Between the Funk and the Fear is the debut full-length from Hologram Teen, the anagrammatic moniker of Morgane Lhote, who played keyboards in
Stereolab for several years during the late '90s and early 2000s. Her solo work blends a multitude of influences, ranging from synth-heavy horror soundtracks to Euro-disco to instrumental hip-hop to Brazilian psych rock. The album kicks off with the suspenseful horror-disco track "Post-Apocalypteacakes," which sets the general tone for the album -- spooky but fun, playful and exciting, rather than fearsome. "Tracksuit Minotaur" is more uptempo and jogging, but with rushing wind effects and a sinister voice warning of the presence of witches. "God(d) of Thunder vs. Sukia," a collaboration with members of the Dust Brothers-approved sampledelic group Sukia, is a dip into demonic exotica dub, with lush strings, trippy effects, and monstrous voices beckoning you from the other side. "Roller Lover Doppelgänger" is a clash between the campy and the creepy, with funereal organs somehow providing a bed for zippy disco strings and funky guitar licks. The self-explanatory "Lesbian Death Drums" is a drum-heavy skull-basher with cartoonish villain voices. The glassy, reflective organs of "Magique Afrique" are the closest this album comes to sounding like
Stereolab, but the rest of the track is more of a loungey prog-jazz trip, with layers of flute and sax as well as busy drums and bongos. "Escape from Paris (Orange Crate Art Remix)" is the most
Carpenter-core track on the album, but it's nowhere near as neon-hued as the majority of the synthwave brigade.
Between the Funk and the Fear is an astoundingly fun, creative record which would sound great at a Halloween party, but doesn't come close to containing any goth clichés. ~ Paul Simpson