Post-2011 Post-Human James Ferraro Index

A close listen from 1:00-2:00 AM has convinced me that Ferraro is squaring a very difficult circle. He's found beauty in the Baudrillardian simulation and layered it into his productions. He knows that programming the word Clorox to repeat throughout a song won't cheapen or toxify it. This is a very generous ouevre: although there's a lot of skill in his compositions, hypothetically his style could be adopted by anyone willing to give it a try. There's often a selfishness to independent music, a performative distancing from the vulgarity of commerce and modern life. Ferraro pushes in the opposite direction, drawing on one of the few true universal experiences (living under capitalism) and creating something singular and personal with it. Music for everyone.

Art suffused with commercial detritus can still be profoundly moving, Ferraro knows that and has proved it. However not all of his projects are equally "accessible," nor need they be. Some of these albums are incredibly dark, abrasive, alienating, depressing. That is also part of capitalist life. And while those works are very worthwhile, I've made this list to help beginners ease into Ferraro.

Sushi
Skid Row
Cold
SUKI GIRLZ
Human Story 3
SILICA GEL (BODYGUARD)
Far Side Virtual
NYC Hell, 3:00 AM

The order of access needn't be linear, and it certainly wasn't for me. But, for example, I had an easier time with Human Story 3 than Far Side Virtual, even though FSV was my first Ferraro album. Only by exploring Human Story 3 could I finally find a way into the junk-art of FSV, and even now I still find the latter to be his most challenging album.

For me, the first album that really spoke to me was SILICA GEL, a sometimes nasty work of ultrasmooth plastic texture. Its pummeling, distorted, cavernous beats actually made it easier for me to access the album's core. On other works, the affect is subtler and more diffuse. I needed SILICA GEL's obviousness before I could traverse the rest of Ferraro's discography and make my own connections.

So the point is, you can jump around freely on the spectrum to find what is most engaging. I wouldn't presume to know what side of Ferraro speaks most to newcomers. I just know I really like his music and think it's worth the effort. For so long, I kept tripping over what I thought was "irony," getting lost in a self-aware hall of mirrors. But that was my own over-intellectualization. Pushing through the consumer products and silly titles, you can experience something deep, meaningful, and immediate with Ferraro.