称 2000 年代舞曲朋克的典范。如果世界公平的话，后者本应让这支乐队至少达到 The Rapture 那样的成功高度。我敢打赌，你听的时候绝对会忍不住跟着节奏点头。

Professor Murder Rides the Subway is available on Bandcamp and most major streaming services, including Apple Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, Deezer, and Qobuz. 《Professor Murder Rides the Subway》现已在 Bandcamp 及大多数主流流媒体平台上线，包括 Apple Music、YouTube Music、Spotify、Deezer 和 Qobuz。