Nick Zammuto, left, and his new band

After four albums of brilliantly bizarre sound collages and more than 10 years of existence, experimental duo the Books, aka Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong, are calling it quits. "It seems the air has gone out of the Books for the last time," wrote Zammuto in an email. "It's been an extraordinarily painful year coming to the realization that there was no way forward for the band. I love the Books and all that it became, and it still feels strange to me that such an odd little project moved people like it did."

Tying up loose ends, Zammuto said we can expect "a couple LPs worth of B-sides and soundtracks, a box set with the four [Books] records, and an updated DVD later this year."

While the end of the Books is certainly sad news for admirers of its uncanny compositions, fans can take solace in Zammuto's new band-- appropriately dubbed Zammuto-- which is due to release its self-titled debut album April 3 on Temporary Residence and play its first live gigs next month. The group features Books guitarist/keyboardist/violinist Gene Back, drummer Sean Dixon, Nick on guitar and vocals, and Nick's brother Mikey on bass. We recently sent Nick a few questions about the end of his old project as well as the beginning of his new one-- his answers, along with a few Zammuto mp3s, are below.

"The Way Out was an optimistic attempt to see if [the Books] could still work, and I remember thinking, even back then,

that it might be a very aptly named record."

Pitchfork: Why are the Books ending?

Nick Zammuto: Right now, going into the details of it does not serve anyone, and I'm still too close to it to talk about it without getting angry. It's best for it to remain a mystery for a while. I doubt we will work together again, and unfortunately it almost certainly means we will retire the name after these last releases are out. I think The Way Out was an optimistic attempt to see if it could still work, and I remember thinking, even back then, that it might be a very aptly named record. I think [Paul and I] deserve a shot at rebuilding, so that will be my focus. And I'm excited to focus on the next phase now.

Pitchfork: How did your new Zammuto project come about?

NZ: It was a scramble for me to figure out what to do next. I seriously considered just stopping music since it's such an uncertain business and hard on my family, but my wife and close friends urged me to make another record right away. It definitely had a "do or die" kind of feeling hanging over it.

Pitchfork: A few of the songs on Zammuto sound pretty pointed and critical. Are they aimed at specific people? Self-critiques?

NZ: Everyone's got a brass robot in their lives that they want to tear a new one, right? I had a frustrating couple years for sure, but these songs are more universal. Mostly they're about making that difficult decision to cut your losses and move on, and committing to the new reality 100%. For me, this record is very much a part of the grieving/healing process personally, and conceptually it's laid out in the stages of grief, with all its ups and downs. I was a pretty raw nerve through most of the process, but it was very refreshing and therapeutic at the same time.