Music / NewsJames Murphy is making music from US Open tennis match dataThe LCD Soundsystem frontman has teamed up with IBM to create music generated by the behaviour of tennis playersShareLink copied ✔️August 29, 2014MusicNewsText Thomas Gorton Now that James Murphy has called time on LCD Soundsystem you'd be forgiven for thinking that he's sitting round twiddling his thumbs with his adorable dog. Turns out he's still twiddling knobs. Murphy's partnered with IBM for an ambitious musical project – creating over 400 hours of music using US Open tennis match data. Murphy isn't soundtracking 400 hours worth of tennis matches, but relying on an algorithm to generate the sounds – Murphy is the conduit in the project, the person generating probabilities. The algorithm has three parts to it – the data that's coming in from the tennis matches (fault, second serve, ace etc), the sound output and then the complicated part – the part of the algorithm that has to translate between the tennis data and the sonic data. For any of you thinking that this music will be a mess not worth bothering with, we just listened to the music generated by Andy Murray's victory over Matthias Bachinger in the second round of the US Open; a match just that took place last night. It was a beautiful listen, a peaceful sonic landscape featuring glorious vintage synth sounds and unpredictable rhythms. Certainly far better than listening to the thud of a ball and OTT grunts anyway. It's not the first time that Murphy has experimented with the world's endless sonic possibilities. Six months ago it was revealed that Murphy is working on a system of harmonious notes unique to each of the city's 486 subway stops, creating a beautiful, organic orchestra on the city's underground each time someone taps in. For more information on the tennis project, head here. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.TrendingIlia Malinin breaks the ice – and his silenceHe does things on a skating rink that were once thought impossible. But the ‘Quad God’s’ setback at this year’s Winter Olympics brought new fire and energy to a skater seen by many as the greatest of all time Life & CultureBeautyThe rise of the intellectual tattoo Nike FashionNike celebrates the culture of soccer ahead of a summer shaped by the gameLife & CultureWhy so many young people are training to be death doulasBeautyHoroscopes June 2026: The stars say love deeply and risk embarrassmentLife & Culture5 times ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin did the impossible on the iceFilm & TV7 sex worker-approved films about sex workBeauty10 of the hottest Instagram accounts fusing art, sex and eroticaBeautyThe sexiest flesh-baring Instagram accounts you need to followEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy