Last night, I met with The Books for a private show they put on at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University. I came by for their sound check to meet and talk with them a bit about Source Audio’s Hot-Hand motion-controlled effect which seems to have caught their eye a bit. Our plan is to experiment with the Hot-Hand on the cello, which is pretty exciting! We won’t know until we try. After all, the proof is in the pudding.
I stuck around for the show and as I expected, it was one of the most penetrating musical experiences of my life. Their aleatoric approach to music and video communicates deep truths through displaying the startling alignments found in randomness and nature. This, The Books’ method, bridges the gap between the worlds of fine art, music and science so well that it feels they have extracted the most crystalline, powerful aspects of each.
The communicating force of their music and video is entirely passed on material ranging from sound clips of Albert Einstein ruminating about Ghandi to passages from existential authors to found video footage from years spent rummaging through thrift stores. When it’s all combined it becomes clear that the number one interest of The Books is you. More specifically, the most deep, inner, personal part of your self.
It is my belief that they call themselves “The Books” because in the words of their tour manager, Brendon Downey, “they are a sonic library of all humanity”. They are a musical representation of the world of knowledge contained on library shelves. In placing dusty, ancient wisdom alongside sleek modern concepts, The Books are speaking to and of the lineage of art that began with the first word ever spoken and ends at the exhalation of your next breath.
The first link here is to some live footage of them and the second is a video straight off of their DVD. There is plenty of content available online for you to explore. If you really want to experience The Books, I recommend buying their CD or DVD of videos and spending time with them alone. They may prove to be the launching pad and soundtrack to your endless exploration of your self.
