About
The first volume of the Books' story takes place in 1999 in a New York
apartment building, where Paul de Jong and Nick Zammuto meet when they both
happen to be living there. Cellist de Jong and artist/musician/cook/chemist
Zammuto discover their mutual fascination with sound collection and collage
and begin nosing through each other's extensive sample library. Fast forward
to Volume Two, in which the Books relocate to Hot Springs, North Carolina,
where they finish recording their first album in the basement of the inn
where Zammuto is working. Their heady, hybrid concoction of acoustic
instrumentation (banjo, cello, myriad guitars) and found sounds culled from
sources such as DAT recordings, old films and the tape bin at the Salvation
Army draws the attention of Tomlab Records and the acclaim of critics.
Volume Three takes place in tiny, remote North Adams, Massachusetts, where
the Books record both their second and third albums. The group's first-ever
tour follows the release of Lost and Safe, featuring violist/fiddler
Anne Doerner, a filing cabinet and accompanying video clips drawn from,
among others sources, a tape of Japanese kids sumo wrestling in their living
room.
- Rachel Devitt
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.