Visual projections over DFA logo at a 2014 anniversary party in Los Angeles
James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy met while working in New York on the David Holmes album Let's Get Killed.[7] After the recording was completed, Goldsworthy stayed in New York, and the two began to throw parties in the Lower East Side. They created the production duo, The DFA, but wished to grow The DFA into more than what it was. It was not until they met Jonathan Galkin, who subsequently quit his event-production job to work with James and Tim, that they turned DFA into a label.[6]
DFA Records began on a series of 12" single vinyl releases starting with The Rapture's "House of Jealous Lovers" and The Juan Maclean's "By the Time I Get to Venus". "House of Jealous Lovers" went on to sell 7500 copies.[8] Many of the early releases of DFA's catalog were released in Europe through Trevor Jackson's Output Recordings. After completing production on The Rapture's debut full-length album Echoes, DFA began to shop around the album. Although The Rapture eventually signed to Universal Music Group, the DFA label secured a deal with EMI for distribution of its acts outside the United States, along with several distributors within the U.S.[9]
The label has grown steadily since, producing full-length albums for its ever-growing roster of artists, as well as releasing a selection of singles and compilations on their label. Notable releases include The Rapture's EP "House of Jealous Lovers", the twice-Grammy nominated debut of James Murphy's band LCD Soundsystem and its follow-ups Sound of Silver, This Is Happening and American Dream. DFA have also released a number of compilation albums featuring artists such as The Rapture, The Juan Maclean, Black Dice, Shit Robot, Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom, J.O.Y., Pixeltan, Black Leotard Front, Hot Chip, and LCD Soundsystem.
In 2007 DFA Records started an imprint label titled Death From Abroad. This offshoot is used to release 12" singles by artists not based in North America, such as Mock & Toof and ALTZ.[14] The imprint also released a CD compilation of tracks released on the Berlin based Supersoul Recordings.[15]
Name dispute
The label's original name was Death From Above Records, dating from Murphy's nickname for the sound system he had helped build for Six Finger Satellite. This name was deemed inappropriate for a New York City-based label following the September 11, 2001 attacks and subsequently shortened to its abbreviation DFA.
In 2004, DFA Records forced the Canadian duo Death From Above to change their name to Death from Above 1979. Murphy explained his side of the story in a 2005 interview with Pitchfork Media:
We knew about them for a long time, the name thing wasn't a big deal. It wasn't until they signed to a major label, which wouldn't release the record until we signed off on the name. That's how this all came about.... [Parent company of Death From Above 1979's label, Vice] Atlantic's not gonna release a record by a band with the same name as another entity in music.... We spent a lot of money because we didn't just wanna be total fucking assholes and just say no. We were trying to find a way for it to actually work.... I was like, "What the hell's wrong with Death From Above 1979?" But the copyright attorney was like, "No, that's not fine." And I said, "If they become a totally different name, and it delays their record, that's something I'm not comfortable with." So we just tried to make it work as well as possible.[16]
The band would later go on to change their name back to Death from Above in 2017 without any legal repercussions, reverting back to Death from Above 1979 in 2020.[17]
Dispute over finances
In 2013 Murphy filed a lawsuit against Goldsworthy, alleging he owed money and had been making unauthorised withdrawals from bank accounts and using the company credit card improperly.[18]
Additionally, in 2020, Galkin was dismissed by Murphy due to concerns regarding finances and maintaining artist relationships. The split was acrimonious and involved legal disputes regarding the removal of Galkin's minority ownership of DFA.[19]
The influence of musicians and bands like Brian Eno, Talking Heads, Liquid Liquid, ESG, Blondie, Yazoo, New Order, as well as Chicago House, can be heard throughout the DFA catalog.[23][24][25] Rather than retread, however, the DFA have taken the live dance music of the time and infused the techniques and themes with a modern aesthetic—alternately faster, heavier, dubbier, noisier, and generally more intense than their influences[citation needed].
Artists
Artists who have released music on DFA Records include:
