Fear 2 Stop - Afterglow demo

Hear The Track Here

Is this really the end for Madames et Monsieurs Billy Castillo, Raymond Proseus and Dana Castillo, who are jointly responsible for the entity known as Fear 2 Stop? For those who don't really care whether it is the end or not (and who the **** are Fear 2 Stop anyway?), then you are a little lacking in the Soundclick history department or - conversely - you have a life. I first noticed them on Soundclick in late 2003 although I didn't actually get to review them until Science Friction (January 2004) and I finished the review by saying 'An artist who I am definitely going to hear from further methinks'. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for, nor I suspect, did Fear 2 Stop. At this point they have released hundreds of tracks of their very personal brand of electronic/analog experimental, and I feel like I have reviewed every single one. Their demise will feel a bit like the passing of an era. Well, yes, a very NOISY era, I'll grant that, but interesting and challenging in equal measure.

Now stop, otherwise I'll start puddling up ;)

Speaking of interesting and challenging (always accurate words when applied to listen to this Houston based threesome), Afterglow delivers exactly what I have come to expect from this band - and then some. Apparently this is just a demo version and the real thing is going to appear on their upcoming album (probably a swan song) and I personally can't wait to hear this finished. Matter of fact, if this was presented to me as yer typical Fear 2 Stop track, I'd have said yeah, but still would have added 'and then some' See, funny thing about F2S, and one that has always niggled at me, when they are on they are ON, when they are not it doesn't have anything like the same power.

More than once Fear 2 Stop has managed to get me to bend my critical knee to them, acknowledging this fact with much praise. See, I am quite a johnny-come-lately fan of experimental electronica, although like many of my generation I grew up hearing what used to be called ' avant-garde'. Pioneering musicians like Throbbing Gristle had a lot to do with my initial experience and some of Afterglow reminds me of that. Mostly, however, it puts me in mind of a bunch of 1980's electro-pop musicians being dragged back to the era of acid, dosed up and then forced to come up with a tune. We'll see when the album version comes out but IMHO this one of the strongest Fear 2 Stop tracks I have heard in a while.

Highly Recommended Experimental electronica.