Books on Tape
The Business End
(Greyday Productions)
From the imagery, anyone who picks up the latest album by Todd Drootin's techno group Books on Tape is set up to be depressed. The title, The Business End, alludes to the barrel of a gun, while the album art revolves around images of knives and the Great Depression. The music has its own face, however, as Drootin created a surprisingly listenable album with equal parts rhythm and experimentation.
The first track-\The Truth, The Whole Truth, and an Assortment of Lies""-sets the album's tone, shooting into a fast-paced drum and bass line that blends with oscillating siren noises. Easily the best track on the album, it layers sounds over this beat smoothly, adding a haunting woodwind-style riff and drums that resemble wooden blocks.
According to the band's website, Drootin takes pride in using effects that most synthesizers would not try, and this album follows that theme by drawing off a diverse shelf of sounds.
""Grey Matters"" has a rapid drum pace blended with sound effects that are reminiscent of the ""Super Mario Brothers"" theme song, while ""I Will Straight Get You Arrested"" has clean, electric guitar notes that make the song a surprising change from earlier tracks.
Some songs even manage to create their own sound, going past standard form and mixing into other genres. ""People That Don't Like Me/People I Don't Like"" is the clearest example, thanks to a definite bluesy feel from saxophone and piano effects backing up the bass.
""Patron Saints III"" also finds its own way, with Drootin quickly changing the tone from basic drums by weaving an almost psychedelic rhythm into the sound effects on the various layers.
Although all of these effects keep building on each other, the problem is by the end of the album they tend to sound just like more of the same.
While this may be an effect of listeners being too jaded to appreciate the later tracks, it is also possible that Drootin ran out of sounds and decided to do more of the same. The last track in particular, ""What Satan Said to Me,"" seems like Satan was content to let the album taper out with no definitive closing spark, offering only some weak laser sounds.
While this album is clearly designed for a setting with flashing lights and smoke machines, it has enough to offer non-techno fans. There is more to these tracks than just Books on Tape playing with a synthesizer, and even casual listeners will find a track that reminds them of their favorite genre.
