"I like everything to happen fast, like a car crash," said Todd Drootin, mastermind behind the Los Angeles force that is Books on Tape. Books on Tape is difficult to wrap one's head around at first. Their music is something that Drootin describes as "electronic noise rock," but it goes so much further than that.
Incorporating elements of every single music genre you can think of, Books on Tape is generally classified as noise music. When listening to one of Drootin's albums, however, it is hard to see Books on Tape as a noise band.
"I like music that is an expression of how someone feels and not just a showcase for their musical skills," Drootin said.
Books on Tape originally began as a solo project for Drootin when he and his partner Matt Dennebaum split up after their 1998 release, "Nobody Likes You." With enough recognition from his prior band, Subverse, he was able to gain a following and in 2002 he released "Throw Down Your Laptops" on Los Angeles based label Deathbomb Arc.
His next two releases, 2003's "Books on Tape Sings the Blues" and 2004's "The Business End," released on No Type and Grey Day Productions, garnered praise from local critics and were enough to get him a slot at the prestigious College Music Journal (CMJ) Music Festival in New York City. Oddly enough, Canada was where Books on Tape was best received. "The Business End" reached number one in the electronic genre on the Canadian college radio charts.
With Books on Tape's recent release "Dinosaur, Dinosaur," Drootin tries to shatter all the preconceptions that came with his previous music. There are more human elements to the music, evident in songs like "We Call You Nasty." On other tracks like "Johnny Drunk on the Rocks," evidence of guitar, bass and even horns are even present in the music, giving it a sort of a spazzy-jazzy feel, different from anything else in electronic music.
Drootin's form of electronic music is unique and rare, and that is part of the reason why the punk and indie communities have embraced him more readily than the electronic music scene.
To truly understand Drootin, Books on Tape and its brand of music, one must see him live. He has played all over the world with artists like Rilo Kiley, John Frusciante and Cursive. He has played everywhere from The Knitting Factory in New York City for the CMJ Music Marathon to some of the dingiest, dirtiest dive bars anyone has ever seen.
None of that seems to faze Drootin though, as long as he is able to play his music for his audience. "A lot of it depends on surroundings... I guess I go into each show and try to soak in the surroundings a bit - that helps me decide what songs I'm going to play," he said.
A typical live set for Books on Tape is best described as unpredictable. To begin with, Drootin likes to drink heavily. The band doesn't seem to be fond of set lists and likes to spice things up. "Playing different sets each night keeps things fresh for me and keeps the songs from becoming too practiced," Drootin said. He added that this is able to give him a better personal connection with the audience.
As for the future, Drootin makes it clear that he is not out for artsy recognition or any type of an experimentalism that can make him seem avant-garde.
"Everything is so damn post-modern now," he said. "I think it would be hard for anyone to come up with a surprising influence. I feel like I could mention something [new] like 'the plight of English laborers in the 18th century' and you would be like, 'Oh-like that dude on Ninja Tune?'"
Drootin has sacrificed possible recognition from a currently stagnant electronic community in favor of a type of music that is more personal and human. "Certainly, I think the end result is more rock than electronic or noise, but there are certainly elements of all that going in," said Drootin.
Part of the reason why his music is embraced by punk, indie and noise communities is that each song Drootin makes can sound like a punk song, an indie song or a noise song. It is music that brings everyone from different genres together, punk and indie kids
alike.
