Stream: James Ferraro “Cold”

28 Mar 2013 — Andrew Wagner

Experimental mastermind James Ferraro has released his latest genre-bending opus with his new mixtape, Cold. It’s a fitting title for a tape that continues in the relatively pared-back vein of his recent work. Prior to his 2012 LP, Sushi, Ferraro’s music had an almost maximalist layering of appropriated sonic textures, whether of 80s after school specials (Night Dolls With Hairspray) or 90s computer-muzak (Far Side Virtual), that could border on parody. But on Sushi, Ferraro adopted a toned-down aesthetic, exploring dance beats and pop music in a far more ambiguous manner than some of his earlier work.

On Cold, the traces of irony and humor are nearly completely wiped away. Here, Ferraro’s genres-of-choice are smooth R&B and hip-hop, and the 50-minute tape mainly uses simplistic drum beats, icy synths, and Ferraro’s own moody wordless-wails to create a hauntingly atmospheric work. Above it all, Ferraro often adds his most straightforward vocals yet, his singing at once passionless and tragic. Interestingly, his vocals can sometimes be reminiscent of Hippos In Tanks label mate Triad God. For instance, there’s the matter-of-fact and emotionless way Ferraro sings about desire on album centerpiece and standout, "Slave For Rain": 'Gonna make you love me/ Gonna make you love me/ I need your love.' It’s not too far off from Triad God’s similar pleas on "I Want to Hold You".

By turning away from the excesses of his past work, Ferraro has crafted an enticing mixtape that may just be his most compelling deconstruction of pop music and the world that surrounds it. Taken individually, Ferraro’s songs may at first feel lacking, oddly repetitive and slightly meandering.  But as a whole, Cold is a moving piece of music, turning hip-hop into a soundtrack for modern ennui. The mixtape ultimately succeeds in the same way that all of Ferraro’s great albums do: it reflects our own culture with a cracked sensibility, transporting us to a world where the unnoticed, day-to-day elements of our lives have been stretched and exaggerated into something uncanny and unsettling.

Stream Cold below, and download it for free here.