Providence, RI´s Ted James
brings his debut EP to the Cozy Music roster. "The Bridges of Providence County" pairs detuned synths and uneven rhythms as accompaniment to James´ layered vocal stylings.
DIY laptop-rocker Ted James has covered all the bases after over ten years in Electronic Music. From the live Drum & Bass act Mysticism & Logic to his Glitch-Hop outings with Brooklyn´s wordsmith Scab, this Providence native has an ear for a good beat. As any of his tracks will tell you, he has the finesse to breathe life into the inanimate.
James began the initial production and performance of his solo work in 2002. Calling on his many influences, he paired acoustic guitars and vintage drum boxes with original vocals and lyrics. Five years later, "The Bridges of Providence County" shows a harder edge and more refined instrumentation as James takes a more stripped-down approach to his creative process, putting the guitars down in favor of his masterful manipulation of technology in sound.
With fast-paced electro-pop synths stacked end to end, "So Strange" opens the disc on a high. There is a sense of urgency in this track like the pendulum of a clock wound too tightly. James expresses this with metronomic precision: "If all we ever do is make mistakes, I don´t want to wait - I just want to spend my time with you."
James takes the tempo down with "Scarecrow" and turns out the low end for this crushing dance-floor grinder. Using a disquieting synthline and a pair of arid voices, he sugars the rhythm with arcane references and wild illustrations.
Title track, "The Bridges of Providence County" saunters in like a warped record at a cocktail party. The subtle bends in pitch play up the nightmarish discord in his words. Again, we can tell James is not shy when it comes to the low-frequencies, and generous portions have been doled out to weave through the rigid cadence of it's half-human drums and well beaten keyboards. The last two minutes of the song funnels rolling percussion, caustic pianos and a bleeding synth solo into a lengthy crescendo which resonates through the track´s very last note.
Clocking in at just over thirteen minutes, this EP introduces a new sound and a new personality to the crowded pool of electronic music. After spending over five years developing his organic-electronic style, Ted James is ready to present "The Bridges of Providence County." Striking and original, it proves an innovative addition to the Cozy Music roster. |
