French producer Fred Terror, formerly known as ILLNURSE, arrives on Cormac’s Polari Records with Motel Panic, a new EP that moves between dark atmospheres and disco-driven euphoria.
Drawing on EBM, Italo disco, electroclash, cold wave and post-punk, the release brings together driving rhythms, cinematic synths and shadowy melodies, balancing the energy of the dancefloor with a darker, more unsettling edge. Guided by the phrase “50% disco, 50% ténèbres,” Fred Terror opens a new chapter in his evolving musical world.
We spoke with Fred Terror about his artistic journey and the story behind Motel Panic.
Fred Terror “Motel Panic”: Listen and Order here
You’re now introducing yourself as Fred Terror after previously releasing music as ILLNURSE. What made this the right moment to start a new chapter, and what does Fred Terror allow you to express that your previous alias didn’t?
I think it just felt like the right time. ILLNURSE was pretty much about techno, EBM, machines, and the cold and industrial side of what I was doing. At some point I started getting more into Italo, cold wave and more melodic stuff. The music I had constantly playing in my head became more playful and cinematic. Is it an ADHD thing to have music constantly playing in your head?
Anyway, it felt like I needed a new identity. With Fred Terror it’s more about creating a character and a world around music. It’s both darker and more fun.
What was the story behind Motel Panic? How did the idea for this EP first come together, and what was happening creatively when you began working on it?
I’m a big fan of 80s culture, and particularly slashers and horror movies. I think that atmosphere naturally found its way into the tracks. I like the idea of mixing something dark and slightly disturbing with music that’s still made to dance to.
The name Motel Panic actually comes from something that happened when I was younger. I was on holiday in Spain with a group of friends, staying in a big house. We smoked some ridiculously strong weed right before going to bed, and basically everyone started having the same paranoid hallucinations. Two groups of friends in different parts of the house simultaneously became convinced that someone was breaking in. One group even grabbed knives from the kitchen to defend themselves. It could have ended really badly, but luckily it didn’t. Someone turned the lights on and we had a real Scooby-Doo moment.
« Motel Panic » has this mix of fear, absurdity and dark comedy I really like.
There’s a strong contrast in this EP between darker, brooding atmospheres and more euphoric, disco-driven moments. What draws you to that tension between darkness and glamour?
I think I always felt a strange mix of excitement and fear when going out. Maybe it comes from the queer underground parties I used to go to. Often in dark, hidden places, and often lasting more than 12 hours.
There is something obviously very glamorous about those nights, but also something quite dark underneath. Towards the end of a party you see tired faces, people who have clearly been through a lot, and sometimes this feeling of vulnerability that comes with being part of a marginal scene.
I find that contrast really beautiful. That’s what I try to capture with Motel Panic : music that makes you want to dance, but something feels slightly unsettling underneath.
This release comes through Cormac’s Polari Records, where genre boundaries dissolve in favour of bold personality and queer club energy. What made Polari feel like the right home for this new chapter, and how did the collaboration come about?
I’ve been a big fan of Cormac for a long time, not just as a DJ, but because of his energy and what he brings to the scene. I’ve listened to so many of his Rinse Shows in the car, and tracks from Polari have always been in my own sets. Actually, his track « Heartcore » was my closing track for what felt like an eternity. I used to absolutely scream the lyrics while playing it. So when he started playing my track « Festa a Bari » I was honestly going crazy.
I sent him my EP « Terror Nights » afterwards, even though it wasn’t really made for dancefloor, and he started playing it in clubs and his Rinse shows.
He then asked me to send him music for a release on Polari. I even did a remix of his track “Gone”. That meant a lot to me, because beyond everything that Cormac and Polari represent, he was the first to really give this new project a hand and put it on a dancefloor. So Polari feels not only a great home for Fred Terror, but also like a helping hand in this new chapter.
You describe your sound as “50% disco, 50% ténèbres.” Looking ahead, what would you like to explore further as Fred Terror, both musically and beyond this first stage of the project?
The “50% disco 50% ténèbres” thing comes from my old friend DJ Varsovie, who runs Intervision. He always says catchy things. He described my music that way and I immediately thought « yeah, that’s exactly it ».
For the future, I’d like to keep exploring that balance and not put too many boundaries around it. I listen to a lot of UK Rave and Piano house tracks these days. I’d also love to play more as Fred Terror. I have a friend, BW.Tronic, who studied cinema and works with analog video and glitch visuals, and we’d love to build an audiovisual live show together. I think that could really bring the whole Fred Terror world to life.
And if I could take it somewhere beyond club music, my dream would honestly be to make a soundtrack for a horror comedy. Something funny, dark, slightly trashy and completely over the top. Seeing « Fred Terror » in the credits of a horror movie would be pretty amazing too.
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