The Books Spill Details of Highly Anticipated New Album

It's been four years since sound collagists the Books released their last proper LP, 2005's Lost and Safe, but Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong are "well underway" with the as-yet-untitled follow-up, due early next year. The long gestation process makes sense considering the painstaking work required for each of their found-sound tracks, which are usually made up of tons of tiny samples from all sorts of unique and/or forgotten sources.

"We started collecting audio tapes and video tapes on our last tour and we came home with a mountain of stuff-- around 4000 tapes," said Zammuto in a recent phone interview. "There's an unbelievable amount of treasure to go through, and that's what we've been up to over the past few years." 

The duo are set to show off about a half dozen new compositions on a two-week tour of the U.S. next month, each one paired with exacting, synchronized videos that are often as impressive as the music itself. Click on for details about the new record (including a song based on Talkboy tapes) and some insight into how these guys distill thousands of hours of found material into something that's not only enjoyable but enlightening... - Pitchfork

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The books-Thought for food (2002)

Every once in a while a record like this one appears out of the ether without clear reference points. Web details on The Books are sketchy, but I have ascertained that they're a duo consisting of guitarist Nick Zammuto, who lives in North Carolina and has released some solo material under his surname, and cellist Paul de Jong, who lives in New York and has composed for dance, theater and film. After that, the pool of Books information dries up fast. The music is similarly unknowable, in the sense that it's difficult to classify. Musicians famously hate to be 'put into a box'; well, if more bands sounded quite as original as The Books, the practice would likely cease. If this record is the product of any sort of 'scene,' it's not one I've heard of. Thought for Food is going to sit comfortably in my collection in its own little category, a small world unto itself. - Pitchfork

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