Well, actually, it’s already happened. Despite that on-his-knees pleas from LCD frontman and driving force James Murphy at a recent New York show, the new LCD Soundsystem album has leaked all over the internet - a full month before its May 2010 release. And it’s now streaming in full on the band’s website.

This Is Happening is the third - and reportedly final - LCD Soundsystem record. Murphy’s given a number of reasons for making it his last album under the LCD Soundsystem moniker: that the album’s a dead format; that most bands stop producing quality material after their third album; and that he doesn’t want LCD Soundsystem to get too big.

But Murphy’s also described the recording process this time around as “brutal”, which might have something to do with his decision.

The album was recorded in a specially-constructed studio in Rick Rubin’s L.A. mansion, where the band worked (and partied) intensively for three months. Here’s a clip to give you an idea of what it was like.

But has the change of scenery from New York to LA affected their sound? Can the most-hyped album of the year possibly live up to the buzz?