Bookmobile Live 20080504

Bookmobile is Ben Torrence and Victor Couto. The duo began playing music together in early 2001, along with Choncey Langford, in Recidivist, a trio that performed completely improvised post-rock primarily using guitars, bass, and drums, as well as an occasional sampler, keyboard or effects device. Their studio activities began to shift their attention more and more toward the potential of the computer as a musical tool and instrument, which led to Lamplighter, their electronic alter-ego. Lamplighter began performing shows with computers (even pre-laptops) in late 2001, and shared the stage with a number of noteworthy artists including The Chicago Underground Duo, David Grubbs, Hrvatski, Greg Davis, and Damo Suzuki. Lamplighter released one album and a pair of compilation appearances before disbanding in 2003. After Lamplighter Ben and Victor continued on as Bookmobile, releasing their debut album Keys in 2004, and touring the west coast in 2005, and have a couple of complilation tracks to their name. The duo are now operating bi-coastal, with Victor residing in Washington D.C., and Ben remaining in Seattle. They are presently working on their second full-length, and touring North America.

"The music of Seattle's Bookmobile (Ben Torrence and Victor Couto) recalls IDM's late-'90s glory days, when digital sound exploration hadn't hardened into orthodoxies. Their excellent new debut CD, Keys, engrossingly encompasses Raster-Noton's scientific minimalism, Sonig's pranksterish splattertronica, gnomic clicks-n-cuts ambience, Fennesz-style guitar hypnosis, and alien exotica. Bookmobile's punctilious cornucopia of sounds and styles could fool you into thinking they issued from Germany and England's most respected sonic laboratories rather than a humble Seattle home studio."

-Dave Segal, The Stranger

This album is a recording of a live performance for the Somerville Open Studios third annual Music Fest on May 4, 2008. It was produced by Randy Winchester for ARTSomerville.  CD quality FLAC files of this recording are available from http://www.archive.org/details/BookmobileLive20080504 .

ARTSomerville (ARTS) is a volunteer arts organization based in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA, which draws upon the talents of local creativity, strengthening communication among artists and the public by presenting exhibits, performances, and educational activities. Albums appearing under the ARTSomerville logo are from artists that have given performances at ARTSomerville sponsored events. Visit www.artsomerville.org to learn more.