The definitive biography of one of the most critically acclaimed and enigmatic groups of all time.

When Mark Hollis died suddenly in 2019 aged 64, he left behind a slim but perfectly formed collection of Talk Talk albums, one solo album in twenty-three years and an ever-burgeoning mystique which only continues to grow with each passing year.

The band’s reputation is formed on the imperious run of three albums released between 1986 and 1991, yet Hollis and the band remain a carefully shrouded mystery.

For the first time, Graeme Thomson seeks to unpick this knottiest of musical locks and understand the other world of Talk Talk.

"“(a) fascinating and stirring tribute to one of the most inscrutable bands of the '80s 4/5”" - Classic Pop

"“Genuinely illuminating...with all the depth of detail such 'world building' entails”" - The Wire

"“Thomson vividly fills the gaps with his forensic detail, deep listening and jigsaw anecdotes piecing together a picture of an inscrutable artist 4/5”" - Mojo 

"“An opportunity to wonder. A proper old labour of love. It's a very good book”" - Word in Your Ear

"“A pointedly personal celebration of an often insane-sounding musical visionary, whose working methods bordered on madness.  Hollis once stated, ‘I would rather hear one note than I would two, and I would rather hear silence than I would one note’, yet nevertheless, this admirable book makes plain, his music demands to be heard to this day”" - The Idler