Cellist, songwriter, and electronic producer Paul de Jong was a co-founder of renowned indie electronic collagist duo the Books, working with guitarist/vocalist Nick Zammuto to craft several brilliant albums of skittering, sample-heavy instrumental moods between 1999 and 2012. Several years after the release of the Books' final album, 2008's The Way Out, de Jong returned with his debut solo album, IF, a lively album built around the disparate elements of traditional folk arrangements, found-sound samples, and electronic textures. The album was released in April of 2015 on Brooklyn's Temporary Residence Ltd. label. It was followed by the diverse, ambitious, and personal You Fucken Sucker, which was issued in 2018. ~ Fred Thomas