Richard Evans’ book on electronic pop is the subject of the first of a series of monthly events at the book club’s new home at the Dartmouth Arms

FROM selecting records to finding volumes on bookshelves Travis Collins, founder of the Music Book Club, marries two obsessions: the printed word and his love of music.

On Sunday (September 15) the long-running book club move to the Dartmouth Arms in Dartmouth Park with a new residence at the pub.

The monthly event begins with writer Richard Evans discussing his book, Listening to the Music the Machines Make: Inventing Electronic Pop 1978-1983 (Omnibus Press).

Host, DJ and bibliophile Travis says: “This is a deep dive into electronic pop – from chart-toppers New Order, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and Gary Numan to personal favourites like Cabaret Voltaire, unsung hero Fad Gadget and industrial music provocateurs Throbbing Gristle, it  covers it all.”

Richard is well placed to write it, says Travis. “Richard has been working with Erasure for years – he has insider knowledge,” he adds.

And turning a page makes sifting through racks of records an easier job for tune selectors.

“Music books give me the opportunity to slow down and think about music in a different way,” Travis says. “I listen to music 24/7 but a music book breaks up the noise, giving the written word and writers’ research and interviews the chance to teach me something; discover more music or make me think about music I love in new ways.”

The club has been running in Islington but this autumn has embarked on a new venue in the Dartmouth Arms, which boasts a top-of-the-range vinyl hi-fi system.

And while many books filed under music will be the tellys-out-of-hotel-windows rock biographies, there is much more to the genre. Travis works his way through encyclopedia-style reference books as well as ones that focus on niche genres and subcultures.

“I love dense books that give my arms a real workout, the heavier the better,” Travis jokes. “But seriously, there is so much knowledge to absorb in music books.”

He cites series by Virgin Press which give potted histories to in-depth cultural takes such as Energy Flash by Simon Reynolds and Altered State by Matthew Collins. Both focus on the rise of house music.

Memoir plays a part too – after all, he says, what could be more personal than your relationship with music.

“A recent book I could relate to was Harold Heath’s Long Relationships: My Incredible Journey From Unknown DJ to Small-time DJ (Velocity Press),” he says. “It’s very funny and has become quite a hit among all my friends and the small-time DJ fraternity.”

And the links between music and literature bring endless fun.

“I love it when writers forge connections with two artists I never would have assumed had a connection – like the Bee Gees and Kraftwerk,” he says. “I picked up this little nugget from Matthew Colin in Dream Machines. Toy company Mattel made a toy synthesiser in collaboration with Bee Gees which Kraftwerk used on their hit Pocket Calculator. You only find out about this stuff between the lines of a well-researched music book.”

“I love it when a book mentions a lot of songs I haven’t heard,” he adds. “I often compile Spotify playlists for books as I read. It takes forever but I love to read a page while listening to the music mentioned, and if the song has lyrics, I sometimes have to stop reading and tune into the lyrics. It is a winning combination. I wish all music books came with their own music playlist.”

On Sunday, Richard will be doing a Q&A on his book before DJ’ing.

Looking ahead, October’s Music Book Club features reggae writer John Masouri presenting his work, Pressure Drop Reggae in the Seventies.

Travis says: “The great thing is I only choose books I love, and books already in bookshops so you can read the book and ask questions. The Dartmouth Arms is a vinyl listening bar and gastro pub so you can have dinner and hear music from the books played through a great sound system.”

• The Music Book Club is on Sunday September 15, 6pm, at The Dartmouth Arms, York Rise, NW5