LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy Responds To DFA Co-Founder’s Account Of Being Ousted And Locked Out Of The Building

Jonathan Galkin, who co-founded DFA Records with LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy in 2001 and had largely been running things in recent years, was ousted from the label by Murphy last summer. After his sudden dismissal, he founded FourFour Records, which will release the new album from former DFA artist Black Dice on Friday. The news of Galkin’s departure only became public when he spoke to writer Shawn Reynaldo for his weekly First Floor newsletter earlier this month.

“One day I came to work and the [DFA building’s] locks were changed,” Galkin told Reynaldo. “It was a really sad day, and the only information I got was that the partnership — of which I was part as a minority owner — had made the decision to cut off the label. And then it got ugly, with lawyers involved.” Galkin says he was “barred from communicating with anyone … It felt like a wrestling move, where you get into the ring and are immediately stunned by your opponent. There was no conversation, literally nothing.”

Murphy has now addressed the situation and responded to Galkin’s account in a new interview with Pitchfork. Although he doesn’t give a specific reason for Galkin’s removal, Murphy does express concerns that DFA “was going to collapse” under Galkin’s management and that the label was “not fulfilling what I believe are its ethical duties to its artists,” and he recalls calling Galkin in July 2020 to tell him he was “out”:

I remember the feeling that I was doing it, and it’s awful. But after some time to reflect, he could listen back to what I had said to him. “Well, how are you going to retire? How is this going to work out? What’s the future gonna look like?”

I had to do that and he knows why, and if he doesn’t know why, it’s because he just didn’t listen. But I explained really clearly why he had to go… After the initial shock — which you’d have to be bloodless not to be shocked, because it was pretty much out of nowhere — I just called him up and I was like, “This can’t go on.” And I told him, “Don’t go to the office, we’re going to figure out your exit.” And he said, “OK.” And I had changed the locks because I felt that he would go to the office. So an hour later he called me and said, “You changed the locks?” And I was like, “Yeah, I’m glad I changed the locks.”

It sucked, it felt like I was stabbing my friend in the back, but I knew he’d go in and I didn’t want him to go in. And I’m not going to say why. Why he had to go is between me and him, and why I changed the locks is between me and him, unless he wants to share it. But I have no interest in shitting on Jon.

Galkin tells Pitchfork that he’s “unsure what [Murphy] is alluding to” regarding the lock situation: “I literally went in to get my laptop charger.” After the firing, Galkin says his “immediate concern” was for “all of the artists who were stuck in the middle.” In an attempt to “get them out of the burning building … I took a bunch of the unfinished albums and began setting up my own label.” While Murphy says he gave Galkin his blessing and even offered him money to start his own label, Galkin denies this.

In August 2020, Galkin sued Murphy and DFA LLC for breach of contract, fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment. He voluntarily discontinued the legal filing a month later. Galkin says that “the only settlement achievement” was his right to release the unfinished DFA albums he took to FourFour; although Murphy recalls “it was very important” to Galkin that there was a “non-disparagement, nondisclosure agreement,” Galkin and his attorneys have “no recollection” of that insistence.

“Even if I wanted to throw a pie at Jonathan, I want him to be successful,” Murphy concludes, adding, “With the mindset that he seems to be in, I think he’ll think it’s bullshit. But even if I can’t stand him, he’s got artists that I care about on his label. For him to read that later, he’s just going to be like, ‘Fuck James. That is such bullshit. He’s just trying to look nice.’ So I’m trapped.” In response, Galkin tells Pitchfork that Murphy is “never sincere.”