ArtistsTodd Drootin

Biography

Also known as: Books on Tape, Click Tracy

Member of: American Entreprise Prostitutes, Box Social, Dewey Decimator, Subverse, Sluts on Tape

Raised on punk rock and related products, Todd Drootin got turned on to electronic music and hip-hop in the nineties. With Matt Dennebaum, he forms the duo Subverse, whose sole, self-released cassette Nobody Likes You (1998), although a fairly obscure item in itself, got them some well deserved kudos. Unfortunately, the band had to split shortly afterwards as their members moved to opposite coasts: Matt went to New York City, and Todd eventually found his way to Los Angeles.

Fueled by this experience, Todd went solo under the name Books on Tape, a project in which he would craft his now instantly recognizable signature. Unlike many electronica producers (bedroom or otherwise), Todd is unafraid to do things you’re not supposed to do, like trying to recreate a guitar strumming effect in a sequencer, or laying his songs upon shockingly unorthodox rhythms. However, two important qualities can be found in equal measure in his entire oeuvre: energy and groove.

Todd’s recorded activity has taken many shapes and turns already. Following a self-released CD, Take a Read on the Riding and multiple appearances in the backdrop of various popular MTV reality shows, Books on Tape was featured on weblabels No Type and Subverseco. Physical releases in various formats (CDR, 10", 7") ensued, as well as a large number of live performances on the West Coast. In December 2002, the first widely available Books on Tape CD was released by the Seattle-based Deathbomb Arc label under the title Throw Down Your Laptops. As a companion release, No Type is releasing a 10" EP featuring a different version of the song Hey Typical! plus unreleased material. On top of this, a new No Type CD, titled Sings the blues, is released in September 2003 in collaboration with Greyday Prouductions.

Todd is also behind a number of projects besides Books on Tape, such as Click Tracy, Dewey Decimator (with Kerri Kerrang), Sluts on Tape (with Eryk Salvaggio), Tape Science Version (with Dustin Craig) and Box Social (with Fonda’s David Klotz).

In October 2003, Books on Tape its first New York City appearance at the esteemed CMJ festival, garnering rave reviews. This was followed up by an eastern Canadian tour and more New York dates in early 2004. Todd has also appeared at Pop Montréal and the MACRoCk conference in Harrisonburg, VA. In late 2004 came the 40-minute EP The Business End (Greyday), which hit Chart Attack!'s electronic #1 slot for seven weeks and ended the year as the number two electronic record in Canada for 2004. In 2005, Books on Tape hit the road numerous times in preparation for his upcoming release on Alien8 exposing new parts of the country to the unique, high-energy live efforts that have made a name for him. Dinosaur Dinosaur is out now, and is widely being hailed as his finest release to date, and more closely representing Todd's punky live sound. Books on Tape's notoriously raucuos live shows have occured on bills with such diverse and respected acts as Daedelus, Stars as Eyes, The Good Life, Wolf Eyes, Shonen Knife, Prefuse 73 and many more.

Albums Featuring Todd Drootin

Monday, June 9, 2008

MP3: No Type: Annexe (2001) SUBR 001

Remember Books on Tape? Of course you do! Remember his once-fledging netlabel Subverseco? I sure hope so! Well, Subverseco had disappeared some time ago (as stuff from the Intertubes is…

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

MP3: No Type (2006) NT 082

Beats Headphone Improv Radical Catchy Complex

Unknown day, 2005

Books on Tape Dinosaur Dinosaur

CD: Alien8 (2005) ALIEN 60

Thursday, January 1, 2004

MP3: No Type (2004) NT 050

Unknown day, 2004

MP3: Nishi (2004) NSH 050

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Books on Tape, Hellothisisalex Remix Each Other

WEB: Subverseco (2003) SUB 044

[va] Chickenhed!

WEB: Subverseco (2003) SUB 043

Monday, September 1, 2003

CD: No Type (2003) IMNT 088

Tuesday, May 27, 2003

10": No Type (2003) IMNT 078

Sunday, May 18, 2003

MP3: No Type (2003) NT 076

Sunday, March 30, 2003

Dewey Decimator How Can We Exploit This Tragedy?

WEB: Subverseco (2003) SUB 039

Saturday, February 1, 2003

Books on Tape In Vitriol

WEB: Subverseco (2003) SUB 037

Unknown day, 2003

[va] My Malady

CD: Mental Monkey (2003) MMR 004

Sunday, December 1, 2002

[va] Shelf Life

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 035

Wednesday, November 6, 2002

Dewey Decimator Manifesto

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 033

Saturday, August 10, 2002

Books on Tape Two Song EP

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 023

Subverse Nobody Likes You

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 020

Monday, August 5, 2002

Books on Tape Used

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 030

Dewey Decimator Alaskan Soveirgnty

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 029

Monday, July 1, 2002

Dewey Decimator Numerica Love Companion

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 027

[va] ¡Muy Sabroso!

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 025

Thursday, April 25, 2002

Box Social Collected Recordings

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 018

Books on Tape, Headphone Science Science Books Remix Class

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 017

Dewey Decimator The Decimatrix

WEB: Subverseco (2002) SUB 014

Tuesday, April 2, 2002

2xCD: No Type (2002) IMNT 0201/02

Monday, January 21, 2002

Headphone Science Number 65

WEB: No Type (2002) NT 065

Unknown day, 2002

Books on Tape Pressure Cooked

CDR3: Subverseco (2002) SUBX 003

[va] 2088

CD: Skylab Operations (2002) SKY 12

MP3: Nishi (2002) NSH 012

Books on Tape Smartass

10": Deathbomb Arc (2002) DBA 021

Books on Tape Throw Down Your Laptops

CD: Deathbomb Arc (2002) DBA 011

[va] Why Is Anything Forbidden?

CD: Deathbomb Arc (2002) DBA 009

Thursday, December 6, 2001

Books on Tape Sad Single

WEB: Subverseco (2001) SUB 012

[va] Rollerderby Superstar presents the California Collection

WEB: Subverseco (2001) SUB 010

Friday, October 19, 2001

Dewey Decimator Generalities

WEB: Subverseco (2001) SUB 009

Tuesday, August 14, 2001

Books on Tape Test Pressing

WEB: Subverseco (2001) SUB 005

Wednesday, February 28, 2001

MP3: No Type (2001) NT 046

From the Store

2xCD: No Type (2002) IMNT 0201/02

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