A few weeks ago, stubbly LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy began posting on the Guardian’s music blog, an outlet that allows him to speak out on such topics as the plight of being a too-frequent flyer and the joys of ultimate fighting. But apparently readers were complaining that Murphy wasn’t writing about music, prompting him to post an explanation so protracted and rambling, it’s like listening to David Foster Wallace and James Woods have a pow-wow after drinking a half-dozen Water Joes.

so, you get a manager. at first you don’t want one, and you don’t know why you don’t. it seems strange. but things eventually start falling through the cracks – you book two gigs on the same day, interviews get missed, artwork is turned in late and you get one. maybe you get one and then fire him/her, get sued, and wonder why you chose to do this childish thing for a living in the first place, but that’s a different story, so let’s jump to you-have-a-good-manager-that-you-like. so you have a good manager that you like, and you get an email from him/her that says, basically, “the guardian wants you to write a blog type thing, about 400 words, twice a week for a bit. it can be about anything you want, not music necessarily.” and you think about it, and write back that you’ll do it. that’s it. your manager got an email from a guy at a label who spoke to a person at the guardian, and that’s the trail. you are sort of way over here, and you write an article-thingy on ultimate fighting because, well, you really like it, and you think it’s funny because people always think you’re kidding when you talk about it, even though you’re totally serious, and that funny face that they make to cover the angles makes you curious about humans, and sometimes that’s a better reason to make something. i mean, often the reasons people make things are pretty bankrupt: you try to impress people, or get some sort of vanity fulfilled via external praise, etc., but then along comes “let’s see what happens if i do this”, and somehow that becomes a great reason to make things. someone might attack me for this. i might read from someone a comment that you should make things for some inspiring reason, but this thinking usually comes from people who don’t make things very often. i thought like that for years, but then, for years i didn’t make anything. at any rate, you read all the comments, and it becomes clear that the most interesting thing for you to do is to reply in the comments section, though you know it’s a bad idea, and you regularly get reminded that acting like this looks bad, etc., but it just seems like a better thing to think about than “oh just forget it you can’t worry about this stuff”. truth is, i don’t worry very much, but i do find it fulfilling.

He lost us somewhere around “via external praise, etc.,” during which our SHIFT key got up and walked out of room in protest.

LCD blog # 3: it’s a brand new day [Guardian Unlimited]