In an interview with Pitchfork Media, Alexis Taylor said that some of Hot Chip's main influences weren't represented on the album because they wanted to create an album that would be "an interesting experience for people to listen to at home" and not "Hot Chip's Biggest Influences CD". In terms of the band's song choices, Owen Clarke was the least vocal in the song selection, whilst Joe Goddard and Felix Martin "lead the proceedings". Taylor said that parts of the album included artists that all the members of Hot Chip appreciated, such as Grovesnor, Ray Charles and New Order.[3]
Taylor felt "it would've been nice for [the song "Radio Prague"] to take up a little bit more room" as his purpose in choosing it was to "change the mood at that point in the record", but felt the song seemed "a little buried".[3]
Before Hot Chip began work on DJ-Kicks: Hot Chip, "My Piano" was created. The lyrics of the verses are about "accepting failure when you're trying to write or create something", with piano elements inspired by Diana Ross', "My Old Piano".[3]
