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Frantic Romantic

Never quite a musician, never quite an artist, Mr. Kerosene has always treated one like the other. What makes music interesting is the unknown places it goes, and the stories it tells from the people that make it. Sure, Mr. Kerosene had timid beginnings… listening to the Space Jam soundtrack like any other 90’s kid, but from the moment he heard Chris Cornell’s voice (circa Superunknown, 1994), his life would never be the same. Music became a science where Soundgarden led to Stone Temple Pilots that led to Garbage that led to David Bowie that led to Adam and the Ants, and suddenly a full canvas of absurd rejects showed the power of the microphone. Mr. Kerosene began singing in bands when he was 15, and since then has been featured on Live105, 107.7 The Bone and KSJS 90.5, and has opened for Alice in Chains’ William DuVall. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a stadium or a backdoor barnyard, just give them something they haven’t heard.” – Mr. Kerosene. Born and raised in San Jose, California. Ezequiel’s love for music began at an early age, watching his father play guitar and his mother sing on Sunday mornings at their local Pentecostal church. Soon after his older brother came across a few dusty records at a garage sale. Records that introduced him to the sounds of Motown, The Beatles and Elvis Presley. It was during his teenage years, heavily Influenced by the music of the late 90’s, that he bought his first guitar and began writing songs. It was the start of his musical endeavors. Over the years Ezequiel, has sang and written for a few different bands. Bands such as the experimental Bluer-X, alt-rock Breaking Hour, and 2012’s goth drenched Her Ghost. Upon facing the burdens of adulthood, work life became more of a priority and he felt forced to walk off the stage, only to linger in the hopes of one day returning. Although, still writing songs and a stint as a keyboardist in 2015 for Skyway View, for the most he flew under the radar. Time spent reading and writing poetry, he still felt his artistic needs were not fully met and yearned to feel the heat of the stage lights again. To once again feel that nervous energy he’d get right before stepping out to preform in front of a crowd. A sense of mystery mixed with danger. As of 2020, Ezequiel was asked to join and play bass for the “dream rock” outfit, Frantic Romantic. A band that is armed with a captivating sound and known for rocking the music scene with a sense of style. A band that has spent time honing their craft and have started making waves in Northern California. Ezequiel, plans to utilize his song writing abilities and spirited energy to help push the band into new territories. He feels very honored to be part of the brotherhood that is Frantic Romantic. “There is a destiny that makes us brothers; none goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.” – Edwin Markham. Ruben Beltran Started playing Guitar in 1993, at 10 years old, during the Peak of the grunge movement. He fell in love with the songwriting of Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, which served as the catalyst for learning to play guitar, via their songbooks. He taught himself, with the help of tab books, and guitar magazines from the local drugstore, that he would memorize, then run home to quickly figure out on the guitar. A friend of his step dad gave him his first guitar, which was actually found in a heap at the junk yard. Ruben had humble beginnings, so his family didn’t have the means of buying him a guitar, to this day, it’s still in his possession. He later challenged himself with studying the works of Kirk Hammett, Carlos Santana, Joe Satriani. Towards the end of the 90’s, the music of the time period began to change, and He began to open himself to the sounds of Radiohead, and Bjork. The use of orchestration, harmonies, Electronic elements, and Ambient Effects. This, along with The melodic guitars, and interwoven synths of Amir Derakh, and Ryan Shucks work in the bands, Orgy, Julienne K, and Dead By Sunrise were pivotal in him finding his sound, the New wave kissed Delay tones, with the rich retro synths, and Crunching guitars. He credits artists like Juan Gabriel, Chris Martin, John Frusciante, Stevie Wonder, and Tegan and Sara for shaping him as a song writer, and lyricist, and furthering the development of what is his sound. This sound was the foundation of the 5 studio albums Ruben put out over the last decade, starting with Skyway Views debut album, 2009’s “Vanity Unveil Me”, 2012’s “Under the Digital sky”, however, once aligned with Joseph Medina after a line up change, the sound took on another essence, as we saw in 2014’s “The Good and The Beautiful “, and even more so with the addition of Mr. Kerosene on vocals starting on 2015’s “The Victoria Trap”. After some soul searching, the group launched a rebranding of the project into Frantic Romantic, as the sound had evolved into something that needed a fresh launching point, that is embodied by their debut album “Celestina “.