Comments on: For Your Friday - The Spoon Box by The Books http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Wingo http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604161 Wingo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604161 I love love LOVE The books. Their music is pure ear candy and truly inspired. I am a long time practitioner of weird sampling and 'found sound' sort of chicanery, and these guys are THE kings. They do not get the credit they deserve - it seems that they remain in relative obscurity for most. I agree with poster one, too - the Prefuse 73 Reads The Books or whatever it's officially called is also tres excellent. Trippy as hell. Wonderful video - thanks for that!! I love love LOVE The books. Their music is pure ear candy and truly inspired.

I am a long time practitioner of weird sampling and ‘found sound’ sort of chicanery, and these guys are THE kings. They do not get the credit they deserve – it seems that they remain in relative obscurity for most.

I agree with poster one, too – the Prefuse 73 Reads The Books or whatever it’s officially called is also tres excellent. Trippy as hell.

Wonderful video – thanks for that!!

]]> By: Xeni Jardin http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604162 Xeni Jardin Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604162 Super cool video, great post, Bassam! Super cool video, great post, Bassam!

]]> By: headfirstonly http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-605190 headfirstonly Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-605190 Thanks for posting this; the video is wonderful. Lost and safe was my introduction to the world of aleatoric music, and has become one of my favourite albums. The music of The Books deserves far wider coverage and if anyone reading this hasn't given their stuff a listen I really recommend that you do. I've managed to idenify some of the recordings used on Lost and Safe (which range from the BBC's Raymond Baxter trying to describe the first transatlantic satellite broadcast and a befuddled reporter encountering Salvador Dali to W H Auden reading some of his poetry) but I'd love to see their catalogue! Incidentally, Nick Zammuto was also co-creator of <A HREF="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00j15vj">Bring me the head of Philip K Dick</A> which I caught on BBC radio recently. Thanks for posting this; the video is wonderful. Lost and safe was my introduction to the world of aleatoric music, and has become one of my favourite albums. The music of The Books deserves far wider coverage and if anyone reading this hasn’t given their stuff a listen I really recommend that you do. I’ve managed to idenify some of the recordings used on Lost and Safe (which range from the BBC’s Raymond Baxter trying to describe the first transatlantic satellite broadcast and a befuddled reporter encountering Salvador Dali to W H Auden reading some of his poetry) but I’d love to see their catalogue!

Incidentally, Nick Zammuto was also co-creator of Bring me the head of Philip K Dick which I caught on BBC radio recently.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604444 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604444 wow! they're new to me, and i'm LOVING the music! thank you, Bassam, for yet another post showing me something i'd never seen, or teaching me something i never knew (the two things i can always count on BB to do). wow! they’re new to me, and i’m LOVING the music! thank you, Bassam, for yet another post showing me something i’d never seen, or teaching me something i never knew (the two things i can always count on BB to do).

]]> By: J France http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604189 J France Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604189 Amazing video!! The sound was very much like a Matthew Herbert composition or perhaps even Múm. I love found object percussion & obviously need to pay more attention to newer releases. Cheers for the heads up, you guys are giving Metzger a run for best guest bloggers ever. Amazing video!!

The sound was very much like a Matthew Herbert composition or perhaps even Múm. I love found object percussion & obviously need to pay more attention to newer releases.

Cheers for the heads up, you guys are giving Metzger a run for best guest bloggers ever.

]]> By: EggyToast http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604221 EggyToast Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604221 I conversed briefly with Nick back in 2000, shortly after he released his Solutiore of Stareau 3cd album. He's long been into sampling acoustic sounds, created often in very odd ways (Solutiore of Stareau is largely pops and tones created from scratching vinyl and sampling it, and is very minimalist). I think getting involved with Paul DeJong was one of the best things to happen to him, though, because it widened the palette for both artists significantly. For "Lost and Safe," there are interviews noting that they have all of their samples categorized by note, making it much easier to construct melodic and musical bits without resorting to just lifting a full line. Personally, I find their work with acoustic instruments the most intriguing element of their music, because the "emphasis on imperfection" that Nick was happy to put in the forefront in his early career is lovely with acoustic instruments. Hearing a cello that's not exactly played right (for example) but still rearranged and sequenced to work perfectly within the overall song, is what makes them stand out to me. I conversed briefly with Nick back in 2000, shortly after he released his Solutiore of Stareau 3cd album. He’s long been into sampling acoustic sounds, created often in very odd ways (Solutiore of Stareau is largely pops and tones created from scratching vinyl and sampling it, and is very minimalist). I think getting involved with Paul DeJong was one of the best things to happen to him, though, because it widened the palette for both artists significantly. For “Lost and Safe,” there are interviews noting that they have all of their samples categorized by note, making it much easier to construct melodic and musical bits without resorting to just lifting a full line. Personally, I find their work with acoustic instruments the most intriguing element of their music, because the “emphasis on imperfection” that Nick was happy to put in the forefront in his early career is lovely with acoustic instruments. Hearing a cello that’s not exactly played right (for example) but still rearranged and sequenced to work perfectly within the overall song, is what makes them stand out to me.

]]> By: Pipenta http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604743 Pipenta Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604743 I LOVE that spoon box. Wonderful! I LOVE that spoon box. Wonderful!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604315 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604315 Hooray, the Books have come to Boingboing! First song of theirs I ever heard was "If Not Now, Whenever," and it's still my favorite. They're awesome in concert, too. Hooray, the Books have come to Boingboing! First song of theirs I ever heard was “If Not Now, Whenever,” and it’s still my favorite. They’re awesome in concert, too.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604573 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604573 they are working on a new album as we speak. it's going to be nice, says the engineer. they are working on a new album as we speak. it’s going to be nice, says the engineer.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604120 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604120 As a long-time fan of the books (and hey, be sure to mention the excellent Prefuse 73 vs Books album!), I can only say that coverage of them is great... but the bigger, more important question (especially if you are talking to them) is _when_ is a new album forthcoming? These guys are bonkers, and make some of the most unique and robust music around... certainly stuff with a 'makers' spirit in sound. So... new stuff... please? As a long-time fan of the books (and hey, be sure to mention the excellent Prefuse 73 vs Books album!), I can only say that coverage of them is great… but the bigger, more important question (especially if you are talking to them) is _when_ is a new album forthcoming? These guys are bonkers, and make some of the most unique and robust music around… certainly stuff with a ‘makers’ spirit in sound. So… new stuff… please?

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604123 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604123 And more kitchen equipment too. And more kitchen equipment too.

]]> By: Fletcherism http://boingboing.net/2009/10/02/for-your-friday---th-1.html#comment-604141 Fletcherism Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604141 I cannot wait to get home so i can actually listen to this =) The Books make me happy. The Lemon of Pink is great but could not stop playing Lost and Safe. I cannot wait to get home so i can actually listen to this =) The Books make me happy. The Lemon of Pink is great but could not stop playing Lost and Safe.

]]>