Imaad Wasif recently released his sixth studio album, So Long Mr. Fear. After listening to the title track, renowned producer and musician Money Mark contacted Imaad to create a remix of the song. As a result, “Mr. Fear, So Long (Money Mark Rework)” came to life.
Most widely known for his work with Beastie Boys, Mark took the original tune to a new level. “In the studio, it was like watching Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein […] Mark just hooked pure electricity into ‘Mr. Fear’ and reanimated the song in a totally new way, some kind of alien funk with its dark vision intact,” Wasif stated.
The inverted title, “Mr. Fear, So Long,” symbolizes the new sound of the track. Mark worked all his magic to make an already great song even greater. About the collab, Mark stated, “‘Mr. Fear’ grows from a kitchen table houseplant to a thick mutating vine ready to swallow the Hollywood hills best experienced with your favorite studio-grade headphone […] Imaad emerges victorious with his tight and clean vocal performance as he walks a tightrope over a deep treacherous valley. You’ll need multiple listenings to catch it all.”
Indeed, “Mr. Fear, So Long” is an other-worldly journey for the listener. Coupled with a trippy music video, the song’s production incorporates interesting sounds that enhance Wasif’s lyricism and vocals. A multifaceted and accomplished musician, Imaad spent most of last year on tour with Yeah Yeah Yeahs while also focusing on his solo music. He has stated that he’s “not too interested in living in the shadow of the old rock archetypes and rehashing them. For me, it’s all about creating something new.”
Both Wasif and Mark released a three-song EP on March 7, which includes “Mr. Fear, So Long (Money Mark Rework),” an instrumental version of it, and the original Imaad Wasif track, “So Long Mr. Fear.” You can listen to it and watch the music video for “Mr. Fear, So Long (Money Mark Rework),” below.
