The Books

{{Short description|American-Dutch experimental-music duo}} {{otheruses|Book (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Books | caption = Left to right: Nick Zammuto, Paul de Jong | origin = New York City, U.S. | genre = {{hlist|Folktronica|indie electronic|post-rock|sound collage}} | years_active = 2000–2012 | label = Tomlab, Temporary Residence Limited | associated_acts = Zammuto | website = | current_members = * Nick Zammuto * Paul de Jong | past_members = }}

'''The Books''' were an American-Dutch duo, formed in New York City in 1999, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Nick Zammuto and cellist Paul de Jong. Their music typically incorporated samples of obscure sounds and speech.<ref>{{cite web |author=Richardson, Mark |title=Album review: ''The Books - Thought for Food'' |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/854-thought-for-food/ |date=2002-07-23 |work=Pitchfork Media |publisher= |accessdate=2009-07-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Mintz, Hillary |title=Album review: ''The Books - Thought for Food'' |url=http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/226 |date=2002-06-11 |publisher=Published by Dusted Magazine |accessdate=2009-07-28}}</ref> They released three critically acclaimed albums on the German label Tomlab, and released their fourth studio album, ''The Way Out'', on Temporary Residence Limited in July 2010.

==History==

===1999–2002: Thoughts and ''Thought for Food''=== Zammuto and de Jong first met in New York City in 1999 as they shared the same apartment building.<ref name=bostonglobe2>{{cite web |first=James |last=Reed |title=On the search for sounds |url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2009/04/10/on_the_search_for_sounds/ |work=Boston Globe website |publisher=Published by The New York Times Company |date=2009-04-10 |page=Page 2 of 2 |access-date=2009-06-03}}</ref> De Jong invited Zammuto to dinner at his apartment, where he played him some of his collection of audio and video samples, including a Shooby Taylor record.<ref name=nytimeout>{{cite web | author=Ruttenburg, Jay | title=Aural recipe | url=http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/music/70686/aural-recipe | work=Time Out New York | publisher= | date=2005-04-28 | accessdate=2009-06-03}}</ref> Zammuto said of their meeting that "we both kind of knew at that moment that we listened (to music) in interesting ways and had similar approaches to music".<ref name=junkmedia/> Soon after, they began playing what they considered pop music, in comparison to their own works, under the name the Books.<ref name=junkmedia>{{cite web | author=Bolle, Susanna | title=The Books | url=http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php?i=963 | work=Junk Media | date=2004-03-15 | accessdate=2009-06-03 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928100209/http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php?i=963 | archivedate=2011-09-28 }}</ref>

In 2000, the Books started work on their debut album, ''Thought for Food''.<ref name=bookswebsite>{{cite web| author1=Paul de Jong| author2=Nick Zammuto| name-list-style=amp| title=About The Books| url=http://www.thebooksmusic.com/news/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050729015752/http://www.thebooksmusic.com/news/| url-status=dead| archive-date=2005-07-29| work=The Books' website| accessdate=2009-06-03}}</ref> Zammuto and de Jong moved often during this time,<ref name=bookswebsite/> recording in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and finally in the basement of a hostel in North Carolina where Zammuto worked for a while after hiking the Appalachian Trail.<ref name=junkmedia/><ref name=imposemagazine>{{cite web | author=Sarna, Dan | title=Interview: Nick Zammuto of The Books | url=http://www.imposemagazine.com/interview-the-books/765/ | work=Impose Magazine | date=May 2007 | accessdate=2009-06-03 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608004122/http://www.imposemagazine.com/interview-the-books/765/ | archivedate=2009-06-08 }}</ref> ''Thought for Food'' was released on October 22, 2002.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Books: Thought For Food | url=http://www.hbdirect.com/album_detail.php?pid=546205 | work=HBDirect.com | publisher= | date= | accessdate=2009-06-03}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Praised by critics for its distinctive sound,<ref>{{cite web | author=Richardson, Mark | title=Album review: The Books - Thought for Food | url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r613714|pure_url=yes}} | work=Allmusic | publisher=Published by All Media Guide | date= | accessdate=2009-06-03}}</ref> it featured extensive sampling from obscure sources coupled with mostly acoustic instrumentation.

===2002–2003: ''The Lemon of Pink''=== Shortly after the release of ''Thought for Food'', the band relocated to North Adams, Massachusetts, near where Zammuto had graduated from Williams College in 1999, studying chemistry and visual arts.<ref name=siff>{{cite web | title=2008 Keynote speaker: Nick Zammuto | url=http://siffest.com/?q=node/82 | work=Student Independent Film Festival website | publisher= | date= | accessdate=2009-06-03}}</ref> Zammuto and de Jong began the recording of ''The Lemon of Pink'' around this time. Anne Doerner, a guest vocalist on the album, said the process was much more arduous than the recording of ''Thought for Food'', with Zammuto working on the album for five straight months.<ref name=junkmedia/>

''The Lemon of Pink'' was released to critical acclaim<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/books/lemonofpink | title=Reviews of ''The Lemon of Pink'' - The Books | work=Metacritic | publisher=Published by CNET Networks, Inc. | accessdate=2009-06-04 | archive-date=2009-03-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323173758/http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/books/lemonofpink | url-status=dead }}</ref> on October 7, 2003.<ref>{{cite web | author=Carr, Daphine | title=Album review: The Books - The Lemon of Pink | url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r659623|pure_url=yes}} | work=Allmusic | publisher=Published by All Media Guide | date= | accessdate=2009-06-04}}</ref> It is similar in style to ''Thought for Food'', but oriented more around vocals performed mostly by Anne Doerner.

===2003–2006: ''Lost and Safe'', ''Music for a French Elevator'', ''Prefuse 73 Reads the Books''=== In 2004, the French Ministry of Culture asked the Books to compose music for a new elevator in their building. The Books released a Mini CD of this work in 2006, under the name ''Music for a French Elevator and Other Short Format Oddities by the Books''.<ref>{{cite web | title=Music for a French Elevator EP | url=http://www.thebooksmusic.com/garage/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050728235123/http://www.thebooksmusic.com/garage/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=2005-07-28 | work=The Books website | accessdate=2009-06-06 }}</ref>

On April 5, 2005, the Books released their third studio album, ''Lost and Safe''. Zammuto has a greater vocal presence in this album, and the album was criticized for this change of sound.<ref>{{cite web | author=Gaerig, Chris | title=Playing by The Books | url=http://www.michigandaily.com/content/playing-books | work=Michigan Daily | date=2005-04-11 | accessdate=2009-06-24}}</ref> Aside from this, ''Lost and Safe'' was well received by critics.<ref>{{cite web | title=Reviews of ''Lost and Safe'' - The Books | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/books/lostandsafe?q=lost%20and%20safe | work=Metacritic | publisher=Published by CNET Networks, Inc. | date= | accessdate=2009-06-06 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> Throughout early 2005, the Books collaborated with the electronica artist Prefuse 73. The Books appear on his album ''Surrounded by Silence'' ("Pagina Dos"), and the EP ''Prefuse 73 Reads the Books E.P.'' collects remixes of material sourced from the Books' albums. The film "The Bridge" (a scientology drama) was released in 2006 and included "Enjoy Your Worries, You May Never Have Them Again" with permission of the band.

Before starting a three-month<ref>{{cite web | author=Madison, Tjames | title=The Books book big domestic tour | url=http://www.livedaily.com/news/9633.html | work=LiveDaily | publisher=Published by Ticketmaster | date=2006-02-21 | accessdate=2009-06-06 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016034811/http://www.livedaily.com/news/9633.html | archivedate=2009-10-16 }}</ref> tour of North America in April 2006, the Books had played only one concert,<ref name=imposemagazine/> in October 2003 at a festival in Chicago, Illinois.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Books: Information | url=http://www.thebooksmusic.com/news/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050729015752/http://www.thebooksmusic.com/news/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=2005-07-29 | work=The Books website | accessdate=2009-06-06 }}</ref> Zammuto wasn't always enthusiastic about performing The Books music live, stating in a 2012 interview with Seattle alternative station KEXP-FM that "...The Books started to feel like a glorified karaoke, because we would play in sync along with these electronic rhythms."<ref>{{Citation|title=Zammuto - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zzpn7UR2FI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/9zzpn7UR2FI| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-04-22}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Zammuto expressed apprehensiveness towards touring, but says it is necessary to make a living, given his belief that people downloading the Books' music via file-sharing<ref name=HSB/> has put him under financial strain.

===2006–2012: Hiatus, ''The Way Out'' and break-up=== Following the release of ''Music for a French Elevator'', the band took a break from recording to tend to their new families, tour in support of their albums, and pursue some of their own projects, which included Zammuto scoring a feature documentary about the Biosphere 2.<ref name=siff/>

In 2007, the Books released ''Play All'', a DVD of thirteen music videos and three previously unreleased tracks.<ref>{{cite web | title=Play All: A DVD of Videos | url=http://www.thebooksmusic.com/garage/bv_play_all.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011211326/http://thebooksmusic.com/garage/bv_play_all.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2007-10-11 | work=The Books website | accessdate=2009-06-04 }}</ref> The ''Play All'' videos are composed of found footage transformed into a collage that matches their music. The Books often screened these videos during their live performances.<ref>{{cite web|title=Film Review-Play All: The Books |url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/The-Books-Playall-DVD |publisher=Tiny Mix Tapes |accessdate=2009-09-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012104241/http://tinymixtapes.com/The-Books-Playall-DVD |archivedate=October 12, 2008 }}</ref>

The Books toured heavily between 2005 and 2007, including two tours in Europe and two Canadian shows.<ref name=bookswebsite/> In early 2009 the Books covered the Nick Drake song "Cello Song" in collaboration with José González for the Red Hot Organization's ''Dark Was the Night'' fund-raising album.<ref>{{cite web |author=Hall, Tara |title=Jose Gonzalez maps North American jaunt |url=http://www.livedaily.com/news/19193.html |work=Livedaily |publisher=Published by Ticketmaster |date=2009-05-27 |accessdate=2009-06-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529171542/http://www.livedaily.com/news/19193.html |archivedate=2009-05-29 }}</ref>

The Books began working on ''The Way Out'' in late 2008.<ref name=april5blog/> Zammuto spoke of the album's New Age themes in an interview in April 2009, saying they took samples from self-help and hypnotherapy cassettes. When asked to describe the album, Zammuto said "You're getting verrry sleepy."<ref name=bostonglobe2/> On April 5, 2010, the duo announced that ''The Way Out'' would be released through Temporary Residence Limited in July.<ref name=april5blog>{{cite web | author=Zammuto, Nick | title=Temporary Residence! | url=http://thebooksmusic.tumblr.com/ | work=The Books' Blog | date=2010-04-05 | accessdate=2010-04-29 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213201718/http://thebooksmusic.tumblr.com/ | archivedate=2010-02-13 }}</ref> On April 27 ''Pitchfork'' began streaming the track "Beautiful People",<ref>{{cite web | author=Dombal, Ryan | title=New Books track: "Beautiful People" | url=http://pitchfork.com/news/38626-new-books-track-beautiful-people/ | work=Pitchfork Media | date=2010-04-27 | accessdate=2010-04-29}}</ref> which Zammuto described as "a three part Christian harmony mixed with a sort of euro-disco-trash beat, an orchestra's worth of sampled brass and lyrics about the twelfth root of two (my favorite irrational number), trigonometry and tangrams".<ref>{{cite web | author=Zammuto, Nick | title=Beautiful People | url=http://thebooksmusic.tumblr.com/ | work=The Books' Blog | publisher=Tumblr | date=2010-04-28 | accessdate=2010-04-29 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213201718/http://thebooksmusic.tumblr.com/ | archivedate=2010-02-13 }}</ref> The album was released on July 20.

The Books played the ATP New York 2010 music festival in Monticello, New York, in September 2010 and then toured North America with The Black Heart Procession. The band had been chosen by Portishead and ATP to perform at the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror festival that they planned to curate in July 2011 at London's Alexandra Palace.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.atpfestival.com/events/ibymportishead.php |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-03-09 |archive-date=2014-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802121131/http://www.atpfestival.com/events/ibymportishead.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In January 2012, Nick Zammuto announced in an interview via ''Pitchfork'' that the Books were splitting up to focus on other projects.<ref name=pitchfork20120126>{{cite web|title=Nick Zammuto Talks About Ending the Books, Starting His New Project|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/45239-nick-zammuto-talks-about-ending-the-books-starting-his-new-project/|publisher=Pitchfork|author=Ryan Dombal|date=26 January 2012}}</ref>

On April 3, 2012, Nick Zammuto released ''Zammuto'', under the moniker Zammuto. In 2014 he released another album, called ''Anchor''.

Paul de Jong released two solo albums, ''IF'' and ''You Fucken Sucker'', in 2015 and 2018 respectively.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paul de Jong (the Books) on Intense Listening and Funny Musicians|url=http://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/paul-de-jong-interview|publisher=AllMusic|author=Chris Steffen|date=15 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=You Fucken Sucker, by Paul de Jong|url=https://pauldejong.bandcamp.com/album/you-fucken-sucker|access-date=2020-07-14|website=Paul de Jong}}</ref>

==Musical style==

The Books are commonly cited by critics to be of a genre of their own.<ref>{{cite web | author=Richardson, Mark | title=Album review: The Books - The Lemon of Pink | url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/855-the-lemon-of-pink/ | work=Pitchfork Media | publisher= | date=2003-10-08 | quote=''The Lemon of Pink'' may sound a bit like this duo's debut, but it also sounds like nobody else. The Books remain more or less a genre of one. | accessdate=2009-06-04}}</ref> Zammuto has described it as collage music.<ref name=HSB/> Paul de Jong described it as "the new folk music...[w]e make our own instruments, use our own libraries of sound bites while trying to create something universally human."<ref name=do20060406>{{cite news|title=Safe and Sound |url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/Issues/2006-04-06/music/music.html |newspaper=Dallas Observer |date=6 April 2006 |author=Darryl Smyers |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060628164337/http://www.dallasobserver.com/Issues/2006-04-06/music/music.html |archivedate=June 28, 2006 }}</ref> Although they have said that their influences include Nirvana, David Bowie, Roxy Music as well as new wave and classical music, these do not show prominently in their music,<ref name=independent>{{cite web | author=Male, Howard | title=The Books: Don't take us literally | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-books-dont-take-us-literally-428430.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220811/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-books-dont-take-us-literally-428430.html |archive-date=2022-08-11 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | work=The Independent website| publisher=Published by Independent News & Media | date=2006-12-15 | accessdate=2009-06-04}}</ref> though Zammuto was directly influenced by electronic musicians Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin.<ref>{{cite web | title=Roots maneouvring | work=Guardian | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/jan/27/worldmusic.popandrock | date=2006-01-27 | accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Zammuto, Nick |title=Chain of Missing Links |work=The Books' Blog |url=http://thebooksmusic.tumblr.com/post/866311995/chain-of-missing-links |publisher=Tumblr |date=2010-07-27 |accessdate=2010-08-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717112731/http://thebooksmusic.tumblr.com/post/866311995/chain-of-missing-links |archivedate=2011-07-17 }}</ref> The Books' music usually consists of acoustic instrumentation of folk melodies usually played on guitar, cello, banjo and more, combined with a diverse range of samples obtained from cassettes found in thrift stores,<ref name=HSB>{{cite web | author=Khawaja, Jemayel | title=Interview with Nick Zammuto | url=http://www.hatesomethingbeautiful.com/?p=572 | work=Hate Something Beautiful | date=2007-04-24 | accessdate=2009-06-04 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205150750/http://www.hatesomethingbeautiful.com/?p=572 | archivedate=2009-02-05 }}</ref> which are digitally processed and edited.<ref name=junkmedia/> They also rarely use a drum kit in recordings and performances, instead favouring everyday objects like children's toys and filing cabinets, which were sampled and looped.<ref name=independent/> Some observers contend that their music is aleatoric,<ref>{{cite web | author=Dainer-Best, Justin | title=Playing with Sound: The Books at First Unitarian | url=http://www.biconews.com/?p=5765 | work=The Bi-College News online | date=2007-05-01 | quote=They (''The Books'') make aleatoric music, but that’s the easiest thing to say about them. | accessdate=2009-06-04 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080713093432/http://www.biconews.com/?p=5765 | archivedate=2008-07-13 }}</ref> but Zammuto has disagreed, saying the music is very tightly controlled.<ref name=HSB/>

==Discography==

===Studio albums=== * ''Thought for Food'' (2002) * ''The Lemon of Pink'' (2003) * ''Lost and Safe'' (2005) * ''The Way Out'' (2010)

===Compilations=== * ''A Dot In Time.'' (2012)

===EP=== * ''Music for a French Elevator and Other Short Format Oddities by the Books'' (2006)

===DVDs=== * ''Playall'' (2007) * ''Freedom from Expression'' (2012)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Discogs artist | artist = Books, The | name = The Books }} *[https://archive.today/20130410172815/http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2010/11/02/collective-memory-an-interview-with-the-books/ Collective Memory: an interview with The Books | Daily Loaf] Interview with The Books

{{DEFAULTSORT:Books, The}} Category:Musical groups from Massachusetts Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2012 Category:Folktronica musicians Category:Temporary Residence Limited artists Category:Sound collage artists Category:Musical groups established in 1999 Category:Musical groups from New York City