Fear 2 Stop - Butterfly Symphony

Hear The Track Here

Regular readers will already be aware of that small frission of panic that seeing the name of this band often brings forth. I feel that I am now probably immune to that reaction because I have become more than used to the way that Fear 2 Stop do business. As one of the most fully paid up members of Soundclick's Experimental community, their music is - to say the least - difficult to grasp. The most surprising thing is that, despite all that, Fear 2 Stop can become somewhat of a taste, and one I have certainly got a case of. The simple fact is that I like most of their output. OK, I can't pretend to understand it, but I do like to hear their wholly individual take on the whole electronica/experimental thing, especially their patented blend of analog and digital.

For sure, there aren't many bands like this...

Billy Castillo (F2S main man and motor mouth) describes Butterfly Symphony as 'A real toe tapper....if your toes were on fire' and like all of Billy's comments has to be taken with the requisite pinch of salt (say a ton and a half). Nothing, Ah say nothing is quite what it seems in the Fear 2 Stop world. Billy has spent the last couple of years brushing up on his production skills and that - more than anything other thing - is what makes Fear 2 Stop infinitely more accessible than the artist I first reviewed way back in 2003. Billy's particular affinity being drum and bass lines, many of which are full of ideas and odd sounds but still oddly compelling.

To my ears, they haven't hit the (more commercial) heights they were hitting a year or so ago, but I never expected that to really come into full being, simply because this is not the Fear 2 Stop way. As always, Butterfly Symphony, is an instrumental. In fact, in this case, its not much more than bass and drums but there again this is strictly a Billy C track anyway by the looks of it. So, if any kind of experimentation sends you postal, best not to delve into this. Mind you, if like me, you have developed a quirky taste for what this Houston based trio have to offer then Butterfly Symphony will offer no surprises. Not to my mind one of their better tracks but hey, can't win every time - especially not with this band who make a career of doing it 'their way'.

Recommended electronica noodle.